5 # Postfix local alias database format
10 # The \fBaliases\fR(5) table provides a system-wide mechanism to
11 # redirect mail for local recipients. The redirections are
12 # processed by the Postfix \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent.
14 # Normally, the \fBaliases\fR(5) table is specified as a text file
15 # that serves as input to the \fBpostalias\fR(1) command. The
16 # result, an indexed file in \fBdbm\fR or \fBdb\fR format, is
17 # used for fast lookup by the mail system. Execute the command
18 # \fBnewaliases\fR in order to rebuild the indexed file after
19 # changing the Postfix alias database.
21 # The input and output file formats are expected to be compatible
22 # with Sendmail version 8, and are expected to be suitable for the
25 # Users can control delivery of their own mail by setting
26 # up \fB.forward\fR files in their home directory.
27 # Lines in per-user \fB.forward\fR files have the same syntax
28 # as the right-hand side of \fBaliases\fR(5) entries.
30 # The format of the alias database input file is as follows:
32 # An alias definition has the form
35 # \fIname\fR: \fIvalue1\fR, \fIvalue2\fR, \fI...\fR
38 # Empty lines and whitespace-only lines are ignored, as
39 # are lines whose first non-whitespace character is a `#'.
41 # A logical line starts with non-whitespace text. A line that
42 # starts with whitespace continues a logical line.
44 # The \fIname\fR is a local address (no domain part).
45 # Use double quotes when the name contains any special characters
46 # such as whitespace, `#', `:', or `@'. The \fIname\fR is folded to
47 # lowercase, in order to make database lookups case insensitive.
49 # In addition, when an alias exists for \fBowner-\fIname\fR, delivery
50 # diagnostics are directed to that address, instead of to the originator
52 # This is typically used to direct delivery errors to the maintainer of
53 # a mailing list, who is in a better position to deal with mailing
54 # list delivery problems than the originator of the undelivered mail.
56 # The \fIvalue\fR contains one or more of the following:
58 # Mail is forwarded to \fIaddress\fR, which is compatible
59 # with the RFC 822 standard.
60 # .IP \fI/file/name\fR
61 # Mail is appended to \fI/file/name\fR. See \fBlocal\fR(8)
62 # for details of delivery to file.
63 # Delivery is not limited to regular files. For example, to dispose
64 # of unwanted mail, deflect it to \fB/dev/null\fR.
65 # .IP "|\fIcommand\fR"
66 # Mail is piped into \fIcommand\fR. Commands that contain special
67 # characters, such as whitespace, should be enclosed between double
68 # quotes. See \fBlocal\fR(8) for details of delivery to command.
70 # When the command fails, a limited amount of command output is
71 # mailed back to the sender. The file \fB/usr/include/sysexits.h\fR
72 # defines the expected exit status codes. For example, use
73 # \fB"|exit 67"\fR to simulate a "user unknown" error, and
74 # \fB"|exit 0"\fR to implement an expensive black hole.
75 # .IP \fB:include:\fI/file/name\fR
76 # Mail is sent to the destinations listed in the named file.
77 # Lines in \fB:include:\fR files have the same syntax
78 # as the right-hand side of alias entries.
80 # A destination can be any destination that is described in this
81 # manual page. However, delivery to "|\fIcommand\fR" and
82 # \fI/file/name\fR is disallowed by default. To enable, edit the
83 # \fBallow_mail_to_commands\fR and \fBallow_mail_to_files\fR
84 # configuration parameters.
88 # When alias database search fails, and the recipient localpart
89 # contains the optional recipient delimiter (e.g., \fIuser+foo\fR),
90 # the search is repeated for the unextended address (e.g., \fIuser\fR).
92 # The \fBpropagate_unmatched_extensions\fR parameter controls
93 # whether an unmatched address extension (\fI+foo\fR) is
94 # propagated to the result of table lookup.
98 # The local(8) delivery agent always folds the search string
99 # to lowercase before database lookup.
103 # The \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent disallows regular expression
104 # substitution of $1 etc. in \fBalias_maps\fR, because that
105 # would open a security hole.
107 # The \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent will silently ignore
108 # requests to use the \fBproxymap\fR(8) server within
109 # \fBalias_maps\fR. Instead it will open the table directly.
110 # Before Postfix version 2.2, the \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery
111 # agent will terminate with a fatal error.
112 # CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
115 # The following \fBmain.cf\fR parameters are especially relevant.
116 # The text below provides only a parameter summary. See
117 # \fBpostconf\fR(5) for more details including examples.
118 # .IP \fBalias_database\fR
119 # List of alias databases that are updated by the
120 # \fBnewaliases\fR(1) command.
121 # .IP \fBalias_maps\fR
122 # List of alias databases queried by the \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent.
123 # .IP \fBallow_mail_to_commands\fR
124 # Restrict the usage of mail delivery to external command.
125 # .IP \fBallow_mail_to_files\fR
126 # Restrict the usage of mail delivery to external file.
127 # .IP \fBexpand_owner_alias\fR
128 # When delivering to an alias that has an \fBowner-\fR companion alias,
129 # set the envelope sender address to the right-hand side of the
130 # owner alias, instead using of the left-hand side address.
131 # .IP \fBpropagate_unmatched_extensions\fR
132 # A list of address rewriting or forwarding mechanisms that
133 # propagate an address extension from the original address
134 # to the result. Specify zero or more of \fBcanonical\fR,
135 # \fBvirtual\fR, \fBalias\fR, \fBforward\fR, \fBinclude\fR,
137 # .IP \fBowner_request_special\fR
138 # Give special treatment to \fBowner-\fIlistname\fR and
139 # \fIlistname\fB-request\fR
141 # .IP \fBrecipient_delimiter\fR
142 # Delimiter that separates recipients from address extensions.
144 # Available in Postfix version 2.3 and later:
145 # .IP \fBfrozen_delivered_to\fR
146 # Update the local(8) delivery agent's Delivered-To: address
147 # (see prepend_delivered_header) only once, at the start of
148 # a delivery; do not update the Delivered-To: address while
149 # expanding aliases or .forward files.
151 # RFC 822 (ARPA Internet Text Messages)
153 # local(8), local delivery agent
154 # newaliases(1), create/update alias database
155 # postalias(1), create/update alias database
156 # postconf(5), configuration parameters
160 # Use "\fBpostconf readme_directory\fR" or
161 # "\fBpostconf html_directory\fR" to locate this information.
164 # DATABASE_README, Postfix lookup table overview
168 # The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.
171 # IBM T.J. Watson Research
173 # Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA