1 <!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" 2 "https://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> 3 <html> <head> 4 <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> 5 <link rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' href='postfix-doc.css'> 6 <title> Postfix manual - aliases(5) </title> 7 </head> <body> <pre> 8 ALIASES(5) ALIASES(5) 9 10 <b><a name="name">NAME</a></b> 11 aliases - Postfix local alias database format 12 13 <b><a name="synopsis">SYNOPSIS</a></b> 14 <b>newaliases</b> 15 16 <b>postalias -q</b> <i>name</i> <b>[</b><i>file-type</i><b>]:[</b><i>file-name</i><b>]</b> 17 18 <b><a name="description">DESCRIPTION</a></b> 19 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 20 recipients. The redirections are processed by the Postfix <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> 21 delivery agent. This table is always searched with an email address 22 localpart (no domain portion). 23 24 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 25 to all recipients: <a href="local.8.html">local(8)</a>, virtual, and remote, and which is imple- 26 mented by the <a href="cleanup.8.html"><b>cleanup</b>(8)</a> daemon. That table is often searched with a 27 full email address (including domain). 28 29 Normally, the <a href="aliases.5.html"><b>aliases</b>(5)</a> table is specified as a text file that serves 30 as input to the <a href="postalias.1.html"><b>postalias</b>(1)</a> command to create an indexed file for fast 31 lookup. The location of this file is system-dependent. This text will 32 use <b>/path/to/aliases</b>. 33 34 Execute the command "<b>newaliases</b> to rebuild the indexed file after 35 changing the text file. Execute "<b>postalias -q</b> <i>name</i> <b>/path/to/aliases</b>" to 36 query a default-type indexed file, or execute "<b>postalias -q</b> <i>name</i> 37 <i>type</i><b>:/path/to/aliases</b>" to specify an explicit type. 38 39 The default indexed file type is configured with the <a href="postconf.5.html#default_database_type">default_data</a>- 40 <a href="postconf.5.html#default_database_type">base_type</a> parameter. Depending on the platform this may be one of 41 <a href="lmdb_table.5.html">lmdb</a>:, <a href="CDB_README.html">cdb</a>:, <a href="DATABASE_README.html#types">hash</a>:, or <a href="DATABASE_README.html#types">dbm</a>: (without the trailing ':'). 42 43 When the table is provided via other means such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, 44 the same lookups are done as for ordinary indexed files. Managing such 45 databases is outside the scope of Postfix. 46 47 Alternatively, the table can be provided as a regular-expression map 48 where patterns are given as regular expressions. In this case, the 49 lookups are done in a slightly different way as described below under 50 "REGULAR EXPRESSION TABLES". 51 52 Users can control delivery of their own mail by setting up <b>.forward</b> 53 files in their home directory. Lines in per-user <b>.forward</b> files have 54 the same syntax as the right-hand side of <a href="aliases.5.html"><b>aliases</b>(5)</a> entries. 55 56 The format of the alias database input file is as follows: 57 58 <b>o</b> An alias definition has the form 59 60 <i>name</i>: <i>value1</i>, <i>value2</i>, <i>...</i> 61 62 <b>o</b> Empty lines and whitespace-only lines are ignored, as are lines 63 whose first non-whitespace character is a `#'. 64 65 <b>o</b> A logical line starts with non-whitespace text. A line that 66 starts with whitespace continues a logical line. 67 68 The <i>name</i> is a local address (no domain part). Use double quotes when 69 the name contains any special characters such as whitespace, `#', `:', 70 or `@'. The <i>name</i> is folded to lowercase, in order to make database 71 lookups case insensitive. 72 73 In addition, when an alias exists for <b>owner-</b><i>name</i>, this will override 74 the envelope sender address, so that delivery diagnostics are directed 75 to <b>owner-</b><i>name</i>, instead of the originator of the message (for details, 76 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>). 77 This is typically used to direct delivery errors to the maintainer of a 78 mailing list, who is in a better position to deal with mailing list 79 delivery problems than the originator of the undelivered mail. 80 81 The <i>value</i> contains one or more of the following: 82 83 <i>address</i> 84 Mail is forwarded to <i>address</i>, which is compatible with the <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc822">RFC</a> 85 <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc822">822</a> standard. 86 87 <i>/file/name</i> 88 Mail is appended to <i>/file/name</i>. For details on how a file is 89 written see the sections "EXTERNAL FILE DELIVERY" and "DELIVERY 90 RIGHTS" in the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> documentation. Delivery is not limited 91 to regular files. For example, to dispose of unwanted mail, 92 deflect it to <b>/dev/null</b>. 93 94 |<i>command</i> 95 Mail is piped into <i>command</i>. Commands that contain special char- 96 acters, such as whitespace, should be enclosed between double 97 quotes. For details on how a command is executed see "EXTERNAL 98 COMMAND DELIVERY" and "DELIVERY RIGHTS" in the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> documen- 99 tation. 100 101 When the command fails, a limited amount of command output is 102 mailed back to the sender. The file <b>/usr/include/sysexits.h</b> 103 defines the expected exit status codes. For example, use <b>"|exit</b> 104 <b>67"</b> to simulate a "user unknown" error, and <b>"|exit 0"</b> to imple- 105 ment an expensive black hole. 106 107 <b>:include:</b><i>/file/name</i> 108 Mail is sent to the destinations listed in the named file. 109 Lines in <b>:include:</b> files have the same syntax as the right-hand 110 side of <a href="aliases.5.html"><b>aliases</b>(5)</a> entries. 111 112 A destination can be any destination that is described in this 113 manual page. However, delivery to "|<i>command</i>" and <i>/file/name</i> is 114 disallowed by default. To enable, edit the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#allow_mail_to_commands">allow_mail_to_com</a>-</b> 115 <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. 116 117 <b><a name="address_extension">ADDRESS EXTENSION</a></b> 118 When alias database search fails, and the recipient localpart contains 119 the optional recipient delimiter (e.g., <i>user+foo</i>), the search is 120 repeated for the unextended address (e.g., <i>user</i>). 121 122 The <b><a href="postconf.5.html#propagate_unmatched_extensions">propagate_unmatched_extensions</a></b> parameter controls whether an 123 unmatched address extension (<i>+foo</i>) is propagated to the result of table 124 lookup. 125 126 <b><a name="case_folding">CASE FOLDING</a></b> 127 The <a href="local.8.html">local(8)</a> delivery agent always folds the search string to lowercase 128 before database lookup. 129 130 <b><a name="regular_expression_tables">REGULAR EXPRESSION TABLES</a></b> 131 This section describes how the table lookups change when the table is 132 given in the form of regular expressions. For a description of regular 133 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>. 134 NOTE: these formats do not use ":" at the end of a pattern. 135 136 Each regular expression is applied to the entire search string. Thus, a 137 search string <i>user+foo</i> is not broken up into <i>user</i> and <i>foo</i>. 138 139 Regular expressions are applied in the order as specified in the table, 140 until a regular expression is found that matches the search string. 141 142 Lookup results are the same as with indexed file lookups. For security 143 reasons there is no support for <b>$1</b>, <b>$2</b> etc. substring interpolation. 144 145 <b><a name="security">SECURITY</a></b> 146 The <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery agent disallows regular expression substitution 147 of $1 etc. in <b><a href="postconf.5.html#alias_maps">alias_maps</a></b>, because that would open a security hole. 148 149 The <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery agent will silently ignore requests to use the 150 <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 151 directly. Before Postfix version 2.2, the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery agent will 152 terminate with a fatal error. 153 154 <b><a name="configuration_parameters">CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS</a></b> 155 The following <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a> parameters are especially relevant. The text 156 below provides only a parameter summary. See <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>postconf</b>(5)</a> for more 157 details including examples. 158 159 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#alias_database">alias_database</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b> 160 The alias databases for <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery that are updated with 161 "<b>newaliases</b>" or with "<b>sendmail -bi</b>". 162 163 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#alias_maps">alias_maps</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b> 164 Optional lookup tables that are searched only with an email 165 address localpart (no domain) and that apply only to <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> 166 recipients; this is unlike <a href="postconf.5.html#virtual_alias_maps">virtual_alias_maps</a> that are often 167 searched with a full email address (including domain) and that 168 apply to all recipients: <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a>, virtual, and remote. 169 170 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#allow_mail_to_commands">allow_mail_to_commands</a> (alias, forward)</b> 171 Restrict <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> mail delivery to external commands. 172 173 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#allow_mail_to_files">allow_mail_to_files</a> (alias, forward)</b> 174 Restrict <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> mail delivery to external files. 175 176 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#expand_owner_alias">expand_owner_alias</a> (no)</b> 177 When delivering to an alias "<i>aliasname</i>" that has an 178 "owner-<i>aliasname</i>" companion alias, set the envelope sender 179 address to the expansion of the "owner-<i>aliasname</i>" alias. 180 181 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#propagate_unmatched_extensions">propagate_unmatched_extensions</a> (canonical, virtual)</b> 182 What address lookup tables copy an address extension from the 183 lookup key to the lookup result. 184 185 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#owner_request_special">owner_request_special</a> (yes)</b> 186 Enable special treatment for owner-<i>listname</i> entries in the 187 <a href="aliases.5.html"><b>aliases</b>(5)</a> file, and don't split owner-<i>listname</i> and <i>list-</i> 188 <i>name</i>-request address localparts when the <a href="postconf.5.html#recipient_delimiter">recipient_delimiter</a> is 189 set to "-". 190 191 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#recipient_delimiter">recipient_delimiter</a> (empty)</b> 192 The set of characters that can separate an email address local- 193 part, user name, or a .forward file name from its extension. 194 195 Available in Postfix version 2.3 and later: 196 197 <b><a href="postconf.5.html#frozen_delivered_to">frozen_delivered_to</a> (yes)</b> 198 Update the <a href="local.8.html"><b>local</b>(8)</a> delivery agent's idea of the Delivered-To: 199 address (see <a href="postconf.5.html#prepend_delivered_header">prepend_delivered_header</a>) only once, at the start 200 of a delivery attempt; do not update the Delivered-To: address 201 while expanding aliases or .forward files. 202 203 <b><a name="standards">STANDARDS</a></b> 204 <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc822">RFC 822</a> (ARPA Internet Text Messages) 205 206 <b><a name="see_also">SEE ALSO</a></b> 207 <a href="local.8.html">local(8)</a>, local delivery agent 208 <a href="newaliases.1.html">newaliases(1)</a>, create/update alias database 209 <a href="postalias.1.html">postalias(1)</a>, create/update alias database 210 <a href="postconf.5.html">postconf(5)</a>, configuration parameters 211 212 <b><a name="readme_files">README FILES</a></b> 213 <a href="DATABASE_README.html">DATABASE_README</a>, Postfix lookup table overview 214 215 <b><a name="license">LICENSE</a></b> 216 The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software. 217 218 <b>AUTHOR(S)</b> 219 Wietse Venema 220 IBM T.J. Watson Research 221 P.O. Box 704 222 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA 223 224 Wietse Venema 225 Google, Inc. 226 111 8th Avenue 227 New York, NY 10011, USA 228 229 ALIASES(5) 230 </pre> </body> </html> 231
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