Ubuntu Manpage: postfix - Postfix control program

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(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.

By default, the postfix(1) command sets up a standardized environment and runs the
postfix-script shell script to do the actual work.

However, when support for multiple Postfix instances is configured, postfix(1) executes
the command specified with the multi_instance_wrapper configuration parameter. This
command will execute the command for each applicable Postfix instance.

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.

start-fg
Like start, but keep the master(8) daemon running in the foreground, and enable
master(8) "init" mode when running as PID 1. This command requires that
multi-instance support is disabled (i.e. the multi_instance_directories parameter
value must be empty).

When running Postfix inside a container, see MAILLOG_README for logging to stdout.
Postfix logs to syslog by default, which requires a) running a syslogd process
inside the container, or b) mounting the container host's /dev/log socket inside
the container (example: "docker run -v /dev/log:/dev/log ..."), and c) a distinct
Postfix "syslog_name" prefix that identifies logging from the Postfix instance.

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.

status Indicate if the Postfix mail system is currently running (zero exit status) or
stopped (non-zero exit status).

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. With Postfix 2.0 and earlier,
use "$config_directory/post-install set-permissions".

logrotate
Rotate the logfile specified with $maillog_file, by appending a time-stamp suffix
that is formatted according to $maillog_file_rotate_suffix, and by compressing the
file with the command specified with $maillog_file_compressor. This will not
rotate /dev/* files.

This feature is available in Postfix 3.4 and later.

tls subcommand
Enable opportunistic TLS in the Postfix SMTP client or server, and manage Postfix
SMTP server TLS private keys and certificates. See postfix-tls(1) for
documentation.

This feature is available in Postfix 3.1 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. With Postfix 2.0 and earlier,
use "$config_directory/post-install upgrade-configuration".

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.

With Postfix 2.6 and later, this option forces the postfix(1) command to operate on
the specified Postfix instance only. This behavior is inherited by postfix(1)
commands that run as a descendant of the current process.

-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.

              With Postfix 2.6 and later, this environment variable forces the postfix(1) command
              to  operate  on the specified Postfix instance only.  This behavior is inherited by
              postfix(1) commands that run as a descendant of the current process.

       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.

       When the internal  logging  service  is  enabled  (by  setting  a  non-empty  maillog_file
       parameter  value) the postfix(1) command exports settings that are used by child processes
       before they have processed main.cf or command-line settings.

       POSTLOG_SERVICE
              The name of the public postlog service endpoint.

       POSTLOG_HOSTNAME
              The hostname to prepend to internal logging.

CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS

The following main.cf configuration parameters are exported as environment variables with
the same names:

config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf configuration files.

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.

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.

mail_owner (postfix)
The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue and most Postfix daemon
processes.

mailq_path (see 'postconf -d' output)
Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies where the Postfix mailq(1) command is
installed.

manpage_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
Where the Postfix manual pages are installed.

newaliases_path (see 'postconf -d' output)
Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the location of the newaliases(1)
command.

queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.

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.

sendmail_path (see 'postconf -d' output)
A Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the location of the Postfix
sendmail(1) command.

setgid_group (postdrop)
The group ownership of set-gid Postfix commands and of group-writable Postfix
directories.

Available in Postfix version 2.5 and later:

data_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The directory with Postfix-writable data files (for example: caches, pseudo-random
numbers).

Available in Postfix version 3.0 and later:

compatibility_level (0)
A safety net that causes Postfix to run with backwards-compatible default settings
after an upgrade to a newer Postfix version.

meta_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The location of non-executable files that are shared among multiple Postfix
instances, such as postfix-files, dynamicmaps.cf, and the multi-instance template
files main.cf.proto and master.cf.proto.

shlib_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The location of Postfix dynamically-linked libraries (libpostfix-*.so), and the
default location of Postfix database plugins (postfix-*.so) that have a relative
pathname in the dynamicmaps.cf file.

Available in Postfix version 3.1 and later:

openssl_path (openssl)
The location of the OpenSSL command line program openssl(1).

Other configuration parameters:

import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)
The list of environment variables that a privileged Postfix process will import
from a non-Postfix parent process, or name=value environment overrides.

syslog_facility (mail)
The syslog facility of Postfix logging.

syslog_name (see 'postconf -d' output)
A prefix that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that, for
example, "smtpd" becomes "prefix/smtpd".

Available in Postfix version 2.6 and later:

multi_instance_directories (empty)
An optional list of non-default Postfix configuration directories; these
directories belong to additional Postfix instances that share the Postfix
executable files and documentation with the default Postfix instance, and that are
started, stopped, etc., together with the default Postfix instance.

multi_instance_wrapper (empty)
The pathname of a multi-instance manager command that the postfix(1) command
invokes when the multi_instance_directories parameter value is non-empty.

multi_instance_group (empty)
The optional instance group name of this Postfix instance.

multi_instance_name (empty)
The optional instance name of this Postfix instance.

multi_instance_enable (no)
Allow this Postfix instance to be started, stopped, etc., by a multi-instance
manager.

Available in Postfix version 3.4 and later:

maillog_file (empty)
The name of an optional logfile that is written by the Postfix postlogd(8) service.

maillog_file_compressor (gzip)
The program to run after rotating $maillog_file with "postfix logrotate".

maillog_file_prefixes (/var, /dev/stdout)
A list of allowed prefixes for a maillog_file value.

maillog_file_rotate_suffix (%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
The format of the suffix to append to $maillog_file while rotating the file with
"postfix logrotate".

postlog_service_name (postlog)
The name of the postlogd(8) service entry in master.cf.

FILES

       Prior to Postfix version 2.6, all of the following files were in  $config_directory.  Some
       files  are  now  in  $daemon_directory or $meta_directory so that they can be shared among
       multiple instances that run the same Postfix version.

       Use the command "postconf config_directory" or "postconf daemon_directory" to  expand  the
       names into their actual values.

       $config_directory/main.cf, Postfix configuration parameters
       $config_directory/master.cf, Postfix daemon processes
       $daemon_directory/postfix-script, administrative commands
       $daemon_directory/post-install, post-installation configuration
       $meta_directory/dynamicmaps.cf, plug-in database clients
       $meta_directory/postfix-files, file/directory permissions

       Commands:
       postalias(1), create/update/query alias database
       postcat(1), examine Postfix queue file
       postconf(1), Postfix configuration utility
       postdrop(1), Postfix mail posting utility
       postfix(1), Postfix control program
       postfix-tls(1), Postfix TLS management
       postkick(1), trigger Postfix daemon
       postlock(1), Postfix-compatible locking
       postlog(1), Postfix-compatible logging
       postmap(1), Postfix lookup table manager
       postmulti(1), Postfix multi-instance 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
       postfix-wrapper(5), Postfix multi-instance API

       Table-driven mechanisms:
       access(5), Postfix SMTP access control table
       aliases(5), Postfix local aliasing
       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
       lmdb_table(5), Postfix LMDB database driver
       memcache_table(5), Postfix memcache client
       mongodb_table(5), Postfix MongoDB 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
       socketmap_table(5), Postfix socketmap client
       sqlite_table(5), Postfix SQLite database driver
       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
       dnsblog(8), DNS allow/denylist logger
       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
       postlogd(8), Postfix internal logging service
       postscreen(8), Postfix zombie blocker
       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
       tlsproxy(8), Postfix TLS proxy 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

       Wietse Venema
       Google, Inc.
       111 8th Avenue
       New York, NY 10011, 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

       IPv6 support originally by:
       Mark Huizer, Eindhoven University, The Netherlands
       Jun-ichiro 'itojun' Hagino, KAME project, Japan
       The Linux PLD project
       Dean Strik, Eindhoven University, The Netherlands

                                                                                       POSTFIX(1)