[Dovecot] problem with some mailboxes (failed: Is a directory)

[Timo Sirainen]

On Jan 29, 2009, at 11:52 AM, mikie at x.org.pl wrote:

> I have this problem with some mailboxes (actually Maildirs) on my  
> system.
> After some user's activity there is following information in dovecot  
> logs:
>
> Jan 29 16:24:28 mailserv dovecot: IMAP(username):
> unlink(/var/spool/mail/imap/user/username/Maildir/cur/Sent:2,ST)  
> failed:
> Is a directory

Something has created a directory called Sent inside Maldir/cur or  
Maildir/new. Dovecot treats it as a message and so it has added \Seen  
and \Deleted flags to it. Dovecot didn't create the Sent directory,  
look at other software/scripts you have.

> There is one workaround I know which is:
>
> rm /var/spool/mail/imap/user/username/Maildir/dovecot.index*

Delete the Sent* directory.