master.8.html revision 1.1.1.4
1 1.1 tron <!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" 2 1.1 tron "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> 3 1.1 tron <html> <head> 4 1.1 tron <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> 5 1.1 tron <title> Postfix manual - master(8) </title> 6 1.1 tron </head> <body> <pre> 7 1.1 tron MASTER(8) MASTER(8) 8 1.1 tron 9 1.1 tron <b>NAME</b> 10 1.1 tron master - Postfix master process 11 1.1 tron 12 1.1 tron <b>SYNOPSIS</b> 13 1.1.1.3 tron <b>master</b> [<b>-Ddtvw</b>] [<b>-c</b> <i>config</i><b>_</b><i>dir</i>] [<b>-e</b> <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i>] 14 1.1 tron 15 1.1 tron <b>DESCRIPTION</b> 16 1.1.1.4 tron The <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> daemon is the resident process that runs Postfix daemons 17 1.1.1.4 tron on demand: daemons to send or receive messages via the network, daemons 18 1.1.1.4 tron to deliver mail locally, etc. These daemons are created on demand up 19 1.1.1.4 tron to a configurable maximum number per service. 20 1.1.1.4 tron 21 1.1.1.4 tron Postfix daemons terminate voluntarily, either after being idle for a 22 1.1.1.4 tron configurable amount of time, or after having serviced a configurable 23 1.1.1.4 tron number of requests. Exceptions to this rule are the resident queue man- 24 1.1.1.4 tron ager, address verification server, and the TLS session cache and 25 1.1.1.4 tron pseudo-random number server. 26 1.1 tron 27 1.1.1.4 tron 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> 28 1.1.1.4 tron configuration file, as described in <a href="master.5.html"><b>master</b>(5)</a>. 29 1.1 tron 30 1.1 tron Options: 31 1.1 tron 32 1.1 tron <b>-c</b> <i>config</i><b>_</b><i>dir</i> 33 1.1.1.4 tron 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 34 1.1.1.4 tron directory instead of the default configuration directory. This 35 1.1.1.4 tron also overrides the configuration files for other Postfix daemon 36 1.1.1.4 tron processes. 37 1.1.1.4 tron 38 1.1.1.4 tron <b>-D</b> After initialization, run a debugger on the master process. The 39 1.1.1.4 tron debugging command is specified with the <b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a></b> in the 40 1.1.1.4 tron <a href="postconf.5.html"><b>main.cf</b></a> global configuration file. 41 1.1.1.4 tron 42 1.1.1.4 tron <b>-d</b> Do not redirect stdin, stdout or stderr to /dev/null, and do not 43 1.1.1.4 tron discard the controlling terminal. This must be used for debug- 44 1.1.1.4 tron ging only. 45 1.1 tron 46 1.1 tron <b>-e</b> <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i> 47 1.1.1.4 tron Terminate the master process after <i>exit</i><b>_</b><i>time</i> seconds. Child pro- 48 1.1.1.4 tron cesses terminate at their convenience. 49 1.1.1.3 tron 50 1.1.1.4 tron <b>-t</b> Test mode. Return a zero exit status when the <b>master.pid</b> lock 51 1.1.1.4 tron file does not exist or when that file is not locked. This is 52 1.1.1.4 tron evidence that the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> daemon is not running. 53 1.1.1.4 tron 54 1.1.1.4 tron <b>-v</b> Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. This option is 55 1.1.1.4 tron passed on to child processes. Multiple <b>-v</b> options make the soft- 56 1.1.1.4 tron ware increasingly verbose. 57 1.1.1.4 tron 58 1.1.1.4 tron <b>-w</b> Wait in a dummy foreground process, while the real master daemon 59 1.1.1.4 tron initializes in a background process. The dummy foreground 60 1.1.1.4 tron process returns a zero exit status only if the master daemon 61 1.1.1.4 tron initialization is successful, and if it completes in a reason- 62 1.1.1.4 tron able amount of time. 63 1.1.1.4 tron 64 1.1.1.4 tron This feature is available in Postfix 2.10 and later. 65 1.1.1.3 tron 66 1.1 tron Signals: 67 1.1 tron 68 1.1.1.4 tron <b>SIGHUP</b> Upon receipt of a <b>HUP</b> signal (e.g., after "<b>postfix reload</b>"), the 69 1.1.1.4 tron master process re-reads its configuration files. If a service 70 1.1.1.4 tron has been removed from the <a href="master.5.html"><b>master.cf</b></a> file, its running processes 71 1.1.1.4 tron are terminated immediately. Otherwise, running processes are 72 1.1.1.4 tron allowed to terminate as soon as is convenient, so that changes 73 1.1.1.4 tron in configuration settings affect only new service requests. 74 1.1 tron 75 1.1 tron <b>SIGTERM</b> 76 1.1.1.4 tron Upon receipt of a <b>TERM</b> signal (e.g., after "<b>postfix abort</b>"), the 77 1.1.1.4 tron master process passes the signal on to its child processes and 78 1.1.1.4 tron terminates. This is useful for an emergency shutdown. Normally 79 1.1.1.4 tron one would terminate only the master ("<b>postfix stop</b>") and allow 80 1.1 tron running processes to finish what they are doing. 81 1.1 tron 82 1.1 tron <b>DIAGNOSTICS</b> 83 1.1.1.4 tron Problems are reported to <b>syslogd</b>(8). The exit status is non-zero in 84 1.1.1.4 tron case of problems, including problems while initializing as a master 85 1.1.1.4 tron daemon process in the background. 86 1.1 tron 87 1.1 tron <b>ENVIRONMENT</b> 88 1.1 tron <b>MAIL_DEBUG</b> 89 1.1.1.4 tron After initialization, start a debugger as specified with the 90 1.1.1.4 tron <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- 91 1.1.1.4 tron ration file. 92 1.1 tron 93 1.1 tron <b>MAIL_CONFIG</b> 94 1.1 tron Directory with Postfix configuration files. 95 1.1 tron 96 1.1 tron <b>CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS</b> 97 1.1.1.4 tron Unlike most Postfix daemon processes, the <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> server does not 98 1.1.1.4 tron 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 99 1.1.1.4 tron never picked up automatically. Use the "<b>postfix reload</b>" command after 100 1.1.1.4 tron a configuration change. 101 1.1 tron 102 1.1 tron <b>RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS</b> 103 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#default_process_limit">default_process_limit</a> (100)</b> 104 1.1.1.4 tron The default maximal number of Postfix child processes that pro- 105 1.1.1.4 tron vide a given service. 106 1.1 tron 107 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#max_idle">max_idle</a> (100s)</b> 108 1.1.1.4 tron The maximum amount of time that an idle Postfix daemon process 109 1.1.1.4 tron waits for an incoming connection before terminating voluntarily. 110 1.1 tron 111 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#max_use">max_use</a> (100)</b> 112 1.1.1.4 tron The maximal number of incoming connections that a Postfix daemon 113 1.1.1.4 tron process will service before terminating voluntarily. 114 1.1 tron 115 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#service_throttle_time">service_throttle_time</a> (60s)</b> 116 1.1.1.4 tron How long the Postfix <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> waits before forking a server 117 1.1.1.4 tron that appears to be malfunctioning. 118 1.1 tron 119 1.1 tron Available in Postfix version 2.6 and later: 120 1.1 tron 121 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#master_service_disable">master_service_disable</a> (empty)</b> 122 1.1.1.4 tron Selectively disable <a href="master.8.html"><b>master</b>(8)</a> listener ports by service type or 123 1.1.1.4 tron by service name and type. 124 1.1 tron 125 1.1 tron <b>MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS</b> 126 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b> 127 1.1.1.4 tron The default location of the Postfix <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> and <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a> con- 128 1.1.1.4 tron figuration files. 129 1.1 tron 130 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#daemon_directory">daemon_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b> 131 1.1.1.4 tron The directory with Postfix support programs and daemon programs. 132 1.1 tron 133 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#debugger_command">debugger_command</a> (empty)</b> 134 1.1.1.4 tron The external command to execute when a Postfix daemon program is 135 1.1.1.4 tron invoked with the -D option. 136 1.1 tron 137 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#inet_interfaces">inet_interfaces</a> (all)</b> 138 1.1.1.4 tron The network interface addresses that this mail system receives 139 1.1.1.4 tron mail on. 140 1.1 tron 141 1.1.1.2 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#inet_protocols">inet_protocols</a> (all)</b> 142 1.1.1.4 tron The Internet protocols Postfix will attempt to use when making 143 1.1.1.4 tron or accepting connections. 144 1.1 tron 145 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#import_environment">import_environment</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b> 146 1.1.1.4 tron The list of environment parameters that a Postfix process will 147 1.1.1.4 tron import from a non-Postfix parent process. 148 1.1 tron 149 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#mail_owner">mail_owner</a> (postfix)</b> 150 1.1.1.4 tron The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue and most 151 1.1.1.4 tron Postfix daemon processes. 152 1.1 tron 153 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#process_id">process_id</a> (read-only)</b> 154 1.1.1.4 tron The process ID of a Postfix command or daemon process. 155 1.1 tron 156 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#process_name">process_name</a> (read-only)</b> 157 1.1.1.4 tron The process name of a Postfix command or daemon process. 158 1.1 tron 159 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b> 160 1.1.1.4 tron The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory. 161 1.1 tron 162 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#syslog_facility">syslog_facility</a> (mail)</b> 163 1.1 tron The syslog facility of Postfix logging. 164 1.1 tron 165 1.1 tron <b><a href="postconf.5.html#syslog_name">syslog_name</a> (see 'postconf -d' output)</b> 166 1.1.1.4 tron The mail system name that is prepended to the process name in 167 1.1.1.4 tron syslog records, so that "smtpd" becomes, for example, "post- 168 1.1.1.4 tron fix/smtpd". 169 1.1 tron 170 1.1 tron <b>FILES</b> 171 1.1.1.4 tron To expand the directory names below into their actual values, use the 172 1.1.1.4 tron command "<b>postconf <a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a></b>" etc. 173 1.1 tron 174 1.1 tron $<a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a>/<a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a>, global configuration file. 175 1.1 tron $<a href="postconf.5.html#config_directory">config_directory</a>/<a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a>, master server configuration file. 176 1.1 tron $<a href="postconf.5.html#queue_directory">queue_directory</a>/pid/master.pid, master lock file. 177 1.1 tron $<a href="postconf.5.html#data_directory">data_directory</a>/master.lock, master lock file. 178 1.1 tron 179 1.1 tron <b>SEE ALSO</b> 180 1.1 tron <a href="qmgr.8.html">qmgr(8)</a>, queue manager 181 1.1 tron <a href="verify.8.html">verify(8)</a>, address verification 182 1.1 tron <a href="master.5.html">master(5)</a>, <a href="master.5.html">master.cf</a> configuration file syntax 183 1.1.1.2 tron <a href="postconf.5.html">postconf(5)</a>, <a href="postconf.5.html">main.cf</a> configuration file syntax 184 1.1 tron syslogd(8), system logging 185 1.1 tron 186 1.1 tron <b>LICENSE</b> 187 1.1.1.4 tron The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software. 188 1.1 tron 189 1.1 tron <b>AUTHOR(S)</b> 190 1.1 tron Wietse Venema 191 1.1 tron IBM T.J. Watson Research 192 1.1 tron P.O. Box 704 193 1.1 tron Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA 194 1.1 tron 195 1.1 tron MASTER(8) 196 1.1 tron </pre> </body> </html> 197
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