[Dovecot] password encryption

[Jim Pazarena]

I have just come to the realization that password encryption using the 
crypt function in linux, ONLY USES THE FIRST 8 CHARS. I have written 
routines using crypt allowing 16+ chars, and find that anything past 8 
is ignored. Wow.

Is there a way around this that can be used in dovecot, as well as 
encryption routines for an email front end? (not system users).

It's the integration with dovecot which is the most important.