POSTFIX

NAME

postfix - Postfix control program

SYNOPSIS

postfix [-Dv] [-c config_dir] command

DESCRIPTION

This command is reserved for the superuser. To submit mail, use the Postfix sendmail command.

The postfix command controls the operation of the Postfix mail system: start or stop the master daemon, do a health check, and other maintenance.

The postfix command sets up a standardized environment and runs the postfix-script shell script to do the actual work.

The following commands are implemented:

check

Validate the Postfix mail system configuration. Warn about bad directory/file ownership or permissions, and create 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. Running processes are allowed to terminate at their earliest convenience.

Note: in order to refresh the Postfix mail system after a configuration 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 configuration 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.

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 configuration parameters.

This feature is available in Postfix 2.1 and later.

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 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 environment 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 configuration 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 configuration 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, "postfix/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

Commands:
postalias(1), create/update/query alias database
postcat(1), examine Postfix queue file
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
sendmail(1), Sendmail compatibility interface

Postfix configuration:
postconf(5), Postfix configuration parameters

Table-driven mechanisms:
access(5), Postfix SMTP access control table
aliases(5), Postfix alias database
header_checks(5), body_checks(5), content inspection
canonical(5), Postfix address rewriting
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
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
error(8), Postfix error delivery agent
flush(8), Postfix fast ETRN service
lmtp(8), Postfix LMTP client
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
showq(8), list Postfix mail queue
smtp(8), Postfix SMTP client
smtpd(8), Postfix SMTP server
spawn(8), run non-Postfix server
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