I'm building a web server to host multiple websites. I got everything working except the mail server. I'm using linode to host my vps and I've been following their tutorials. FYI, I'm using Ubuntu 11.10. Here is the link I've been following, http://library.linode.com/email/postfix/dovecot-mysql-ubuntu-10.04-lucid. I got up to the part where it tells me to restart dovecot, so I tried "service dovecot restart". But then I get this "restart: Unknown instance:". I'm logged in as root, so I'm not using sudo. Since that didn't work I tried "/etc/init.d/dovecot restart" and I get "dovecot start/running, process 4760". So I try "/etc/init.d/dovecot status" and I get "dovecot stop/waiting". So I tried "service dovecot start" and I get "dovecot start/running, process 4781". So I tried to get the status, so I tired "service dovecot status" and got "dovecot stop/waiting" Then I tired "/etc/init.d/dovecot start" and I get "dovecot start/running, process 4794". So I tired to get the status, so I tired "/etc/init.d/dovecot status" and got "dovecot stop/waiting" Just for kicks and giggles I tired to kill the process, I used the PID that I got when I did "service dovecot start", this was the command "kill -9 4444" and I get this "bash: kill: (4805) - No such process" Am I doing something wrong? --EDIT 1-- The following are logs that were found in /var/log/syslog that involved dovecot dovecot: master: Dovecot v2.0.13 starting up (core dumps disabled) dovecot: ssl-params: Generating SSL parameters dovecot: ssl-params: SSL parameters regeneration completed dovecot: master: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) dovecot: config: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) dovecot: anvil: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) dovecot: log: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) kernel: init: dovecot main process (10276) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (10289) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (10452) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (2275) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (3028) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (3216) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (3230) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (3254) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (3813) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (3845) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (4664) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (4760) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (4781) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (4794) terminated with status 89 kernel: init: dovecot main process (4805) terminated with status 89 --Edit 2 (/etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf)-- The following is the dovecot.conf file protocols = imap imaps pop3 pop3s log_timestamp = "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S " mail_location = maildir:/home/vmail/%d/%n/Maildir ssl_cert_file = /etc/ssl/certs/dovecot.pem ssl_key_file = /etc/ssl/private/dovecot.pem namespace private { separator = . prefix = INBOX. inbox = yes } protocol lda { log_path = /home/vmail/dovecot-deliver.log auth_socket_path = /var/run/dovecot/auth-master postmaster_address = postmaster@[mydomainname.com] mail_plugins = sieve global_script_path = /home/vmail/globalsieverc } protocol pop3 { pop3_uidl_format = %08Xu%08Xv } auth default { user = root passdb sql { args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf } userdb static { args = uid=5000 gid=5000 home=/home/vmail/%d/%n allow_all_users=yes } socket listen { master { path = /var/run/dovecot/auth-master mode = 0600 user = vmail } client { path = /var/spool/postfix/private/auth mode = 0660 user = postfix group = postfix } } } -- Edit 3 (/var/log/mail.log) -- The following is what is in /var/log/mail.log dovecot: master: Dovecot v2.0.13 starting up (core dumps disabled) dovecot: ssl-params: Generating SSL parameters postfix/master[9917]: daemon started -- version 2.8.5, configuration /etc/postfix dovecot: ssl-params: SSL parameters regeneration completed postfix/master[9917]: terminating on signal 15 postfix/master[10196]: daemon started -- version 2.8.5, configuration /etc/postfix dovecot: master: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) dovecot: config: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) dovecot: anvil: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) dovecot: log: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) postfix/master[2435]: daemon started -- version 2.8.5, configuration /etc/postfix postfix/master[2435]: terminating on signal 15 postfix/master[2965]: daemon started -- version 2.8.5, configuration /etc/postfix