POSTFIX(1)POSTFIX(1)NAMEpostfix - Postfix control program
SYNOPSISpostfix [-Dv] [-c config_dir] command
DESCRIPTION
This command is reserved for the superuser. To submit mail, use the
Postfix sendmail(1) command.
The postfix(1) command controls the operation of the Postfix mail sys‐
tem: start or stop the master(8) daemon, do a health check, and other
maintenance.
The postfix(1) command sets up a standardized environment and runs the
postfix-script shell script to do the actual work.
The following commands are implemented:
check Warn about bad directory/file ownership or permissions, and cre‐
ate missing directories.
start Start the Postfix mail system. This also runs the configuration
check described above.
stop Stop the Postfix mail system in an orderly fashion. If possible,
running processes are allowed to terminate at their earliest
convenience.
Note: in order to refresh the Postfix mail system after a con‐
figuration change, do not use the start and stop commands in
succession. Use the reload command instead.
abort Stop the Postfix mail system abruptly. Running processes are
signaled to stop immediately.
flush Force delivery: attempt to deliver every message in the deferred
mail queue. Normally, attempts to deliver delayed mail happen at
regular intervals, the interval doubling after each failed
attempt.
Warning: flushing undeliverable mail frequently will result in
poor delivery performance of all other mail.
reload Re-read configuration files. Running processes terminate at
their earliest convenience.
set-permissions [name=value ...]
Set the ownership and permissions of Postfix related files and
directories, as specified in the postfix-files file.
Specify name=value to override and update specific main.cf con‐
figuration parameters. Use this, for example, to change the
mail_owner or setgid_group setting for an already installed
Postfix system.
This feature is available in Postfix 2.1 and later. With Post‐
fix 2.0 and earlier, use "/etc/postfix/post-install set-permis‐
sions".
upgrade-configuration [name=value ...]
Update the main.cf and master.cf files with information that
Postfix needs in order to run: add or update services, and add
or update configuration parameter settings.
Specify name=value to override and update specific main.cf con‐
figuration parameters.
This feature is available in Postfix 2.1 and later. With Post‐
fix 2.0 and earlier, use "/etc/postfix/post-install upgrade-con‐
figuration".
The following options are implemented:
-c config_dir
Read the main.cf and master.cf configuration files in the named
directory instead of the default configuration directory. Use
this to distinguish between multiple Postfix instances on the
same host.
-D (with postfix start only)
Run each Postfix daemon under control of a debugger as specified
via the debugger_command configuration parameter.
-v Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Multiple -v
options make the software increasingly verbose.
ENVIRONMENT
The postfix(1) command exports the following environment variables
before executing the postfix-script file:
MAIL_CONFIG
This is set when the -c command-line option is present.
MAIL_VERBOSE
This is set when the -v command-line option is present.
MAIL_DEBUG
This is set when the -D command-line option is present.
CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
The following main.cf configuration parameters are exported as environ‐
ment variables with the same names:
command_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The location of all postfix administrative commands.
daemon_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The directory with Postfix support programs and daemon programs.
config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf con‐
figuration files.
queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.
mail_owner (postfix)
The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue and most
Postfix daemon processes.
setgid_group (postdrop)
The group ownership of set-gid Postfix commands and of group-
writable Postfix directories.
sendmail_path (see 'postconf -d' output)
A Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the location of
the Postfix sendmail(1) command.
newaliases_path (see 'postconf -d' output)
Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the location of
the newaliases(1) command.
mailq_path (see 'postconf -d' output)
Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies where the Postfix
mailq(1) command is installed.
html_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The location of Postfix HTML files that describe how to build,
configure or operate a specific Postfix subsystem or feature.
manpage_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
Where the Postfix manual pages are installed.
readme_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The location of Postfix README files that describe how to build,
configure or operate a specific Postfix subsystem or feature.
Other configuration parameters:
config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf con‐
figuration files.
import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)
The list of environment parameters that a Postfix process will
import from a non-Postfix parent process.
syslog_facility (mail)
The syslog facility of Postfix logging.
syslog_name (postfix)
The mail system name that is prepended to the process name in
syslog records, so that "smtpd" becomes, for example, "post‐
fix/smtpd".
FILES
/etc/postfix/main.cf, Postfix configuration parameters
/etc/postfix/master.cf, Postfix daemon processes
/etc/postfix/postfix-files, file/directory permissions
/etc/postfix/postfix-script, administrative commands
/etc/postfix/post-install, post-installation configuration
SEE ALSO
Commands:
postalias(1), create/update/query alias database
postcat(1), examine Postfix queue file
postconf(1), Postfix configuration utility
postfix(1), Postfix control program
postkick(1), trigger Postfix daemon
postlock(1), Postfix-compatible locking
postlog(1), Postfix-compatible logging
postmap(1), Postfix lookup table manager
postqueue(1), Postfix mail queue control
postsuper(1), Postfix housekeeping
mailq(1), Sendmail compatibility interface
newaliases(1), Sendmail compatibility interface
sendmail(1), Sendmail compatibility interface
Postfix configuration:
bounce(5), Postfix bounce message templates
master(5), Postfix master.cf file syntax
postconf(5), Postfix main.cf file syntax
Table-driven mechanisms:
access(5), Postfix SMTP access control table
aliases(5), Postfix alias database
canonical(5), Postfix input address rewriting
generic(5), Postfix output address rewriting
header_checks(5), body_checks(5), Postfix content inspection
relocated(5), Users that have moved
transport(5), Postfix routing table
virtual(5), Postfix virtual aliasing
Table lookup mechanisms:
cidr_table(5), Associate CIDR pattern with value
ldap_table(5), Postfix LDAP client
mysql_table(5), Postfix MYSQL client
nisplus_table(5), Postfix NIS+ client
pcre_table(5), Associate PCRE pattern with value
pgsql_table(5), Postfix PostgreSQL client
regexp_table(5), Associate POSIX regexp pattern with value
tcp_table(5), Postfix client-server table lookup
Daemon processes:
anvil(8), Postfix connection/rate limiting
bounce(8), defer(8), trace(8), Delivery status reports
cleanup(8), canonicalize and enqueue message
discard(8), Postfix discard delivery agent
error(8), Postfix error delivery agent
flush(8), Postfix fast ETRN service
local(8), Postfix local delivery agent
master(8), Postfix master daemon
oqmgr(8), old Postfix queue manager
pickup(8), Postfix local mail pickup
pipe(8), deliver mail to non-Postfix command
proxymap(8), Postfix lookup table proxy server
qmgr(8), Postfix queue manager
qmqpd(8), Postfix QMQP server
scache(8), Postfix connection cache manager
showq(8), list Postfix mail queue
smtp(8), lmtp(8), Postfix SMTP+LMTP client
smtpd(8), Postfix SMTP server
spawn(8), run non-Postfix server
tlsmgr(8), Postfix TLS cache and randomness manager
trivial-rewrite(8), Postfix address rewriting
verify(8), Postfix address verification
virtual(8), Postfix virtual delivery agent
Other:
syslogd(8), system logging
README FILES
Use "postconf readme_directory" or "postconf html_directory" to locate
this information.
OVERVIEW, overview of Postfix commands and processes
BASIC_CONFIGURATION_README, Postfix basic configuration
ADDRESS_REWRITING_README, Postfix address rewriting
SMTPD_ACCESS_README, SMTP relay/access control
CONTENT_INSPECTION_README, Postfix content inspection
QSHAPE_README, Postfix queue analysis
LICENSE
The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.
AUTHOR(S)
Wietse Venema
IBM T.J. Watson Research
P.O. Box 704
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
TLS support by:
Lutz Jaenicke
Brandenburg University of Technology
Cottbus, Germany
Victor Duchovni
Morgan Stanley
SASL support originally by:
Till Franke
SuSE Rhein/Main AG
65760 Eschborn, Germany
LMTP support originally by:
Philip A. Prindeville
Mirapoint, Inc.
USA.
Amos Gouaux
University of Texas at Dallas
P.O. Box 830688, MC34
Richardson, TX 75083, USA
POSTFIX(1)
