postfix-master/master.8.html

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   7 MASTER(8)                                                            MASTER(8)
   8
   9 <b>NAME</b>
  10        master - Postfix master process
  11
  12 <b>SYNOPSIS</b>
  13        <b>master</b> [<b>-Ddtv</b>] [<b>-c</b> <i>config</i><b>_</b><i>dir</i>] [<b>-e</b> <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i>]
  14
  15 <b>DESCRIPTION</b>
  16        The  <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a>  daemon  is  the resident process that runs
  17        Postfix daemons on demand: daemons to send or receive mes-
  18        sages  via  the  network, daemons to deliver mail locally,
  19        etc.  These daemons are created on demand up to a  config-
  20        urable maximum number per service.
  21
  22        Postfix  daemons terminate voluntarily, either after being
  23        idle for a configurable amount of time,  or  after  having
  24        serviced  a configurable number of requests. Exceptions to
  25        this rule are the resident queue manager, address  verifi-
  26        cation server, and the TLS session cache and pseudo-random
  27        number server.
  28
  29        The behavior of the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> daemon is controlled by  the
  30        <a href="master.5.html"><b>master.cf</b></a> configuration file, as described in <a href="master.5.html"><b>master</b>(5)</a>.
  31
  32        Options:
  33
  34        <b>-c</b> <i>config</i><b>_</b><i>dir</i>
  35               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
  36               in the named directory instead of the default  con-
  37               figuration directory.  This also overrides the con-
  38               figuration files  for  other  Postfix  daemon  pro-
  39               cesses.
  40
  41        <b>-D</b>     After  initialization, run a debugger on the master
  42               process. The debugging command  is  specified  with
  43               the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a></b> in the <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a> global configu-
  44               ration file.
  45
  46        <b>-d</b>     Do  not  redirect  stdin,  stdout  or   stderr   to
  47               /dev/null,  and do not discard the controlling ter-
  48               minal. This must be used for debugging only.
  49
  50        <b>-e</b> <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i>
  51               Terminate the master process after  <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i>  sec-
  52               onds.  Child  processes  terminate  at their conve-
  53               nience.
  54
  55        <b>-t</b>     Test mode. Return a zero exit status when the  <b>mas-</b>
  56               <b>ter.pid</b>  lock file does not exist or when that file
  57               is not locked.  This is evidence that the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a>
  58               daemon is not running.
  59
  60        <b>-v</b>     Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. This
  61               option is passed on to child processes. Multiple <b>-v</b>
  62               options make the software increasingly verbose.
  63
  64        Signals:
  65
  66        <b>SIGHUP</b> Upon  receipt of a <b>HUP</b> signal (e.g., after "<b>postfix</b>
  67               <b>reload</b>"), the master process re-reads its  configu-
  68               ration  files.  If  a service has been removed from
  69               the <a href="master.5.html"><b>master.cf</b></a> file, its running processes are  ter-
  70               minated  immediately.  Otherwise, running processes
  71               are allowed to terminate as soon as is  convenient,
  72               so  that  changes  in configuration settings affect
  73               only new service requests.
  74
  75        <b>SIGTERM</b>
  76               Upon receipt of a <b>TERM</b> signal (e.g., after "<b>postfix</b>
  77               <b>abort</b>"), the master process passes the signal on to
  78               its child processes and terminates.  This is useful
  79               for  an emergency shutdown. Normally one would ter-
  80               minate only the master ("<b>postfix stop</b>")  and  allow
  81               running processes to finish what they are doing.
  82
  83 <b>DIAGNOSTICS</b>
  84        Problems are reported to <b>syslogd</b>(8).
  85
  86 <b>ENVIRONMENT</b>
  87        <b>MAIL_DEBUG</b>
  88               After initialization, start a debugger as specified
  89               with the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a></b>  configuration  parameter
  90               in the <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a> configuration file.
  91
  92        <b>MAIL_CONFIG</b>
  93               Directory with Postfix configuration files.
  94
  95 <b>CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS</b>
  96        Unlike most Postfix daemon processes, the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> server
  97        does not automatically pick up changes to <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a>. Changes
  98        to  <a href="master.5.html"><b>master.cf</b></a>  are never picked up automatically.  Use the
  99        "<b>postfix reload</b>" command after a configuration change.
 100
 101 <b>RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS</b>
 102        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#default_process_limit">default_process_limit</a> (100)</b>
 103               The default maximal number of  Postfix  child  pro-
 104               cesses that provide a given service.
 105
 106        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#max_idle">max_idle</a> (100s)</b>
 107               The  maximum  amount  of  time that an idle Postfix
 108               daemon process waits  for  an  incoming  connection
 109               before terminating voluntarily.
 110
 111        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#max_use">max_use</a> (100)</b>
 112               The  maximal  number of incoming connections that a
 113               Postfix daemon process will service  before  termi-
 114               nating voluntarily.
 115
 116        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#service_throttle_time">service_throttle_time</a> (60s)</b>
 117               How long the Postfix <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> waits before forking
 118               a server that appears to be malfunctioning.
 119
 120        Available in Postfix version 2.6 and later:
 121
 122        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#master_service_disable">master_service_disable</a> (empty)</b>
 123               Selectively disable  <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a>  listener  ports  by
 124               service type or by service name and type.
 125
 126 <b>MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS</b>
 127        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
 128               The  default  location  of  the Postfix <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> and
 129               <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a> configuration files.
 130
 131        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">daemon_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
 132               The directory with  Postfix  support  programs  and
 133               daemon programs.
 134
 135        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a> (empty)</b>
 136               The external command to execute when a Postfix dae-
 137               mon program is invoked with the -D option.
 138
 139        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#inet_interfaces">inet_interfaces</a> (all)</b>
 140               The network interface addresses that this mail sys-
 141               tem receives mail on.
 142
 143        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#inet_protocols">inet_protocols</a> (ipv4)</b>
 144               The  Internet protocols Postfix will attempt to use
 145               when making or accepting connections.
 146
 147        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#import_environment">import_environment</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
 148               The list of environment parameters that  a  Postfix
 149               process  will  import  from  a  non-Postfix  parent
 150               process.
 151
 152        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#mail_owner">mail_owner</a> (postfix)</b>
 153               The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue
 154               and most Postfix daemon processes.
 155
 156        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#process_id">process_id</a> (read-only)</b>
 157               The  process  ID  of  a  Postfix  command or daemon
 158               process.
 159
 160        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#process_name">process_name</a> (read-only)</b>
 161               The process name of a  Postfix  command  or  daemon
 162               process.
 163
 164        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
 165               The  location of the Postfix top-level queue direc-
 166               tory.
 167
 168        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#syslog_facility">syslog_facility</a> (mail)</b>
 169               The syslog facility of Postfix logging.
 170
 171        <b><a href="postconf.5.html#syslog_name">syslog_name</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
 172               The mail system  name  that  is  prepended  to  the
 173               process  name  in  syslog  records, so that "smtpd"
 174               becomes, for example, "postfix/smtpd".
 175
 176 <b>FILES</b>
 177        To expand the directory names below into their actual val-
 178        ues, use the command "<b>postconf <a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a></b>" etc.
 179
 180        $<a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a>/<a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>, global configuration file.
 181        $<a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a>/<a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>, master server configuration file.
 182        $<a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a>/pid/master.pid, master lock file.
 183        $<a href="postconf.5.html#data_directory">data_directory</a>/master.lock, master lock file.
 184
 185 <b>SEE ALSO</b>
 186        <a href="qmgr.8.html">qmgr(8)</a>, queue manager
 187        <a href="verify.8.html">verify(8)</a>, address verification
 188        <a href="master.5.html">master(5)</a>, <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a> configuration file syntax
 189        <a href="postconf.5.html">postconf(5)</a>, <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> configuration parameter syntax
 190        syslogd(8), system logging
 191
 192 <b>LICENSE</b>
 193        The  Secure  Mailer  license must be distributed with this
 194        software.
 195
 196 <b>AUTHOR(S)</b>
 197        Wietse Venema
 198        IBM T.J. Watson Research
 199        P.O. Box 704
 200        Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
 201
 202                                                                      MASTER(8)
 203 </pre> </body> </html>