How to install Dovecot with MySQL support using Homebrew?

Question

I've been trying for ages to get this to work. Standard Homebrew recipe does not include MySQL support.

I've tried: brew edit dovecot and added --with-mysql to the args section but it just seems to download the standard version without mysql support:

 % brew install --build-from-source dovecot <br/>
==> Fetching dovecot
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Downloading https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/formula-patches/03cf8088210822aa2c1ab544ed58ea04c897d9c4/libtool/configure-big_sur.diff
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Downloading https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/formula-patches/03cf8088210822aa2c1ab544ed58ea04c897d9c4/libtool/configure-big_sur.diff
Already downloaded: /Users/jlbrown/Library/Caches/Homebrew/downloads/195208ba31cadc265ea97bb8aad4e78caab1200daf4d855e6c839b5f987f92db--configure-big_sur.diff
==> Downloading https://pigeonhole.dovecot.org/releases/2.3/dovecot-2.3-pigeonhole-0.5.20.tar.gz
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Downloading https://dovecot.org/releases/2.3/dovecot-2.3.20.tar.gz
Already downloaded: /Users/jlbrown/Library/Caches/Homebrew/downloads/b9e612337caea98cfb0c508b92ac69cb54c02769a6cc7d768e0bb9841c67dff3--dovecot-2.3.20.tar.gz
==> Patching
==> Applying configure-big_sur.diff
patching file configure
<br/>==> ./configure --prefix=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/dovecot/2.3.20 --libexecdir=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/dovecot/2.3.20/libexec --sysconfdir=/opt/homebrew/etc --localstatedir=/opt/homebrew/var --with-bzlib --with-pam --with-sqlite --with-ssl=openSSL<br/>
==> make install
==> Patching pigeonhole
<br/>==> Applying configure-big_sur.diff
patching file configure
==> ./configure --with-dovecot=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/dovecot/2.3.20/lib/dovecot --prefix=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/dovecot/2.3.20
==> make
==> make install
==> Caveats
For Dovecot to work, you may need to create a dovecot user
and group depending on your configuration file options.<br/>
To restart dovecot after an upgrade:<br/>
  sudo brew services restart dovecot
Or, if you don't want/need a background service you can just run:
  /opt/homebrew/opt/dovecot/sbin/dovecot -F
==> Summary
🍺  /opt/homebrew/Cellar/dovecot/2.3.20: 1,236 files, 30.4MB, built in 2 minutes 38 seconds


Feb 21 15:22:38 master: Info: Dovecot v2.3.20 (80a5ac675d) starting up
 for imap, pop3 (core dumps disabled) Feb 21 15:22:47 auth: Fatal: sql:
 Unknown database driver 'mysql'

Disparate for a solution! Running on Ventura (macOS 13.2.1) on a M1 Mac

Answer 1

I only just saw this thread when I ran into the same problem.

I've been using dovecot for several years now, built via brew, and like the OP, using MySQL as the backend for auth storage. I was trying to update my dovecot from 2.3.19 to the current latest (2.3.20), and I got hit with "unknown database driver 'mysql'".

The brew FAQ has the answer: after editing the formula, set

export HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALL_FROM_API=1

before running

brew reinstall -s dovecot

Otherwise, the formula changes will be ignored. :(

Worked like a charm for me just now. I'm happily running dovecot on top of Monterey 12.6.7 on a 2018 Mac Mini.

Sorry if you've already moved on and don't need the answer any more, but maybe this thread will help someone else.