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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=utf-8">
<link rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' href='postfix-doc.css'>
<title> Postfix manual - aliases(5) </title>
</head> <body> <pre>
ALIASES(5)                                                          ALIASES(5)

<b>NAME</b>
       aliases - Postfix local alias database format

<b>SYNOPSIS</b>
       <b>newaliases</b>

<b>DESCRIPTION</b>
       The  optional  <a href="aliases.5.html"><b>aliases</b>(5)</a>  table  (<a href="postconf.5.html#alias_maps">alias_maps</a>) redirects mail for local
       recipients. The redirections are  processed  by  the  Postfix  <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a>
       delivery agent.

       This  is  unlike <a href="virtual.5.html"><b>virtual</b>(5)</a> aliasing (<a href="postconf.5.html#virtual_alias_maps">virtual_alias_maps</a>) which applies
       to all recipients: <a href="local.8.html">local(8)</a>, virtual, and remote, and which  is  imple-
       mented by the <a href="cleanup.8.html"><b>cleanup</b>(8)</a> daemon.

       Normally,  the <a href="aliases.5.html"><b>aliases</b>(5)</a> table is specified as a text file that serves
       as input to the <a href="postalias.1.html"><b>postalias</b>(1)</a> command. The result, an  indexed  file  in
       <b>dbm</b>  or  <b>db</b> format, is used for fast lookup by the mail system. Execute
       the command <b>newaliases</b> in order  to  rebuild  the  indexed  file  after
       changing the Postfix alias database.

       When  the  table  is provided via other means such as NIS, LDAP or SQL,
       the same lookups are done as for ordinary indexed files.

       Alternatively, the table can be provided as  a  regular-expression  map
       where  patterns  are  given  as  regular expressions. In this case, the
       lookups are done in a slightly different way as described  below  under
       "REGULAR EXPRESSION TABLES".

       Users  can  control  delivery  of their own mail by setting up <b>.forward</b>
       files in their home directory.  Lines in per-user <b>.forward</b>  files  have
       the same syntax as the right-hand side of <a href="aliases.5.html"><b>aliases</b>(5)</a> entries.

       The format of the alias database input file is as follows:

       <b>o</b>      An alias definition has the form

                   <i>name</i>: <i>value1</i>, <i>value2</i>, <i>...</i>

       <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.

       The  <i>name</i>  is a local address (no domain part).  Use double quotes when
       the name contains any special characters such as whitespace, `#',  `:',
       or  `@'.  The  <i>name</i>  is  folded to lowercase, in order to make database
       lookups case insensitive.

       In addition, when an alias exists for <b>owner-</b><i>name</i>,  this  will  override
       the  envelope sender address, so that delivery diagnostics are directed
       to <b>owner-</b><i>name</i>, instead of the originator of the message  (for  details,
       see  <b><a href="postconf.5.html#owner_request_special">owner_request_special</a></b>,  <b><a href="postconf.5.html#expand_owner_alias">expand_owner_alias</a></b> and <b><a href="postconf.5.html#reset_owner_alias">reset_owner_alias</a></b>).
       This is typically used to direct delivery errors to the maintainer of a
       mailing  list,  who  is  in a better position to deal with mailing list
       delivery problems than the originator of the undelivered mail.

       The <i>value</i> contains one or more of the following:

       <i>address</i>
              Mail is forwarded to <i>address</i>, which is compatible with  the  <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc822">RFC</a>
              <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc822">822</a> standard.

       <i>/file/name</i>
              Mail  is  appended  to  <i>/file/name</i>. For details on how a file is
              written see the sections "EXTERNAL FILE DELIVERY" and  "DELIVERY
              RIGHTS"  in the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> documentation.  Delivery is not limited
              to regular files.  For example, to  dispose  of  unwanted  mail,
              deflect it to <b>/dev/null</b>.

       |<i>command</i>
              Mail  is piped into <i>command</i>. Commands that contain special char-
              acters, such as whitespace, should be  enclosed  between  double
              quotes.  For  details on how a command is executed see "EXTERNAL
              COMMAND DELIVERY" and "DELIVERY RIGHTS" in the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> documen-
              tation.

              When  the  command  fails, a limited amount of command output is
              mailed back to the  sender.   The  file  <b>/usr/include/sysexits.h</b>
              defines  the expected exit status codes. For example, use <b>"|exit</b>
              <b>67"</b> to simulate a "user unknown" error, and <b>"|exit 0"</b> to  imple-
              ment an expensive black hole.

       <b>:include:</b><i>/file/name</i>
              Mail  is  sent  to  the  destinations  listed in the named file.
              Lines in <b>:include:</b> files have the same syntax as the  right-hand
              side of alias entries.

              A  destination  can be any destination that is described in this
              manual page. However, delivery to "|<i>command</i>" and  <i>/file/name</i>  is
              disallowed  by  default.  To enable, edit the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#allow_mail_to_commands">allow_mail_to_com</a>-</b>
              <b><a href="postconf.5.html#allow_mail_to_commands">mands</a></b> and <b><a href="postconf.5.html#allow_mail_to_files">allow_mail_to_files</a></b> configuration parameters.

<b>ADDRESS EXTENSION</b>
       When alias database search fails, and the recipient localpart  contains
       the  optional  recipient  delimiter  (e.g.,  <i>user+foo</i>),  the  search is
       repeated for the unextended address (e.g., <i>user</i>).

       The  <b><a href="postconf.5.html#propagate_unmatched_extensions">propagate_unmatched_extensions</a></b>  parameter  controls   whether   an
       unmatched address extension (<i>+foo</i>) is propagated to the result of table
       lookup.

<b>CASE FOLDING</b>
       The <a href="local.8.html">local(8)</a> delivery agent always folds the search string to lowercase
       before database lookup.

<b>REGULAR EXPRESSION TABLES</b>
       This  section  describes how the table lookups change when the table is
       given in the form of regular expressions. For a description of  regular
       expression  lookup  table syntax, see <a href="regexp_table.5.html"><b>regexp_table</b>(5)</a> or <a href="pcre_table.5.html"><b>pcre_table</b>(5)</a>.
       NOTE: these formats do not use ":" at the end of a pattern.

       Each regular expression is applied to the entire search string. Thus, a
       search string <i>user+foo</i> is not broken up into <i>user</i> and <i>foo</i>.

       Regular expressions are applied in the order as specified in the table,
       until a regular expression is found that matches the search string.

       Lookup results are the same as with indexed file lookups.  For security
       reasons there is no support for <b>$1</b>, <b>$2</b> etc. substring interpolation.

<b>SECURITY</b>
       The  <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a>  delivery agent disallows regular expression substitution
       of $1 etc. in <b><a href="postconf.5.html#alias_maps">alias_maps</a></b>, because that would open a security hole.

       The <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery agent will silently ignore requests  to  use  the
       <a href="proxymap.8.html"><b>proxymap</b>(8)</a>  server  within  <b><a href="postconf.5.html#alias_maps">alias_maps</a></b>. Instead it will open the table
       directly.  Before Postfix version 2.2, the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery agent will
       terminate with a fatal error.

<b>CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS</b>
       The  following  <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a>  parameters  are especially relevant.  The text
       below provides only a  parameter  summary.  See  <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>postconf</b>(5)</a>  for  more
       details including examples.

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#alias_database">alias_database</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
              The  alias databases for <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery that are updated with
              "<b>newaliases</b>" or with "<b>sendmail -bi</b>".

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#alias_maps">alias_maps</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
              Optional lookup tables with aliases that apply only to  <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a>
              recipients;  this is unlike <a href="postconf.5.html#virtual_alias_maps">virtual_alias_maps</a> that apply to all
              recipients: <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a>, virtual, and remote.

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#allow_mail_to_commands">allow_mail_to_commands</a> (alias, forward)</b>
              Restrict <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> mail delivery to external commands.

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#allow_mail_to_files">allow_mail_to_files</a> (alias, forward)</b>
              Restrict <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> mail delivery to external files.

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#expand_owner_alias">expand_owner_alias</a> (no)</b>
              When  delivering  to  an   alias   "<i>aliasname</i>"   that   has   an
              "owner-<i>aliasname</i>"  companion  alias,  set  the  envelope  sender
              address to the expansion of the "owner-<i>aliasname</i>" alias.

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#propagate_unmatched_extensions">propagate_unmatched_extensions</a> (canonical, virtual)</b>
              What address lookup tables copy an address  extension  from  the
              lookup key to the lookup result.

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#owner_request_special">owner_request_special</a> (yes)</b>
              Enable  special  treatment  for  owner-<i>listname</i>  entries  in the
              <a href="aliases.5.html"><b>aliases</b>(5)</a>  file,  and  don't  split  owner-<i>listname</i>  and  <i>list-</i>
              <i>name</i>-request  address localparts when the <a href="postconf.5.html#recipient_delimiter">recipient_delimiter</a> is
              set to "-".

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#recipient_delimiter">recipient_delimiter</a> (empty)</b>
              The set of characters that can separate an email address  local-
              part, user name, or a .forward file name from its extension.

       Available in Postfix version 2.3 and later:

       <b><a href="postconf.5.html#frozen_delivered_to">frozen_delivered_to</a> (yes)</b>
              Update  the  <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery agent's idea of the Delivered-To:
              address (see <a href="postconf.5.html#prepend_delivered_header">prepend_delivered_header</a>) only once, at  the  start
              of  a  delivery attempt; do not update the Delivered-To: address
              while expanding aliases or .forward files.

<b>STANDARDS</b>
       <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc822">RFC 822</a> (ARPA Internet Text Messages)

<b>SEE ALSO</b>
       <a href="local.8.html">local(8)</a>, local delivery agent
       <a href="newaliases.1.html">newaliases(1)</a>, create/update alias database
       <a href="postalias.1.html">postalias(1)</a>, create/update alias database
       <a href="postconf.5.html">postconf(5)</a>, configuration parameters

<b>README FILES</b>
       <a href="DATABASE_README.html">DATABASE_README</a>, Postfix lookup table overview

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

<b>AUTHOR(S)</b>
       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

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