MBPATH(8) Cyrus IMAP MBPATH(8)

mbpath - Cyrus IMAP documentation

Translate mailbox names to filesystem paths

mbpath [ -C config-file ] [ -l ] [ -m ] [ -q ] [ -s ] [ -u | -p ] [ -a | -A | -M | -S | -U ] [ mailbox-names... ]


Given a mailbox name or a space separated list of mailbox names, mbpath outputs the filesystem path(s) of the mailbox. By default, the mailboxes' data partition paths are shown (same as -D). See Selectors for selecting which filesystem path(s) to output.

mbpath reads its configuration options out of the imapd.conf(5) file unless specified otherwise by -C. It uses <configdirectory>/mailboxes.db to locate the mailboxes on disk.

Use the specified configuration file config-file rather than the default imapd.conf(5).

Local mailboxes only (exits with error for remote or nonexistent mailboxes)

Output the path to the metadata files (if different from the message files). Legacy, use -M.

Suppress any error output.

If any error occurs, stop processing the list of mailboxes and exit.

The specified mailbox-names are userids, not mailboxes.

The specified mailbox-names are UNIX mailbox paths, not mailboxes.

Show the mailbox archive path

Show the mailbox data path (default)

Show the mailbox metadata path (same as -m)

Show the user sieve scripts path

Show the user files path (seen, sub, etc)

Show all paths, as if all selectors were specified

mbpath user.jsmith


Display the data path for mailbox user.jsmith.


mbpath -M user.jsmith


Display the metadata path for mailbox user.jsmith.


mbpath -u -S jsmith


Display the sieve scripts path for user jsmith.


/etc/imapd.conf, <configdirectory>/mailboxes.db

imapd.conf(5)

The Cyrus Team, Nic Bernstein (Onlight)

1993–2024, The Cyrus Team

March 13, 2024 3.8.2