postfix - Postfix control program

postfix [-Dv] [-c config_dir] command

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 system: 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 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. If possible, 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

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.

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".

/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
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: 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

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 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 scache(8), Postfix connection cache manager showq(8), list Postfix mail queue smtp(8), Postfix SMTP 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

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

The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.

Wietse Venema
IBM T.J. Watson Research
P.O. Box 704
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA