iRedMail — [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (FMB) — Fri, 15 May 2026 14:42:01 +0000

I had to manually install the dovecot-lmtpd package. I also needed to change:

smtpd_sasl_path = ./dovecot-auth

into

smtpd_sasl_path = ./private/dovecot-auth

and to uncomment the line “auth_mechanisms = plain login” in /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-auth.conf as explained by mir.

Now the only issue seems to be:

Error: sieve: binary /path/to/dovecot.svbin: read: binary stored with different major version 2.0 (!= 3.0; automatically fixed when re-compiled)

but I assume this can be safely ignored?

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (ZhangHuangbin) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 02:41:25 +0000

mir wrote:

unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/dovecot-lmtp {
user = postfix
group = postfix
mode = 0600
}

Updated config files with lmtp socket listener.

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (ZhangHuangbin) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 02:08:01 +0000

mir wrote:

iRedAPD-5.9.3 requires python3-multipart to be installed
iRedAdmin-2.6 requires python3-legacy-cgi and python3-crypt-r to be installed

iRedAdmin-2.7 is released with newer dependent web.py module. It now doesn't require python3-legacy-cgi and python3-crypt-r.

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (mir) — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:55:32 +0000

I am convinced that using the steps I have listed above I have concluded the migration from Debian 12 to 13. However, I still use Apache2 so I have not verified the Nginx and php-fpm I am not using SOGo Groupware as well as mlmmjadmin so these are not covered. Some conner-cases have to be expected but all in all I am able to receive and send email from 6 hosted domains and iRedAPD and iRedAdmin is working.

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (mir) — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:42:55 +0000

Fixed lmtp:
The relay part using a unix socket needs to be included so therefore:

service lmtp {
user = vmail

# For higher volume sites, it may be desirable to increase the number of
# active listener processes. A range of 5 to 20 is probably good for most
# sites.
process_min_avail = 5

# Logging.
# Require 'log_path =' in 'protocol lmtp {}' block.
executable = lmtp -L

# Listening on socket file and TCP
unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/dovecot-lmtp {
user = postfix
group = postfix
mode = 0600
}

inet_listener lmtp {
listen = 127.0.0.1
port = 24
}
}

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (mir) — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:54:53 +0000

Fixed sasl:

/etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-auth.conf:
Line “auth_mechanisms = plain login” needed to be uncommented.

/etc/postfix/main.cf
smtpd_sasl_path = ./private/dovecot-auth

lmtp still broken:
Should be something like:
relay=redacted[private/dovecot-lmtp], .....
But I get
relay=redacted[private/dovecot-lmtp]: Connection refused)

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (mir) — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:33:12 +0000

On Debian 12 sasl is made through: /var/spool/postfix/dovecot-auth

Using instructions here this socket is missing in which case sasl is broken.

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (mir) — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:42:20 +0000

Got it.

But this will require a lot of work to make the transition.

iRedAPD-5.9.3 requires python3-multipart to be installed
iRedAdmin-2.6 requires python3-legacy-cgi and python3-crypt-r to be installed

Apart from the above:
- lmtp is broken (transition instructions are missing)
- sasl is broken (transition instructions are missing)
warning: SASL: Connect to Dovecot auth socket './dovecot-auth' failed: Connection refused
2025-12-09T13:24:27.896266+01:00 iredmail postfix/smtpd[3929]: fatal: no SASL authentication mechanisms

I have made a rolled back of my snapshot since this task is not a walk in the park. I will try working from a clone instead - I cannot be without a working mail server for several days.

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (ZhangHuangbin) — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 01:53:05 +0000

hi @mir,

Fixed, you can try again now.
Thanks for the feedback.

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (mir) — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:38:48 +0000

$ wget https://docs.iredmail.org/files/dovecot … nldap.conf
--2025-12-08 23:37:13-- https://docs.iredmail.org/files/dovecot … nldap.conf
Resolving docs.iredmail.org (docs.iredmail.org)... 139.162.146.87
Connecting to docs.iredmail.org (docs.iredmail.org)|139.162.146.87|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 404 Not Found
2025-12-08 23:37:13 ERROR 404: Not Found.

Re: [DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (mir) — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:29:16 +0000

openLDAP backend here and the mysql user is not called vmailadmin but iredadmin instead?

[DRAFT] Tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready

null@example.com (ZhangHuangbin) — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 01:38:32 +0000

Call for testers: Draft tutorial for upgrading Debian 12 to 13 (trixie) is ready:
https://docs.iredmail.org/upgrade.debian.12-13.html

Debian 13 offers Dovecot 2.4, but it's not backward-compatible with Dovecot 2.3, it's quite a mess. We generate sample Dovecot config files with iRedMail Enterprise Edition ("EE" for short), you just need to replace /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf by the sample one and update few parameters.