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<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html> <head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<link rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' href='postfix-doc.css'>
<title> Postfix manual - master(8) </title>
</head> <body> <pre>
MASTER(8) MASTER(8)
<b>NAME</b>
master - Postfix master process
<b>SYNOPSIS</b>
<b>master</b> [<b>-Dditvw</b>] [<b>-c</b> <i>config</i><b>_</b><i>dir</i>] [<b>-e</b> <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i>]
<b>DESCRIPTION</b>
The <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> daemon is the resident process that runs Postfix daemons
on demand: daemons to send or receive messages via the network, daemons
to deliver mail locally, etc. These daemons are created on demand up
to a configurable maximum number per service.
Postfix daemons terminate voluntarily, either after being idle for a
configurable amount of time, or after having serviced a configurable
number of requests. Exceptions to this rule are the resident queue man-
ager, address verification server, and the TLS session cache and
pseudo-random number server.
The behavior of the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> daemon is controlled by the <a href="master.5.html"><b>master.cf</b></a>
configuration file, as described in <a href="master.5.html"><b>master</b>(5)</a>.
Options:
<b>-c</b> <i>config</i><b>_</b><i>dir</i>
Read the <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a> and <a href="master.5.html"><b>master.cf</b></a> configuration files in the named
directory instead of the default configuration directory. This
also overrides the configuration files for other Postfix daemon
processes.
<b>-D</b> After initialization, run a debugger on the master process. The
debugging command is specified with the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a></b> in the
<a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a> global configuration file.
<b>-d</b> Do not redirect stdin, stdout or stderr to /dev/null, and do not
discard the controlling terminal. This must be used for debug-
ging only.
<b>-e</b> <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i>
Terminate the master process after <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i> seconds. Child pro-
cesses terminate at their convenience.
<b>-i</b> Enable <b>init</b> mode: do not become a session or process group
leader; and similar to <b>-s</b>, do not redirect stdout to /dev/null,
so that "<a href="postconf.5.html#maillog_file">maillog_file</a> = /dev/stdout" works. This mode is
allowed only if the process ID equals 1.
This feature is available in Postfix 3.3 and later.
<b>-s</b> Do not redirect stdout to /dev/null, so that "<a href="postconf.5.html#maillog_file">maillog_file</a> =
/dev/stdout" works.
This feature is available in Postfix 3.4 and later.
<b>-t</b> Test mode. Return a zero exit status when the <b>master.pid</b> lock
file does not exist or when that file is not locked. This is
evidence that the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> daemon is not running.
<b>-v</b> Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. This option is
passed on to child processes. Multiple <b>-v</b> options make the soft-
ware increasingly verbose.
<b>-w</b> Wait in a dummy foreground process, while the real master daemon
initializes in a background process. The dummy foreground
process returns a zero exit status only if the master daemon
initialization is successful, and if it completes in a reason-
able amount of time.
This feature is available in Postfix 2.10 and later.
Signals:
<b>SIGHUP</b> Upon receipt of a <b>HUP</b> signal (e.g., after "<b>postfix reload</b>"), the
master process re-reads its configuration files. If a service
has been removed from the <a href="master.5.html"><b>master.cf</b></a> file, its running processes
are terminated immediately. Otherwise, running processes are
allowed to terminate as soon as is convenient, so that changes
in configuration settings affect only new service requests.
<b>SIGTERM</b>
Upon receipt of a <b>TERM</b> signal (e.g., after "<b>postfix abort</b>"), the
master process passes the signal on to its child processes and
terminates. This is useful for an emergency shutdown. Normally
one would terminate only the master ("<b>postfix stop</b>") and allow
running processes to finish what they are doing.
<b>DIAGNOSTICS</b>
Problems are reported to <b>syslogd</b>(8) or <a href="postlogd.8.html"><b>postlogd</b>(8)</a>. The exit status is
non-zero in case of problems, including problems while initializing as
a master daemon process in the background.
<b>ENVIRONMENT</b>
<b>MAIL_DEBUG</b>
After initialization, start a debugger as specified with the
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a></b> configuration parameter in the <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a> configu-
ration file.
<b>MAIL_CONFIG</b>
Directory with Postfix configuration files.
<b>CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS</b>
Unlike most Postfix daemon processes, the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> server does not
automatically pick up changes to <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a>. Changes to <a href="master.5.html"><b>master.cf</b></a> are
never picked up automatically. Use the "<b>postfix reload</b>" command after
a configuration change.
<b>RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS</b>
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#default_process_limit">default_process_limit</a> (100)</b>
The default maximal number of Postfix child processes that pro-
vide a given service.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#max_idle">max_idle</a> (100s)</b>
The maximum amount of time that an idle Postfix daemon process
waits for an incoming connection before terminating voluntarily.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#max_use">max_use</a> (100)</b>
The maximal number of incoming connections that a Postfix daemon
process will service before terminating voluntarily.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#service_throttle_time">service_throttle_time</a> (60s)</b>
How long the Postfix <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> waits before forking a server
that appears to be malfunctioning.
Available in Postfix version 2.6 and later:
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#master_service_disable">master_service_disable</a> (empty)</b>
Selectively disable <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> listener ports by service type or
by service name and type.
<b>MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS</b>
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
The default location of the Postfix <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> and <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a> con-
figuration files.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">daemon_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
The directory with Postfix support programs and daemon programs.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a> (empty)</b>
The external command to execute when a Postfix daemon program is
invoked with the -D option.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#inet_interfaces">inet_interfaces</a> (all)</b>
The network interface addresses that this mail system receives
mail on.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#inet_protocols">inet_protocols</a> (see 'postconf -d output')</b>
The Internet protocols Postfix will attempt to use when making
or accepting connections.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#import_environment">import_environment</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
The list of environment parameters that a privileged Postfix
process will import from a non-Postfix parent process, or
name=value environment overrides.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#mail_owner">mail_owner</a> (postfix)</b>
The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue and most
Postfix daemon processes.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#process_id">process_id</a> (read-only)</b>
The process ID of a Postfix command or daemon process.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#process_name">process_name</a> (read-only)</b>
The process name of a Postfix command or daemon process.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#syslog_facility">syslog_facility</a> (mail)</b>
The syslog facility of Postfix logging.
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#syslog_name">syslog_name</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b>
A prefix that is prepended to the process name in syslog
records, so that, for example, "smtpd" becomes "prefix/smtpd".
Available in Postfix 3.3 and later:
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#service_name">service_name</a> (read-only)</b>
The <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a> service name of a Postfix daemon process.
Available in Postfix 3.6 and later:
<b><a href="postconf.5.html#known_tcp_ports">known_tcp_ports</a> (lmtp=24, smtp=25, smtps=submissions=465, submis-</b>
<b>sion=587)</b>
Optional setting that avoids lookups in the <b>services</b>(5) data-
base.
<b>FILES</b>
To expand the directory names below into their actual values, use the
command "<b>postconf <a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a></b>" etc.
$<a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a>/<a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>, global configuration file.
$<a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a>/<a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>, master server configuration file.
$<a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a>/pid/master.pid, master lock file.
$<a href="postconf.5.html#data_directory">data_directory</a>/master.lock, master lock file.
<b>SEE ALSO</b>
<a href="qmgr.8.html">qmgr(8)</a>, queue manager
<a href="verify.8.html">verify(8)</a>, address verification
<a href="master.5.html">master(5)</a>, <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a> configuration file syntax
<a href="postconf.5.html">postconf(5)</a>, <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> configuration file syntax
<a href="postlogd.8.html">postlogd(8)</a>, Postfix logging
syslogd(8), system logging
<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
MASTER(8)
</pre> </body> </html>
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