SYNC_SERVER(8)

📦
version 3.12.3 · 5 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💖 SYNC_SERVER(8) — the Cyrus IMAP glow-up ✨

okay bestie, buckle up, because this is sync_server from Cyrus IMAP and she is literally the whole backbone of the replication system. no cap. 👑

🌸 NAME 🌸

sync_server — Cyrus IMAP documentation, and also: the server side of the synchronization (replication) engine. that's her. that's the girl. 💅

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

sync_server [ -C config-file ] [ -p ssf]

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so sync_server is, like, the server side of the replication system. she lives on the target (replica) system and just... waits. listens. patiently. 🦋 for connections from sync_client(8), who rolls up with instructions for syncing the replica system with the master system. it's giving main character + supporting character working in perfect harmony fr fr.

and where does she get her settings? sync_server reads its configuration options out of the imapd.conf(5) file, unless you tell her otherwise with -C. periodt.

👑 OPTIONS 👑

  • -C config-file — use the specific configuration file config-file instead of the default imapd.conf(5). yes, you can point her at a different file. she's flexible like that 💜
  • -p ssf — this one tells sync_server that an external layer exists. the tea: an SSF (that's security strength factor, iykyk) of 1 means an integrity protection layer exists. any higher SSF implies some form of privacy protection. so like, higher number = more layers of protection. very demure, very mindful, very secure. 🔥

🌈 EXAMPLES 🌈

bestie, sync_server is commonly included in the SERVICES section of cyrus.conf(5) like so — look at this lineup, she's literally in the group chat:

SERVICES {
    imap        cmd="imapd -U 30" listen="imap" prefork=0
    imaps       cmd="imapd -s -U 30" listen="imaps" prefork=0 maxchild=100
    pop3        cmd="pop3d -U 30" listen="pop3" prefork=0
    pop3s       cmd="pop3d -s -U 30" listen="pop3s" prefork=0 maxchild=100
    lmtpunix    cmd="lmtpd" listen="/var/run/cyrus/socket/lmtp" prefork=0 maxchild=20
    sieve       cmd="timsieved" listen="sieve" prefork=0
    notify      cmd="notifyd" listen="/var/run/cyrus/socket/notify" proto="udp" prefork=1
    httpd       cmd="httpd" listen=8080 prefork=1 maxchild=20
    syncserver  cmd="sync_server" listen="csync"
}

see that last line? syncserver cmd="sync_server" listen="csync" — that's HER. ate and left no crumbs. 💅 (also yes, all the other services are iconic too, we love a supportive cast 🫶)

🍓 FILES 🍓

she keeps her stuff here, bestie:

  • /etc/imapd.conf
  • /etc/cyrus.conf

🧚 SEE ALSO 🧚

go read her friends, they're all slaying in their own ways:

💜 AUTHOR 💜

the literal legends who made this happen: The Cyrus Team, David Carter (dpc22@cam.ac.uk), Ken Murchison (ken@oceana.com), and Nic Bernstein (Onlight). icons. all of them. 👑

1993–2026, The Cyrus Team — yeah, they've been at this a MINUTE and we are obsessed. 😭💖

ngl bestie, if you're setting up replication, sync_server is the one holding it down on the replica side while sync_client(8) does the talking. she doesn't start the convo, she just listens and handles it. highkey the most emotionally mature daemon in the whole suite. 🙈

okay that's the whole page, mwah 💋 this was Cyrus IMAP — wait no, it's version 3.12.3 from Jul 15, 2026, page SYNC_SERVER(8) — anyway stan a reliable replication engine, love u, bye 🎀✨🦋

📦 where this page comes from