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 Postfixmail system: start or stop the master(8) daemon, do a healthcheck, and other maintenance.
The postfix(1) command sets up a standardized environment andruns the postfix-script shell script to do the actual work.
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| check | Warn about bad directory/file ownership or permissions,and create missing directories. |
| start | Start the Postfix mail system. This also runs the configurationcheck described above. |
| stop | Stop the Postfix mail system in an orderly fashion. Ifpossible, running processes are allowed to terminate attheir earliest convenience. Note: in order to refresh the Postfix mail system after aconfiguration change, do not use the start and stopcommands in succession. Use the reload command instead. |
| abort | Stop the Postfix mail system abruptly. Running processes aresignaled to stop immediately. |
| flush | Force delivery: attempt to deliver every message in the deferredmail queue. Normally, attempts to deliver delayed mail happen atregular intervals, the interval doubling after each failed attempt. Warning: flushing undeliverable mail frequently will result inpoor delivery performance of all other mail. |
| reload | Re-read configuration files. Running processes terminate at theirearliest convenience. |
| set-permissions | Set the ownership and permissions of Postfix related files anddirectories, as specified in the postfix-files file. Specify name=value to override and update specificmain.cf configuration parameters. Use this, for example, tochange the mail_owner or setgid_group setting for analready installed Postfix system. This feature is available in Postfix 2.1 and later. WithPostfix 2.0 and earlier, use "/etc/postfix/post-installset-permissions". |
| upgrade-configuration | Update the main.cf and master.cf files with informationthat Postfix needs in order to run: add or update services, and addor update configuration parameter settings. Specify name=value to override and update specificmain.cf configuration parameters. This feature is available in Postfix 2.1 and later. WithPostfix 2.0 and earlier, use "/etc/postfix/post-installupgrade-configuration". |
| The following options are implemented: | |
| -c config_dir | Read the main.cf and master.cf configuration files inthe named directory instead of the default configuration directory.Use this to distinguish between multiple Postfix instances on thesame host. |
| -D (with postfix start only) | Run each Postfix daemon under control of a debugger as specifiedvia the debugger_command configuration parameter. |
| -v | Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Multiple -voptions make the software increasingly verbose. |
The postfix(1) command exports the following environmentvariables before executing the postfix-script file:
The following main.cf configuration parameters areexported as environment variables with the same names:
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| 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.cfconfiguration 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 Postfixdaemon processes. |
| setgid_group (postdrop) | The group ownership of set-gid Postfix commands and of group-writablePostfix directories. |
| sendmail_path (see postconf -d output) | A Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the location ofthe Postfix sendmail(1) command. |
| newaliases_path (see postconf -d output) | Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies the location of thenewaliases(1) command. |
| mailq_path (see postconf -d output) | Sendmail compatibility feature that specifies where the Postfixmailq(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.cfconfiguration files. |
| import_environment (see postconf -d output) | The list of environment parameters that a Postfix process willimport 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 syslogrecords, so that "smtpd" becomes, for example, "postfix/smtpd". |
Commands:postalias(1), create/update/query alias databasepostcat(1), examine Postfix queue filepostconf(1), Postfix configuration utilitypostfix(1), Postfix control programpostkick(1), trigger Postfix daemonpostlock(1), Postfix-compatible lockingpostlog(1), Postfix-compatible loggingpostmap(1), Postfix lookup table managerpostqueue(1), Postfix mail queue controlpostsuper(1), Postfix housekeepingmailq(1), Sendmail compatibility interfacenewaliases(1), Sendmail compatibility interfacesendmail(1), Sendmail compatibility interfacePostfix configuration:bounce(5), Postfix bounce message templatesmaster(5), Postfix master.cf file syntaxpostconf(5), Postfix main.cf file syntax
Table-driven mechanisms:access(5), Postfix SMTP access control tablealiases(5), Postfix alias databasecanonical(5), Postfix input address rewritinggeneric(5), Postfix output address rewritingheader_checks(5), body_checks(5), Postfix content inspectionrelocated(5), Users that have movedtransport(5), Postfix routing tablevirtual(5), Postfix virtual aliasing
Table lookup mechanisms:cidr_table(5), Associate CIDR pattern with valueldap_table(5), Postfix LDAP clientmysql_table(5), Postfix MYSQL clientnisplus_table(5), Postfix NIS+ clientpcre_table(5), Associate PCRE pattern with valuepgsql_table(5), Postfix PostgreSQL clientregexp_table(5), Associate POSIX regexp pattern with valuetcp_table(5), Postfix client-server table lookup
Daemon processes:anvil(8), Postfix connection/rate limitingbounce(8), defer(8), trace(8), Delivery status reportscleanup(8), canonicalize and enqueue messagediscard(8), Postfix discard delivery agenterror(8), Postfix error delivery agentflush(8), Postfix fast ETRN servicelocal(8), Postfix local delivery agentmaster(8), Postfix master daemonoqmgr(8), old Postfix queue managerpickup(8), Postfix local mail pickuppipe(8), deliver mail to non-Postfix commandproxymap(8), Postfix lookup table proxy serverqmgr(8), Postfix queue managerqmqpd(8), Postfix QMQP serverscache(8), Postfix connection cache managershowq(8), list Postfix mail queuesmtp(8), lmtp(8), Postfix SMTP+LMTP clientsmtpd(8), Postfix SMTP serverspawn(8), run non-Postfix servertlsmgr(8), Postfix TLS cache and randomness managertrivial-rewrite(8), Postfix address rewritingverify(8), Postfix address verificationvirtual(8), Postfix virtual delivery agent
Other:syslogd(8), system logging
Use "postconf readme_directory" or"postconf html_directory" to locate this information.
The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.
