I try to use windbind rule to authenticate users in dovecot login procedure. /etc/nsswitch.conf file: passwd: files winbind shadow: files winbind group: files winbind I setup in PAM config file /etc/pam.d/dovecot auth required pam_env.so debug auth sufficient pam_unix.so likeauth nullok auth sufficient pam_winbind.so use_first_pass auth required pam_deny.so when I try logon from my console to dovecot (pop3 server): # telnet komp14 110 Trying 10.10.10.38... Connected to komp.xxx.xxx (10.10.10.38). Escape character is '^]'. +OK Dovecot ready. user tt1 +OK pass xxxxxxxxx -ERR Authentication failed. quit +OK Logging out Connection closed by foreign host. Of course password is corret. In the logs files I can find log of the telnet command to dovecot. In the file /var/log/auth.log Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_unix(dovecot:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=dovecot ruser= tt1 rhost=10.10.10.38 user=tt1 Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] ENTER: pam_sm_authenticate (flags: 0x0000) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_SERVICE) = "dovecot" (0x15c fe00) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_USER) = "tt1" (0x15cfe20) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_TTY) = "dovecot" (0x15cbfa0 ) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_RHOST) = "10.10.10.38" (0x1 5cbf60) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_RUSER) = "tt1" (0x15cbf80) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_AUTHTOK) = 0x15cc070 Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_CONV) = 0x15cfe40 Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): getting password (0x00001011) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): pam_get_item returned a password Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): Verify user 'tt1' Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): request wbcLogonUser succeeded Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): user 'tt1' granted access Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): Returned user was 'tt1' Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] LEAVE: pam_sm_authenticate returning 0 (PAM _SUCCESS) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_SERVICE) = "dovecot" (0x15c fe00) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_USER) = "tt1" (0x15d6d30) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_TTY) = "dovecot" (0x15cbfa0 ) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_RHOST) = "10.10.10.38" (0x1 5cbf60) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_RUSER) = "tt1" (0x15cbf80) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_AUTHTOK) = 0x15cc070 Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: ITEM(PAM_CONV) = 0x15cfe40 Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: pam_winbind(dovecot:auth): [pamh: 0x15cfc80] STATE: DATA(PAM_WINBIND_LOGONSERVER) = "WBP 4" (0x15d6ed0) Mar 23 10:37:50 komp14 dovecot-auth: PAM [pamh: 0x15cfc80] CLEAN: cleaning up PAM data 0x15d6ed0 (error_status = 7) in the dovecot log file /var/log/dovecot/info.log we have Mar 23 10:37:50 pop3-login: Info: Aborted login (auth failed, 1 attempts): user=<tt1>, method=PLAIN, rip=10.10.10.38, lip=10.10.10.38, secured but in dovecot error log file /var/log/dovecot/error.log we have: Mar 23 10:37:50 auth-worker(default): Error: pam(tt1,10.10.10.38): pam_acct_mgmt() failed: Authentication failure