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1)
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10 postfix - Postfix control program
13 <b>postfix
</b> [
<b>-Dv
</b>] [
<b>-c
</b> <i>config
</i><b>_
</b><i>dir
</i>]
<i>command
</i>
16 This command is reserved for the superuser. To submit
17 mail, use the Postfix
<a href=
"sendmail.1.html"><b>sendmail
</b>(
1)
</a> command.
19 The
<a href=
"postfix.1.html"><b>postfix
</b>(
1)
</a> command controls the operation of the Post-
20 fix mail system: start or stop the
<a href=
"master.8.html"><b>master
</b>(
8)
</a> daemon, do a
21 health check, and other maintenance.
23 By default, the
<a href=
"postfix.1.html"><b>postfix
</b>(
1)
</a> command sets up a standardized
24 environment and runs the
<b>postfix-script
</b> shell script to do
27 However, when support for multiple Postfix instances is
28 configured,
<a href=
"postfix.1.html"><b>postfix
</b>(
1)
</a> executes the command specified with
29 the
<b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#multi_instance_wrapper">multi_instance_wrapper
</a></b> configuration parameter. This
30 command will execute the
<i>command
</i> for each applicable Post-
33 The following commands are implemented:
35 <b>check
</b> Warn about bad directory/file ownership or permis-
36 sions, and create missing directories.
38 <b>start
</b> Start the Postfix mail system. This also runs the
39 configuration check described above.
41 <b>stop
</b> Stop the Postfix mail system in an orderly fashion.
42 If possible, running processes are allowed to ter-
43 minate at their earliest convenience.
45 Note: in order to refresh the Postfix mail system
46 after a configuration change, do not use the
<b>start
</b>
47 and
<b>stop
</b> commands in succession. Use the
<b>reload
</b>
50 <b>abort
</b> Stop the Postfix mail system abruptly. Running pro-
51 cesses are signaled to stop immediately.
53 <b>flush
</b> Force delivery: attempt to deliver every message in
54 the deferred mail queue. Normally, attempts to
55 deliver delayed mail happen at regular intervals,
56 the interval doubling after each failed attempt.
58 Warning: flushing undeliverable mail frequently
59 will result in poor delivery performance of all
62 <b>reload
</b> Re-read configuration files. Running processes ter-
63 minate at their earliest convenience.
65 <b>status
</b> Indicate if the Postfix mail system is currently
68 <b>set-permissions [
</b><i>name
</i>=
<i>value ...
</i><b>]
</b>
69 Set the ownership and permissions of Postfix
70 related files and directories, as specified in the
71 <b>postfix-files
</b> file.
73 Specify
<i>name
</i>=
<i>value
</i> to override and update specific
74 <a href=
"postconf.5.html">main.cf
</a> configuration parameters. Use this, for
75 example, to change the
<b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#mail_owner">mail_owner
</a></b> or
<b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#setgid_group">setgid_group
</a></b>
76 setting for an already installed Postfix system.
78 This feature is available in Postfix
2.1 and later.
79 With Postfix
2.0 and earlier, use
"<b>$<a href="postconf
.5.html#config_directory
">config_direc</a>-</b>
80 <b><a href="postconf
.5.html#config_directory
">tory</a>/post-install set-permissions</b>".
82 <b>upgrade-configuration [
</b><i>name
</i>=
<i>value ...
</i><b>]
</b>
83 Update the
<a href=
"postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf
</b></a> and
<a href=
"master.5.html"><b>master.cf
</b></a> files with infor-
84 mation that Postfix needs in order to run: add or
85 update services, and add or update configuration
88 Specify
<i>name
</i>=
<i>value
</i> to override and update specific
89 <a href=
"postconf.5.html">main.cf
</a> configuration parameters.
91 This feature is available in Postfix
2.1 and later.
92 With Postfix
2.0 and earlier, use
"<b>$<a href="postconf
.5.html#config_directory
">config_direc</a>-</b>
93 <b><a href="postconf
.5.html#config_directory
">tory</a>/post-install upgrade-configuration</b>".
95 The following options are implemented:
97 <b>-c
</b> <i>config
</i><b>_
</b><i>dir
</i>
98 Read the
<a href=
"postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf
</b></a> and
<a href=
"master.5.html"><b>master.cf
</b></a> configuration files
99 in the named directory instead of the default con-
100 figuration directory. Use this to distinguish
101 between multiple Postfix instances on the same
104 With Postfix
2.6 and later, this option forces the
105 <a href=
"postfix.1.html">postfix(
1)
</a> command to operate on the specified
106 Postfix instance only. This behavior is inherited
107 by
<a href=
"postfix.1.html">postfix(
1)
</a> commands that run as a descendant of
110 <b>-D
</b> (with
<b>postfix start
</b> only)
111 Run each Postfix daemon under control of a debugger
112 as specified via the
<b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command
</a></b> configuration
115 <b>-v
</b> Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Mul-
116 tiple
<b>-v
</b> options make the software increasingly
120 The
<a href=
"postfix.1.html"><b>postfix
</b>(
1)
</a> command exports the following environment
121 variables before executing the
<b>postfix-script
</b> file:
124 This is set when the -c command-line option is
127 With Postfix
2.6 and later, this environment vari-
128 able forces the
<a href=
"postfix.1.html">postfix(
1)
</a> command to operate on
129 the specified Postfix instance only. This behavior
130 is inherited by
<a href=
"postfix.1.html">postfix(
1)
</a> commands that run as a
131 descendant of the current process.
134 This is set when the -v command-line option is
138 This is set when the -D command-line option is
141 <b>CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
</b>
142 The following
<a href=
"postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf
</b></a> configuration parameters are
143 exported as environment variables with the same names:
145 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#command_directory">command_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
146 The location of all postfix administrative com-
149 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">daemon_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
150 The directory with Postfix support programs and
153 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
154 The default location of the Postfix
<a href=
"postconf.5.html">main.cf
</a> and
155 <a href=
"master.5.html">master.cf
</a> configuration files.
157 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
158 The location of the Postfix top-level queue direc-
161 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#mail_owner">mail_owner
</a> (postfix)
</b>
162 The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue
163 and most Postfix daemon processes.
165 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#setgid_group">setgid_group
</a> (postdrop)
</b>
166 The group ownership of set-gid Postfix commands and
167 of group-writable Postfix directories.
169 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#sendmail_path">sendmail_path
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
170 A Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the
171 location of the Postfix
<a href=
"sendmail.1.html"><b>sendmail
</b>(
1)
</a> command.
173 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#newaliases_path">newaliases_path
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
174 Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the
175 location of the
<a href=
"newaliases.1.html"><b>newaliases
</b>(
1)
</a> command.
177 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#mailq_path">mailq_path
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
178 Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies where
179 the Postfix
<a href=
"mailq.1.html"><b>mailq
</b>(
1)
</a> command is installed.
181 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#html_directory">html_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
182 The location of Postfix HTML files that describe
183 how to build, configure or operate a specific Post-
184 fix subsystem or feature.
186 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#manpage_directory">manpage_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
187 Where the Postfix manual pages are installed.
189 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#readme_directory">readme_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
190 The location of Postfix README files that describe
191 how to build, configure or operate a specific Post-
192 fix subsystem or feature.
194 Available in Postfix version
2.5 and later:
196 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#data_directory">data_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
197 The directory with Postfix-writable data files (for
198 example: caches, pseudo-random numbers).
200 Other configuration parameters:
202 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
203 The default location of the Postfix
<a href=
"postconf.5.html">main.cf
</a> and
204 <a href=
"master.5.html">master.cf
</a> configuration files.
206 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#import_environment">import_environment
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
207 The list of environment parameters that a Postfix
208 process will import from a non-Postfix parent
211 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#syslog_facility">syslog_facility
</a> (mail)
</b>
212 The syslog facility of Postfix logging.
214 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#syslog_name">syslog_name
</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)
</b>
215 The mail system name that is prepended to the
216 process name in syslog records, so that
"smtpd"
217 becomes, for example,
"postfix/smtpd".
219 Available in Postfix version
2.6 and later:
221 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#multi_instance_directories">multi_instance_directories
</a> (empty)
</b>
222 An optional list of non-default Postfix configura-
223 tion directories; these directories belong to addi-
224 tional Postfix instances that share the Postfix
225 executable files and documentation with the default
226 Postfix instance, and that are started, stopped,
227 etc., together with the default Postfix instance.
229 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#multi_instance_wrapper">multi_instance_wrapper
</a> (empty)
</b>
230 The pathname of a multi-instance manager command
231 that the
<a href=
"postfix.1.html"><b>postfix
</b>(
1)
</a> command invokes when the
232 <a href=
"postconf.5.html#multi_instance_directories">multi_instance_directories
</a> parameter value is non-
235 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#multi_instance_group">multi_instance_group
</a> (empty)
</b>
236 The optional instance group name of this Postfix
239 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#multi_instance_name">multi_instance_name
</a> (empty)
</b>
240 The optional instance name of this Postfix
243 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#multi_instance_enable">multi_instance_enable
</a> (no)
</b>
244 Allow this Postfix instance to be started, stopped,
245 etc., by a multi-instance manager.
248 Prior to Postfix version
2.6, all of the following files
249 were in
<b>$
<a href=
"postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory
</a></b>. Some files are now in
<b>$
<a href=
"postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">dae
</a>-
</b>
250 <b><a href=
"postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">mon_directory
</a></b> so that they can be shared among multiple
251 instances that run the same Postfix version.
253 Use the command
"<b>postconf <a href="postconf
.5.html#config_directory
">config_directory</a></b>" or
"<b>postconf</b>
254 <b><a href="postconf
.5.html#daemon_directory
">daemon_directory</a></b>" to expand the names into their actual
257 $
<a href=
"postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory
</a>/
<a href=
"postconf.5.html">main.cf
</a>, Postfix configuration parameters
258 $
<a href=
"postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory
</a>/
<a href=
"master.5.html">master.cf
</a>, Postfix daemon processes
259 $
<a href=
"postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">daemon_directory
</a>/postfix-files, file/directory permissions
260 $
<a href=
"postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">daemon_directory
</a>/postfix-script, administrative commands
261 $
<a href=
"postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">daemon_directory
</a>/post-install, post-installation configuration
265 <a href=
"postalias.1.html">postalias(
1)
</a>, create/update/query alias database
266 <a href=
"postcat.1.html">postcat(
1)
</a>, examine Postfix queue file
267 <a href=
"postconf.1.html">postconf(
1)
</a>, Postfix configuration utility
268 <a href=
"postfix.1.html">postfix(
1)
</a>, Postfix control program
269 <a href=
"postkick.1.html">postkick(
1)
</a>, trigger Postfix daemon
270 <a href=
"postlock.1.html">postlock(
1)
</a>, Postfix-compatible locking
271 <a href=
"postlog.1.html">postlog(
1)
</a>, Postfix-compatible logging
272 <a href=
"postmap.1.html">postmap(
1)
</a>, Postfix lookup table manager
273 <a href=
"postmulti.1.html">postmulti(
1)
</a>, Postfix multi-instance manager
274 <a href=
"postqueue.1.html">postqueue(
1)
</a>, Postfix mail queue control
275 <a href=
"postsuper.1.html">postsuper(
1)
</a>, Postfix housekeeping
276 <a href=
"mailq.1.html">mailq(
1)
</a>, Sendmail compatibility interface
277 <a href=
"newaliases.1.html">newaliases(
1)
</a>, Sendmail compatibility interface
278 <a href=
"sendmail.1.html">sendmail(
1)
</a>, Sendmail compatibility interface
280 Postfix configuration:
281 <a href=
"bounce.5.html">bounce(
5)
</a>, Postfix bounce message templates
282 <a href=
"master.5.html">master(
5)
</a>, Postfix
<a href=
"master.5.html">master.cf
</a> file syntax
283 <a href=
"postconf.5.html">postconf(
5)
</a>, Postfix
<a href=
"postconf.5.html">main.cf
</a> file syntax
284 <a href=
"postfix-wrapper.5.html">postfix-wrapper(
5)
</a>, Postfix multi-instance API
286 Table-driven mechanisms:
287 <a href=
"access.5.html">access(
5)
</a>, Postfix SMTP access control table
288 <a href=
"aliases.5.html">aliases(
5)
</a>, Postfix alias database
289 <a href=
"canonical.5.html">canonical(
5)
</a>, Postfix input address rewriting
290 <a href=
"generic.5.html">generic(
5)
</a>, Postfix output address rewriting
291 <a href=
"header_checks.5.html">header_checks(
5)
</a>,
<a href=
"header_checks.5.html">body_checks(
5)
</a>, Postfix content inspection
292 <a href=
"relocated.5.html">relocated(
5)
</a>, Users that have moved
293 <a href=
"transport.5.html">transport(
5)
</a>, Postfix routing table
294 <a href=
"virtual.5.html">virtual(
5)
</a>, Postfix virtual aliasing
296 Table lookup mechanisms:
297 <a href=
"cidr_table.5.html">cidr_table(
5)
</a>, Associate CIDR pattern with value
298 <a href=
"ldap_table.5.html">ldap_table(
5)
</a>, Postfix LDAP client
299 <a href=
"mysql_table.5.html">mysql_table(
5)
</a>, Postfix MYSQL client
300 <a href=
"nisplus_table.5.html">nisplus_table(
5)
</a>, Postfix NIS+ client
301 <a href=
"pcre_table.5.html">pcre_table(
5)
</a>, Associate PCRE pattern with value
302 <a href=
"pgsql_table.5.html">pgsql_table(
5)
</a>, Postfix PostgreSQL client
303 <a href=
"regexp_table.5.html">regexp_table(
5)
</a>, Associate POSIX regexp pattern with value
304 <a href=
"tcp_table.5.html">tcp_table(
5)
</a>, Postfix client-server table lookup
307 <a href=
"anvil.8.html">anvil(
8)
</a>, Postfix connection/rate limiting
308 <a href=
"bounce.8.html">bounce(
8)
</a>,
<a href=
"defer.8.html">defer(
8)
</a>,
<a href=
"trace.8.html">trace(
8)
</a>, Delivery status reports
309 <a href=
"cleanup.8.html">cleanup(
8)
</a>, canonicalize and enqueue message
310 <a href=
"discard.8.html">discard(
8)
</a>, Postfix discard delivery agent
311 <a href=
"error.8.html">error(
8)
</a>, Postfix error delivery agent
312 <a href=
"flush.8.html">flush(
8)
</a>, Postfix fast ETRN service
313 <a href=
"local.8.html">local(
8)
</a>, Postfix local delivery agent
314 <a href=
"master.8.html">master(
8)
</a>, Postfix master daemon
315 <a href=
"qmgr.8.html">oqmgr(
8)
</a>, old Postfix queue manager
316 <a href=
"pickup.8.html">pickup(
8)
</a>, Postfix local mail pickup
317 <a href=
"pipe.8.html">pipe(
8)
</a>, deliver mail to non-Postfix command
318 <a href=
"proxymap.8.html">proxymap(
8)
</a>, Postfix lookup table proxy server
319 <a href=
"qmgr.8.html">qmgr(
8)
</a>, Postfix queue manager
320 <a href=
"qmqpd.8.html">qmqpd(
8)
</a>, Postfix QMQP server
321 <a href=
"scache.8.html">scache(
8)
</a>, Postfix connection cache manager
322 <a href=
"showq.8.html">showq(
8)
</a>, list Postfix mail queue
323 <a href=
"smtp.8.html">smtp(
8)
</a>,
<a href=
"lmtp.8.html">lmtp(
8)
</a>, Postfix SMTP+LMTP client
324 <a href=
"smtpd.8.html">smtpd(
8)
</a>, Postfix SMTP server
325 <a href=
"spawn.8.html">spawn(
8)
</a>, run non-Postfix server
326 <a href=
"tlsmgr.8.html">tlsmgr(
8)
</a>, Postfix TLS cache and randomness manager
327 <a href=
"trivial-rewrite.8.html">trivial-rewrite(
8)
</a>, Postfix address rewriting
328 <a href=
"verify.8.html">verify(
8)
</a>, Postfix address verification
329 <a href=
"virtual.8.html">virtual(
8)
</a>, Postfix virtual delivery agent
332 syslogd(
8), system logging
335 <a href=
"OVERVIEW.html">OVERVIEW
</a>, overview of Postfix commands and processes
336 <a href=
"BASIC_CONFIGURATION_README.html">BASIC_CONFIGURATION_README
</a>, Postfix basic configuration
337 <a href=
"ADDRESS_REWRITING_README.html">ADDRESS_REWRITING_README
</a>, Postfix address rewriting
338 <a href=
"SMTPD_ACCESS_README.html">SMTPD_ACCESS_README
</a>, SMTP relay/access control
339 <a href=
"CONTENT_INSPECTION_README.html">CONTENT_INSPECTION_README
</a>, Postfix content inspection
340 <a href=
"QSHAPE_README.html">QSHAPE_README
</a>, Postfix queue analysis
343 The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this
348 IBM T.J. Watson Research
350 Yorktown Heights, NY
10598, USA
354 Brandenburg University of Technology
360 SASL support originally by:
363 65760 Eschborn, Germany
365 LMTP support originally by:
366 Philip A. Prindeville
371 University of Texas at Dallas
372 P.O. Box
830688, MC34
373 Richardson, TX
75083, USA
375 IPv6 support originally by:
376 Mark Huizer, Eindhoven University, The Netherlands
377 Jun-ichiro 'itojun' Hagino, KAME project, Japan
378 The Linux PLD project
379 Dean Strik, Eindhoven University, The Netherlands
382 </pre> </body> </html>