1 Purpose of this document
2 ========================
4 This document provides a road map of the Postfix mail system source
5 code distribution. I suggest that you
7 - take a few minutes to read this file,
9 - review the RELEASE_NOTES file for incompatible changes,
11 - and then proceed with the INSTALL instructions.
16 This is the public release of the Postfix mail system. Thank you
17 for your interest in this project. Send me a postcard if you like
18 it. My postal address is below.
20 You must read the LICENSE file, if you didn't do so already. A copy
21 of the LICENSE must be distributed with every original, modified,
22 complete, source, or binary copy of this software or parts thereof.
23 I suggest that you keep a copy of the file in /etc/postfix/LICENSE.
25 Purpose of the Postfix mail system
26 ==================================
28 Postfix aims to be an alternative to the widely-used sendmail
31 Although IBM supported the Postfix development, it abstains from
32 control over its evolution. The goal is to have Postfix installed
33 on as many systems as possible. To this end, the software is given
34 away with no strings attached to it, so that it can evolve with
35 input from and under control by its users.
37 In other words, IBM releases Postfix only once. I will be around
38 to guide its development for a limited time.
40 On-line resources devoted to the Postfix mail system
41 ====================================================
45 http://www.postfix.org/ current release information
47 Mail addresses (PLEASE send questions to the mailing list)
49 postfix-users@postfix.org Postfix users mailing list
51 In order to subscribe to the mailing list, see http://www.postfix.org/.
56 This release could not have happened without the input from a team
57 of competent alpha testers. Their names appear in numerous places
58 in the HISTORY file. I appreciate the input from my colleagues at
59 the IBM Global Security Analysis Laboratory: Paul Karger, Dave
60 Safford, Douglas Schales, and Leendert van Doorn. I also appreciate
61 the support by Charles Palmer under whose leadership I began this
62 project, and who had the privilege to name the software, twice.
64 If you wish to express your appreciation for the Postfix software,
65 you are welcome to send a postcard to:
68 IBM T.J Watson Research Center
70 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
73 Roadmap of the Postfix source distribution
74 ==========================================
76 The RELEASE_NOTES file describes new features, and lists incompatible
77 changes with respect to previous Postfix versions.
79 The INSTALL file provides a step-by-step guide for building and
80 installing Postfix on many popular UNIX platforms.
82 The COMPATIBILITY file lists features that Postfix does or does
83 not yet implement, and how well it works with other software.
85 The HISTORY file gives a detailed log of changes to the software.
87 Point your browser at html/index.html for Postfix documentation
88 and for hyperlinked versions of Postfix manual pages. Expect
89 to see updated versions on-line at http://www.postfix.org/
91 Point your MANPATH environment variable at the `man' directory (use
92 an absolute path) for UNIX-style on-line manual pages. These pages
93 are also available through the HTML interface, which allows you to
96 The PORTING file discusses how to go about porting Postfix to other
101 README_FILES/ Instructions for specific Postfix features
103 man/ UNIX on-line manual page format
107 conf/ configuration files, run-time scripts
108 examples/ chroot environments, virtual domains
112 src/dns/ DNS client library
113 src/global/ Postfix-specific support routines
114 src/util/ General-purpose support routines
116 Command-line utilities:
118 src/postalias/ Alias database management
119 src/postcat/ List Postfix queue file
120 src/postconf/ Configuration utility
121 src/postdrop/ Postfix mail submission program
122 src/postfix/ Postfix administrative interface
123 src/postkick/ Postfix IPC for shell scripts
124 src/postlock/ Postfix locking for shell scripts
125 src/postlog/ Postfix logging for shell scripts
126 src/postmap/ Postfix lookup table management
127 src/postqueue/ Postfix queue control program
128 src/postsuper/ Postfix house keeping program
129 src/sendmail/ Sendmail compatibility interface
133 src/anvil/ Connection count/rate limiter
134 src/bounce/ Bounce or defer mail
135 src/cleanup/ Canonicalize and enqueue mail
136 src/discard/ Trivial discard mailer
137 src/error/ Trivial error mailer
138 src/local/ Local delivery
139 src/master/ Postfix resident superserver
140 src/oqmgr/ Old queue manager
141 src/pickup/ Local pickup
142 src/pipe/ Pipe delivery
143 src/qmgr/ Queue manager
144 src/qmqpd/ QMQPD server
145 src/showq/ List Postfix queue status
146 src/smtp/ SMTP and LMTP client
147 src/smtpd/ SMTP server
148 src/spawn/ Run non-Postfix server
149 src/tlsmgr/ TLS session keys and random pool
150 src/trivial-rewrite/ Address rewriting and resolving
151 src/verify/ address verification service
152 src/virtual/ virtual mailbox-only delivery agent
156 src/fsstone/ Measure file system overhead
157 src/smtpstone/ SMTP and QMQP server torture test
161 auxiliary/ Auxiliary software etc.
162 bin/ Postfix command executables
163 conf/ Configuration files, run-time scripts
164 include/ Include files
165 implementation-notes/ Background information
166 lib/ Object libraries
167 libexec/ Postfix daemon executables
168 mantools/ Documentation utilities
169 proto/ Documentation source