7
Postfix control program
12
\fBpostfix\fR [\fB-Dv\fR] [\fB-c \fIconfig_dir\fR] \fIcommand\fR
16
This command is reserved for the superuser. To submit mail,
17
use the Postfix \fBsendmail\fR command.
19
The \fBpostfix\fR command controls the operation of the Postfix
20
mail system: start or stop the \fBmaster\fR daemon, do a health
21
check, and other maintenance.
23
The \fBpostfix\fR command sets up a standardized environment and
24
runs the \fBpostfix-script\fR shell script to do the actual work.
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The following commands are implemented:
28
Validate the Postfix mail system configuration. Warn about bad
29
directory/file ownership or permissions, and create missing
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Start the Postfix mail system. This also runs the configuration
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check described above.
35
Stop the Postfix mail system in an orderly fashion. Running processes
36
are allowed to terminate at their earliest convenience.
38
Note: in order to refresh the Postfix mail system after a
39
configuration change, do not use the \fBstart\fR and \fBstop\fR
40
commands in succession. Use the \fBreload\fR command instead.
42
Stop the Postfix mail system abruptly. Running processes are
43
signaled to stop immediately.
45
Force delivery: attempt to deliver every message in the deferred
46
mail queue. Normally, attempts to deliver delayed mail happen at
47
regular intervals, the interval doubling after each failed attempt.
49
Warning: flushing undeliverable mail frequently will result in
50
poor delivery performance of all other mail.
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Re-read configuration files. Running processes terminate at their
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.IP "\fBset-permissions\fR \fB[\fIname\fR=\fIvalue ...\fB]\fR
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Set the ownership and permissions of Postfix related files and
56
directories, as specified in the \fBpostfix-files\fR file.
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Specify \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR to override and update specific
59
main.cf configuration parameters. Use this, for example, to
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change the \fBmail_owner\fR or \fBsetgid_group\fR setting for an
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already installed Postfix system.
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This feature is available in Postfix 2.1 and later.
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.IP "\fBupgrade-configuration\fR \fB[\fIname\fR=\fIvalue ...\fB]\fR
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Update the \fBmain.cf\fR and \fBmaster.cf\fR files with information
66
that Postfix needs in order to run: add or update services, and add
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or update configuration parameter settings.
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Specify \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR to override and update specific
70
main.cf configuration parameters.
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This feature is available in Postfix 2.1 and later.
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The following options are implemented:
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.IP "\fB-c \fIconfig_dir\fR"
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Read the \fBmain.cf\fR and \fBmaster.cf\fR configuration files in
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the named directory instead of the default configuration directory.
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Use this to distinguish between multiple Postfix instances on the
80
.IP "\fB-D\fR (with \fBpostfix start\fR only)"
81
Run each Postfix daemon under control of a debugger as specified
82
via the \fBdebugger_command\fR configuration parameter.
84
Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Multiple \fB-v\fR
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options make the software increasingly verbose.
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The \fBpostfix\fR command exports the following environment
92
variables before executing the \fBpostfix-script\fR file:
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This is set when the -c command-line option is present.
95
.IP \fBMAIL_VERBOSE\fR
96
This is set when the -v command-line option is present.
98
This is set when the -D command-line option is present.
99
.SH "CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS"
104
The following \fBmain.cf\fR configuration parameters are
105
exported as environment variables with the same names:
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.IP "\fBcommand_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
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The location of all postfix administrative commands.
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.IP "\fBdaemon_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
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The directory with Postfix support programs and daemon programs.
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.IP "\fBconfig_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
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The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf
113
.IP "\fBqueue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
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The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.
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.IP "\fBmail_owner (postfix)\fR"
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The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue and most Postfix
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.IP "\fBsetgid_group (postdrop)\fR"
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The group ownership of set-gid Postfix commands and of group-writable
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.IP "\fBsendmail_path (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
122
A Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the location of
123
the Postfix sendmail(1) command.
124
.IP "\fBnewaliases_path (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
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Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the location of the
126
newaliases(1) command.
127
.IP "\fBmailq_path (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
128
Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies where the Postfix
129
mailq(1) command is installed.
130
.IP "\fBhtml_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
131
The location of Postfix HTML files that describe how to build,
132
configure or operate a specific Postfix subsystem or feature.
133
.IP "\fBmanpage_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
134
Where the Postfix manual pages are installed.
135
.IP "\fBreadme_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
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The location of Postfix README files that describe how to build,
137
configure or operate a specific Postfix subsystem or feature.
139
Other configuration parameters:
140
.IP "\fBconfig_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
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The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf
143
.IP "\fBimport_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR"
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The list of environment parameters that a Postfix process will
145
import from a non-Postfix parent process.
146
.IP "\fBsyslog_facility (mail)\fR"
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The syslog facility of Postfix logging.
148
.IP "\fBsyslog_name (postfix)\fR"
149
The mail system name that is prepended to the process name in syslog
150
records, so that "smtpd" becomes, for example, "postfix/smtpd".
154
/etc/postfix/main.cf, Postfix configuration parameters
155
/etc/postfix/master.cf, Postfix daemon processes
156
/etc/postfix/postfix-files, file/directory permissions
157
/etc/postfix/postfix-script, administrative commands
158
/etc/postfix/post-install, post-installation configuration
163
postalias(1), create/update/query alias database
164
postcat(1), examine Postfix queue file
165
postkick(1), trigger Postfix daemon
166
postlock(1), Postfix-compatible locking
167
postlog(1), Postfix-compatible logging
168
postmap(1), Postfix lookup table manager
169
postqueue(1), Postfix mail queue control
170
postsuper(1), Postfix housekeeping
171
sendmail(1), Sendmail compatibility interface
173
Postfix configuration:
174
postconf(5), Postfix configuration parameters
176
Table-driven mechanisms:
177
access(5), Postfix SMTP access control table
178
aliases(5), Postfix alias database
179
header_checks(5), body_checks(5), content inspection
180
canonical(5), Postfix address rewriting
181
relocated(5), Users that have moved
182
transport(5), Postfix routing table
183
virtual(5), Postfix virtual aliasing
185
Table lookup mechanisms:
186
cidr_table(5), Associate CIDR pattern with value
187
ldap_table(5), Postfix LDAP client
188
mysql_table(5), Postfix MYSQL client
189
pcre_table(5), Associate PCRE pattern with value
190
pgsql_table(5), Postfix PostgreSQL client
191
regexp_table(5), Associate POSIX regexp pattern with value
192
tcp_table(5), Postfix client-server table lookup
195
anvil(8), Postfix connection/rate limiting
196
bounce(8), defer(8), trace(8), Delivery status reports
197
cleanup(8), canonicalize and enqueue message
198
error(8), Postfix error delivery agent
199
flush(8), Postfix fast ETRN service
200
lmtp(8), Postfix LMTP client
201
local(8), Postfix local delivery agent
202
master(8), Postfix master daemon
203
oqmgr(8), old Postfix queue manager
204
pickup(8), Postfix local mail pickup
205
pipe(8), deliver mail to non-Postfix command
206
proxymap(8), Postfix lookup table proxy server
207
qmgr(8), Postfix queue manager
208
qmqpd(8), Postfix QMQP server
209
showq(8), list Postfix mail queue
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smtp(8), Postfix SMTP client
211
smtpd(8), Postfix SMTP server
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spawn(8), run non-Postfix server
213
trivial-rewrite(8), Postfix address rewriting
214
verify(8), Postfix address verification
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virtual(8), Postfix virtual delivery agent
218
syslogd(8), system logging
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Use "\fBpostconf readme_directory\fR" or
225
"\fBpostconf html_directory\fR" to locate this information.
228
OVERVIEW, overview of Postfix commands and processes
229
BASIC_CONFIGURATION_README, Postfix basic configuration
230
ADDRESS_REWRITING_README, Postfix address rewriting
231
SMTPD_ACCESS_README, SMTP relay/access control
232
CONTENT_INSPECTION_README, Postfix content inspection
233
QSHAPE_README, Postfix queue analysis
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The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.
244
IBM T.J. Watson Research
246
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
added
removed
man/man1/postfix.1
