Purpose of this document ======================== This document provides a road map of the Postfix mail system source code distribution. I suggest that you - take a few minutes to read this file, - review the RELEASE_NOTES file for incompatible changes, - and then proceed with the INSTALL instructions. Introduction ============ This is the public release of the Postfix mail system. Thank you for your interest in this project. Send me a postcard if you like it. My postal address is below. You must read the LICENSE file, if you didn't do so already. A copy of the LICENSE must be distributed with every original, modified, complete, source, or binary copy of this software or parts thereof. I suggest that you keep a copy of the file in /etc/postfix/LICENSE. Purpose of the Postfix mail system ================================== Postfix aims to be an alternative to the widely-used sendmail program. Although IBM supported the Postfix development, it abstains from control over its evolution. The goal is to have Postfix installed on as many systems as possible. To this end, the software is given away with no strings attached to it, so that it can evolve with input from and under control by its users. In other words, IBM releases Postfix only once. I will be around to guide its development for a limited time. On-line resources devoted to the Postfix mail system ==================================================== Web sites: http://www.postfix.org/ current release information Mail addresses (PLEASE send questions to the mailing list) postfix-XXX@postfix.org Postfix mailing lists wietse@porcupine.org the original author In order to subscribe to a mailing list, see http://www.postfix.org/. Acknowledgments =============== This release could not have happened without the input from a team of competent alpha testers. Their names appear in numerous places in the HISTORY file. I appreciate the input from my colleagues at the IBM Global Security Analysis Laboratory: Paul Karger, Dave Safford, Douglas Schales, and Leendert van Doorn. I also appreciate the support by Charles Palmer under whose leadership I began this project, and who had the privilege to name the software, twice. If you wish to express your appreciation for the Postfix software, you are welcome to send a postcard to: Wietse Venema IBM T.J Watson Research Center P.O. Box 704, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USA Roadmap of the Postfix source distribution ========================================== The RELEASE_NOTES file describes new features, and lists incompatible changes with respect to previous Postfix versions. The INSTALL file provides a step-by-step guide for building and installing Postfix on many popular UNIX platforms. The COMPATIBILITY file lists features that Postfix does or does not yet implement, and how well it works with other software. The HISTORY file gives a detailed log of changes to the software. Point your browser at html/index.html for Postfix documentation, for manual pages, and for the unavoidable Postfix FAQ. Expect to see updated versions on-line at http://www.postfix.org/ Point your MANPATH environment variable at the `man' directory (use an absolute path) for UNIX-style on-line manual pages. These pages are also available through the HTML interface, which allows you to navigate faster. The PORTING file discusses how to go about porting Postfix to other UNIX platforms. The TODO file lists things that still need to be done. If you want to set your teeth into one of those problems, drop me a note at wietse@porcupine.org to avoid duplication of effort. Documentation: README_FILES/ Instructions for specific Postfix features html/ HTML format man/ UNIX on-line manual page format Example files: conf/ sample configuration files examples/ chroot environments, virtual domains Library routines: src/dns/ DNS client library src/global/ Postfix-specific support routines src/util/ General-purpose support routines Command-line utilities: src/postalias/ Alias database management src/postcat/ List Postfix queue file src/postconf/ Configuration utility src/postfix/ Postfix administrative interface src/postkick/ Postfix IPC for shell scripts src/postlock/ Postfix locking for shell scripts src/postlog/ Postfix logging for shell scripts src/postmap/ Postfix lookup table management src/postqueue/ Postfix queue control program src/postsuper/ Postfix house keeping program src/sendmail/ Sendmail compatibility interface Postfix daemons: src/bounce/ Bounce or defer mail src/cleanup/ Canonicalize and enqueue mail src/error/ Trivial error mailer src/local/ Local delivery src/master/ Postfix resident superserver src/pickup/ Local pickup src/pipe/ Pipe delivery src/qmgr/ Queue manager src/showq/ List Postfix queue status src/spawn/ Run any command from a network socket src/lmtp/ LMTP client src/smtp/ SMTP client src/smtpd/ SMTP server src/trivial-rewrite/ Address rewriting and resolving src/virtual/ virtual mailbox-only delivery agent Test programs: src/fsstone/ Measure file system overhead src/smtpstone/ SMTP and QMQP server torture test Miscellaneous: auxiliary/ Auxiliary software etc. bin/ Postfix command executables conf/ Sample configuration files include/ Installed include files lib/ Installed object libraries libexec/ Postfix daemon executables mantools/ Manual page utilities proto/ Manual pages for sample configuration files