This drove me crazy forever, and Google wasn’t too helpful. If you’re running dovecot with mysql authentication, your logins will be exceedingly slow. This isn’t much of a problem with traditional mail clients – just an annoying bit of a hiccup you probably won’t even notice except for SASL authentication when sending mail – but it makes Roundcube webmail PAINFULLY painfully slow in a VERY obvious way.
The issue is due to PAM authentication being enabled by default in Dovecot, and on Ubuntu at least, it’s done in a really hidden little out-of-the-way file with no easy way to forcibly override it elsewhere that I’m aware of.
Again on Ubuntu, you’ll find the file in question at /etc/dovecot/conf.d/auth-system.conf.ext, and the relevant block should be commented out COMPLETELY, like this:
Once you’ve done this (and remember, we’re assuming you’re using SQL auth here, and NOT actually USING the PAM!) you’ll auth immediately instead of having to fail PAM and then fall back to SQL auth on every auth request, and things will speed up IMMENSELY. This turns Roundcube from “painfully slow” to “blazing fast”.