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<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
        "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<title> Postfix manual - master(5) </title>
</head> <body> <pre>
MASTER(5)                                                            MASTER(5)

<b>NAME</b>
       master - Postfix master process configuration file format

<b>DESCRIPTION</b>
       The  Postfix  mail  system  is  implemented by small number of (mostly)
       client commands that are invoked by users, and by a  larger  number  of
       services that run in the background.

       Postfix  services are implemented by daemon processes. These run in the
       background under control of the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> process.  The <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>  con-
       figuration file defines how a client program connects to a service, and
       what daemon program runs when a service is requested.  Most daemon pro-
       cesses  are short-lived and terminate voluntarily after serving <b><a href="postconf.5.html#max_use">max_use</a></b>
       clients, or after inactivity for <b><a href="postconf.5.html#max_idle">max_idle</a></b> or more units of time.

       All daemons specified here must speak a Postfix-internal  protocol.  In
       order  to  execute  non-Postfix  software  use the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a>, <a href="pipe.8.html"><b>pipe</b>(8)</a> or
       <a href="spawn.8.html"><b>spawn</b>(8)</a> services, or run the  server  under  control  by  <b>inetd</b>(8)  or
       equivalent.

       After  changing  <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>  you must execute "<b>postfix reload</b>" to reload
       the configuration.

<b>SYNTAX</b>
       The general format of the <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a> file is as follows:

       <b>o</b>      Empty lines and whitespace-only lines are ignored, as are  lines
              whose first non-whitespace character is a `#'.

       <b>o</b>      A  logical  line  starts  with  non-whitespace text. A line that
              starts with whitespace continues a logical line.

       <b>o</b>      Each logical line defines a single Postfix service.   Each  ser-
              vice  is  identified  by  its  name and type as described below.
              When multiple lines specify the same service name and type, only
              the  last  one is remembered.  Otherwise, the order of <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>
              service definitions does not matter.

       Each logical line consists of eight  fields  separated  by  whitespace.
       These  are described below in the order as they appear in the <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>
       file.

       Where applicable a field of "-"  requests  that  the  built-in  default
       value  be  used.  For boolean fields specify "y" or "n" to override the
       default value.

       <b>Service name</b>
              The service name syntax depends on the service type as described
              next.

       <b>Service type</b>
              Specify one of the following service types:

              <b>inet</b>   The  service listens on a TCP/IP socket and is accessible
                     via the network.

                     The service name is specified as <i>host:port</i>, denoting  the
                     host   and  port  on  which  new  connections  should  be
                     accepted. The host  part  (and  colon)  may  be  omitted.
                     Either  host  or  port may be given in symbolic form (see
                     <b>hosts</b>(5) or <b>services</b>(5)) or in numeric form  (IP  address
                     or port number).  Host information may be enclosed inside
                     "[]"; this form is necessary only with IPv6 addresses.

                     Examples: a  service  named  <b>127.0.0.1:smtp</b>  or  <b>::1:smtp</b>
                     receives mail via the loopback interface only; and a ser-
                     vice named <b>10025</b> accepts connections on  TCP  port  10025
                     via  all  interfaces  configured with the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#inet_interfaces">inet_interfaces</a></b>
                     parameter.

                     Note:  with  Postfix  version  2.2  and   later   specify
                     "<b><a href="postconf.5.html#inet_interfaces">inet_interfaces</a>  = loopback-only</b>" in <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>, instead of
                     hard-coding loopback IP address information in  <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>
                     or in <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>.

              <b>unix</b>   The service listens on a UNIX-domain stream socket and is
                     accessible for local clients only.

                     The service name is a pathname relative  to  the  Postfix
                     queue    directory    (pathname   controlled   with   the
                     <b><a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a></b> configuration parameter in <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>).

                     On Solaris 8 and earlier systems the <b>unix</b> type is  imple-
                     mented with streams sockets.

              <b>unix-dgram</b>
                     The  service listens on a UNIX-domain datagram socket and
                     is accessible for local clients only.

                     The service name is a pathname relative  to  the  Postfix
                     queue    directory    (pathname   controlled   with   the
                     <b><a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a></b> configuration parameter in <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>).

              <b>fifo</b> (obsolete)
                     The service listens on a FIFO (named pipe) and is  acces-
                     sible for local clients only.

                     The  service  name  is a pathname relative to the Postfix
                     queue   directory   (pathname   controlled    with    the
                     <b><a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a></b> configuration parameter in <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>).

              <b>pass</b>   The  service  listens on a UNIX-domain stream socket, and
                     is accessible to local clients only. It receives one open
                     connection   (file  descriptor  passing)  per  connection
                     request.

                     The service name is a pathname relative  to  the  Postfix
                     queue    directory    (pathname   controlled   with   the
                     <b><a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a></b> configuration parameter in <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>).

                     On Solaris 8 and earlier systems the <b>pass</b> type is  imple-
                     mented with streams sockets.

                     This feature is available as of Postfix version 2.5.

       <b>Private (default: y)</b>
              Whether  or not access is restricted to the mail system.  Inter-
              net (type <b>inet</b>) services can't be private.

       <b>Unprivileged (default: y)</b>
              Whether the service runs with root privileges or as the owner of
              the  Postfix  system  (the  owner  name  is  controlled  by  the
              <b><a href="postconf.5.html#mail_owner">mail_owner</a></b> configuration variable in the <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> file).

              The <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a>, <a href="pipe.8.html"><b>pipe</b>(8)</a>, <a href="spawn.8.html"><b>spawn</b>(8)</a>, and <a href="virtual.8.html"><b>virtual</b>(8)</a> daemons  require
              privileges.

       <b>Chroot (default: Postfix</b> &gt;<b>= 3.0: n, Postfix</b> &lt;<b>3.0: y)</b>
              Whether  or  not  the  service  runs  chrooted to the mail queue
              directory (pathname is controlled by the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a></b> config-
              uration variable in the <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> file).

              Chroot  should not be used with the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a>, <a href="pipe.8.html"><b>pipe</b>(8)</a>, <a href="spawn.8.html"><b>spawn</b>(8)</a>,
              and <a href="virtual.8.html"><b>virtual</b>(8)</a> daemons.  Although the <a href="proxymap.8.html"><b>proxymap</b>(8)</a> server can run
              chrooted,  doing  so  defeats most of the purpose of having that
              service in the first place.

              The files in the examples/chroot-setup subdirectory of the Post-
              fix  source show how to set up a Postfix chroot environment on a
              variety of  systems.  See  also  <a href="BASIC_CONFIGURATION_README.html">BASIC_CONFIGURATION_README</a>  for
              issues related to running daemons chrooted.

       <b>Wake up time (default: 0)</b>
              Automatically wake up the named service after the specified num-
              ber of seconds. The wake up is implemented by connecting to  the
              service  and  sending  a wake up request.  A ? at the end of the
              wake-up time field requests that  no  wake  up  events  be  sent
              before the first time a service is used.  Specify 0 for no auto-
              matic wake up.

              The <a href="pickup.8.html"><b>pickup</b>(8)</a>, <a href="qmgr.8.html"><b>qmgr</b>(8)</a> and <a href="flush.8.html"><b>flush</b>(8)</a> daemons require  a  wake  up
              timer.

       <b>Process limit (default: $<a href="postconf.5.html#default_process_limit">default_process_limit</a>)</b>
              The  maximum  number  of processes that may execute this service
              simultaneously. Specify 0 for no process count limit.

              NOTE: Some  Postfix  services  must  be  configured  as  a  sin-
              gle-process  service  (for  example,  <a href="qmgr.8.html"><b>qmgr</b>(8)</a>) and some services
              must  be  configured  with  no  process  limit   (for   example,
              <a href="cleanup.8.html"><b>cleanup</b>(8)</a>).  These limits must not be changed.

       <b>Command name + arguments</b>
              The  command to be executed.  Characters that are special to the
              shell such as "&gt;" or "|"  have  no  special  meaning  here,  and
              quotes  cannot  be  used  to protect arguments containing white-
              space. To protect whitespace,  use  "{"  and  "}"  as  described
              below.

              The  command  name  is  relative to the Postfix daemon directory
              (pathname is controlled by  the  <b><a href="postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">daemon_directory</a></b>  configuration
              variable).

              The  command  argument syntax for specific commands is specified
              in the respective daemon manual page.

              The following command-line options have the same effect for  all
              daemon programs:

              <b>-D</b>     Run  the  daemon  under  control by the command specified
                     with the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a></b> variable in the <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> config-
                     uration file.  See <a href="DEBUG_README.html">DEBUG_README</a> for hints and tips.

              <b>-o {</b> <i>name</i> = <i>value</i> <b>}</b> (long form, Postfix &gt;= 3.0)

              <b>-o</b> <i>name</i>=<i>value</i> (short form)
                     Override  the  named <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> configuration parameter. The
                     parameter value can refer to other  parameters  as  <i>$name</i>
                     etc.,  just like in <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>.  See <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>postconf</b>(5)</a> for syntax.

                     NOTE 1: With the  "long  form"  shown  above,  whitespace
                     after  "{",  around  "=",  and before "}" is ignored, and
                     whitespace within the parameter value is preserved.

                     NOTE 2: with the "short form" shown above, do not specify
                     whitespace  around  the  "="  or  in parameter values. To
                     specify a parameter value that contains  whitespace,  use
                     the  long  form described above, or use commas instead of
                     spaces, or specify the value in <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>. Example:

                     /etc/postfix/<a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>:
                         submission inet .... smtpd
                             -o smtpd_xxx_yyy=$submission_xxx_yyy

                     /etc/postfix/<a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>
                         submission_xxx_yyy = text with whitespace...

                     NOTE 3: Over-zealous use of parameter overrides makes the
                     Postfix  configuration  hard  to understand and maintain.
                     At a certain point, it might be easier to configure  mul-
                     tiple instances of Postfix, instead of configuring multi-
                     ple personalities via <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>.

              <b>-v</b>     Increase the verbose logging level. Specify  multiple  <b>-v</b>
                     options  to  make  a  Postfix daemon process increasingly
                     verbose.

              Other command-line arguments
                     Specify "{" and "}" around command arguments that contain
                     whitespace  (Postfix 3.0 and later). Whitespace after "{"
                     and before "}" is ignored.

<b>SEE ALSO</b>
       <a href="master.8.html">master(8)</a>, process manager
       <a href="postconf.5.html">postconf(5)</a>, configuration parameters

<b>README FILES</b>
       <a href="BASIC_CONFIGURATION_README.html">BASIC_CONFIGURATION_README</a>, basic configuration
       <a href="DEBUG_README.html">DEBUG_README</a>, Postfix debugging

<b>LICENSE</b>
       The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.

<b>AUTHOR(S)</b>
       Initial version by
       Magnus Baeck
       Lund Institute of Technology
       Sweden

       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

                                                                     MASTER(5)
</pre> </body> </html>