cyradm Command in Linux

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The cyradm command is a powerful tool for managing the Cyrus IMAP server, which is widely used for enterprise email systems. It provides a command-line interface for performing various administrative tasks, such as creating and deleting mailboxes, managing access control lists (ACLs), and more.

Table of Contents

Here's a comprehensive guide to using the cyradm command in Linux with examples.

• Understanding cyradm Command in Linux
• Install cyradm Command in Linux
• How to Use cyradm Command in Linux?
• Examples of cyradm Command in Linux

Understanding cyradm Command in Linux

cyradm is a command-line utility designed to perform administrative tasks on a Cyrus IMAP server. It's written in Perl and offers a simple interface for common administrative operations. You can use it locally on the server or remotely via IMAP.

Install cyradm Command in Linux

Before diving into the examples, ensure that you have the Cyrus IMAP server installed on your system. You can start the cyradm shell by simply typing cyradm in your terminal.

Install cyradm Packages

sudo apt install cyrus-admin

Select Mail Configuration Type

Users can select Mail Configuration type such as Local only as below −

How to Use cyradm Command in Linux?

Typically, you'll execute cyradm on a machine where it's installed and connected to the Cyrus IMAP server. However, it's also possible to run it directly on the server itself.

Before diving into specific options, let's recap the basic syntax of cyradm −

cyradm [options] [command] [arguments]

• options − Global options affecting the command's behavior.
• command − The action to perform (e.g., adduser, deluser, listmailboxes).
• arguments − Specific parameters for the command.

While cyradm offers a wide range of functionalities, some common commands and options include.

These options control the overall behavior of the cyradm command −

Examples of cyradm Command in Linux

Now, let’s go through some examples to better understand the working of the cyradm command in Linux −

• Basic Usage
• User Management
• Getting Help
• Enabling Debugging
• Specifying Credentials
• Specifying Server Details
• Setting Configuration Options
• Interactive Mode
• Combining Options

Basic Usage

To use cyradm, you typically need to provide the hostname or IP address of the IMAP server and your username. For example −

cyradm -u ubuntu my_imap_server

Replace ubuntu with your username and my_imap_server with the actual server name.

Once you're in the shell, you can execute various commands to manage your mail system. While cyradm offers a wide range of commands −

User Management

While cyradm can be used to manage users, it's generally more efficient to create users through the Cyrus IMAP configuration files or using a dedicated user management tool provided by your system.

Creating a user −

cyradm adduser user1

Deleting a user −

cyradm deluser user1

Setting a user's password −

cyradm setpw user1 newpassword

Listing users −

cyradm listusers

This will provide more detailed output about the listusers command. Using multiple -v flags can increase verbosity further.

Mailbox Management

However, if you need to create a user using cyradm, you would typically create the necessary mailboxes and set appropriate ACLs.

Creating a mailbox −

cyradm addmailbox user1 Inbox

Deleting a mailbox −

cyradm delmailbox user1 Junk

Renaming a mailbox −

cyradm renamemailbox user1 OldMailbox NewMailbox

Listing mailboxes −

cyradm listmailboxes user1

Quota Management

This refers to controlling disk space usage for users or groups on a file system. It's a general system administration task, not tied to a specific application like Cyrus.

Setting a quota for a user −

cyradm setquota user1 100M

Checking a user's quota −

cyradm getquota user1

Other Common Commands

This command is primarily used for managing Cyrus IMAP/POP3 servers, not for general file system quota management on Linux systems. It's specific to email server administration.

Adding a domain −

cyradm adddomain example.com

Deleting a domain −

cyradm deldomain example.com

These options provide control over the cyradm command's behavior and output.

Getting Help

cyradm -h
or
cyradm --help

This displays a detailed help message explaining all available options and commands.

Enabling Debugging

cyradm -d adduser newuser
or
cyradm --debug adduser newuser

This will output debugging information to help troubleshoot issues.

Specifying Credentials

cyradm -u admin -p secretpassword adduser ubuntu
or
cyradm --user admin --password secretpassword adduser ubuntu

This provides the necessary credentials for authentication. Warning: Avoid hardcoding passwords in scripts. Consider using environment variables or secure storage.

Specifying Server Details

cyradm -s imap.example.com -P 993 -S listmailboxes user1
or
cyradm --server imap.example.com --port 993 --ssl listmailboxes user1

This specifies the IMAP server, port, and whether to use SSL.

Setting Configuration Options

cyradm -o max_users=1000 listusers
Or 
cyradm --option max_users=1000 listusers

This sets a temporary configuration option for the command. The available options depend on your Cyrus IMAP server configuration.

Interactive Mode

cyradm -i
or
cyradm --interactive

This launches an interactive shell where you can execute cyradm commands directly.

Combining Options

You can combine multiple options for complex commands −

cyradm -v -u admin -p secretpassword -s imap.example.com listmailboxes user1

That is all from the guide.

Conclusion

A cyradm command is a versatile tool for managing Cyrus IMAP servers. With the examples provided, you should be able to perform essential administrative tasks with ease. For more detailed information and additional commands, you can refer to the official Cyrus IMAP documentation.

Remember, it's crucial to understand the implications of each command before executing them, as they can affect your mail system's configuration and accessibility. Always ensure you have proper backups and permissions when making changes to your server.