cannot receive mail using dovecot v2.3.20 - pop3 port 110 - evolution v3.42.4 client

Sent email is correctly stored by postfix. Cannot receive mail from dovecot pop3 server. Using port 110.

Client: evolution 3.42.4 O/S: fedora 35;
When receiving: security ino encryptioni, authentication ipasswordi

Dovecot server: 2.3.20 O/S: fedora 38

Suspect problem is pam configuration error. Using default settings, i.e. as installed.

systemctl status dovecot i error messages
Sep 15 13:33:22 zeta.hoff.com.au auth[3531]: pam_unix(dovecot:auth): check pass; user unknown
Sep 15 13:33:22 zeta.hoff.com.au auth[3531]: pam_unix(dovecot:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=dovecot ruser=hoff@hoff.com.au rhost=f

getent passwd hoff - account exists
hoff:x:10000:10000:Andrew Hoff:/home/hoff:/bin/bash

doveconf -n
# 2.3.20 (80a5ac675d): /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
# OS: Linux 6.3.8-200.fc38.x86_64 x86_64 Fedora release 38 (Thirty Eight)
# Hostname: zeta
auth_mechanisms = plain login
disable_plaintext_auth = no
listen = 127.0.0.1, ::1, 172.18.0.20, fec0::ac12:14
mail_location = mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/spool/mail/%u
mbox_write_locks = fcntl
namespace inbox {
inbox = yes
location =
mailbox Drafts {
special_use = \Drafts
}
mailbox Junk {
special_use = \Junk
}
mailbox Sent {
special_use = \Sent
}
mailbox Trash {
special_use = \Trash
}
prefix =
}
passdb {
args = dovecot
driver = pam
}
pop3_client_workarounds = outlook-no-nuls oe-ns-eoh
protocols = imap pop3
service auth {
unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/auth {
group = postfix
mode = 0666
user = postfix
}
}
service pop3-login {
inet_listener pop3 {
port = 110
}
}
ssl_cert = </etc/pki/dovecot/certs/postfix.pem
ssl_cipher_list = PROFILE=SYSTEM
ssl_key = # hidden, use -P to show it
ssl_min_protocol = TLSv1
userdb {
driver = passwd
}

ls -lZd /var/spool/mail i display mode of mail directory
drwxrwxrwt. 5 root mail system_u:object_r:mail_spool_t:s0 4096 Sep 13 22:14 mail
Note: tried setenforce 0 & got same result; this is NOT an selinux issue

cat /etc/pam.d/dovecot, as installed; have tried alternative (see below) same error
#%PAM-1.0
auth required pam_nologin.so
auth include password-auth
account include password-auth
session include password-auth
#
# alternative
# auth required pam_unix.so nullok
# account required pam_unix.so