<!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=us-ascii"> <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>-Ddtvw</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>-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). 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> (all)</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 Postfix process will import from a non-Postfix parent process. <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> The mail system name that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that "smtpd" becomes, for example, "post- fix/smtpd". <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 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 MASTER(8) </pre> </body> </html>