Postfix manual - sendmail(1)

    SENDMAIL(1)                                                        SENDMAIL(1)

    NAME
           sendmail - Postfix to Sendmail compatibility interface

    SYNOPSIS
           sendmail [option ...] [recipient ...]

           mailq
           sendmail -bp

           newaliases
           sendmail -I

    DESCRIPTION
           The  Postfix sendmail(1) command implements the Postfix to
           Sendmail compatibility interface.  For the sake of compat-
           ibility with existing applications, some Sendmail command-
           line options are recognized but silently ignored.

           By default, Postfix sendmail(1) reads a message from stan-
           dard  input until EOF or until it reads a line with only a
           . character, and arranges  for  delivery.   Postfix  send-
           mail(1)  relies  on  the  postdrop(1)  command to create a
           queue file in the maildrop directory.

           Specific command aliases are  provided  for  other  common
           modes of operation:

           mailq  List  the  mail  queue.  Each entry shows the queue
                  file ID, message size, arrival  time,  sender,  and
                  the recipients that still need to be delivered.  If
                  mail could not be delivered upon the last  attempt,
                  the reason for failure is shown. This mode of oper-
                  ation is implemented by executing the  postqueue(1)
                  command.

           newaliases
                  Initialize the alias database.  If no input file is
                  specified (with the -oA  option,  see  below),  the
                  program  processes  the  file(s) specified with the
                  alias_database  configuration  parameter.   If   no
                  alias  database type is specified, the program uses
                  the type specified with  the  default_database_type
                  configuration parameter.  This mode of operation is
                  implemented by running the postalias(1) command.

                  Note: it may take a minute or so  before  an  alias
                  database  update  becomes visible. Use the "postfix
                  reload" command to eliminate this delay.

           These and other features can be selected by specifying the
           appropriate combination of command-line options. Some fea-
           tures are controlled by parameters in the main.cf configu-
           ration file.

           The following options are recognized:

           -Am (ignored)

           -Ac (ignored)
                  Postfix  sendmail  uses the same configuration file
                  regardless of whether or not a message is  an  ini-
                  tial submission.

           -B body_type
                  The message body MIME type: 7BIT or 8BITMIME.

           -bd    Go  into  daemon  mode.  This  mode of operation is
                  implemented by executing the "postfix  start"  com-
                  mand.

           -bh (ignored)

           -bH (ignored)
                  Postfix has no persistent host status database.

           -bi    Initialize  alias database. See the newaliases com-
                  mand above.

           -bm    Read mail  from  standard  input  and  arrange  for
                  delivery.  This is the default mode of operation.

           -bp    List the mail queue. See the mailq command above.

           -bs    Stand-alone  SMTP  server  mode. Read SMTP commands
                  from standard input, and write responses  to  stan-
                  dard output.  In stand-alone SMTP server mode, mail
                  relaying and other access controls are disabled  by
                  default.  To  enable  them,  run the process as the
                  mail_owner user.

                  This mode of operation is  implemented  by  running
                  the smtpd(8) daemon.

           -bv    Do  not collect or deliver a message. Instead, send
                  an email  report  after  verifying  each  recipient
                  address.    This  is  useful  for  testing  address
                  rewriting and routing configurations.

                  This feature is available in  Postfix  version  2.1
                  and later.

           -C config_file (ignored)
                  The path name of the sendmail.cf file. Postfix con-
                  figuration  files  are  kept  in  the  /etc/postfix
                  directory.

           -F full_name
                  Set  the  sender  full name. This is used only with
                  messages that have no From: message header.

           -f sender
                  Set  the  envelope  sender  address.  This  is  the
                  address  where  delivery problems are sent to. With
                  Postfix versions before 2.1, the Errors-To: message
                  header overrides the error return address.

           -G (ignored)
                  Gateway  (relay)  submission, as opposed to initial
                  user submission.

           -h hop_count (ignored)
                  Hop count limit. Use the hopcount_limit  configura-
                  tion parameter instead.

           -I     Initialize  alias database. See the newaliases com-
                  mand above.

           -i     When reading a message from standard  input,  don't
                  treat  a line with only a . character as the end of
                  input.

           -L label (ignored)
                  The logging label. Use the  syslog_name  configura-
                  tion parameter instead.

           -m (ignored)
                  Backwards compatibility.

           -N dsn (ignored)
                  Delivery  status  notification  control. Currently,
                  Postfix does not implement DSN.

           -n (ignored)
                  Backwards compatibility.

           -oAalias_database
                  Non-default alias  database.  Specify  pathname  or
                  type:pathname. See postalias(1) for details.

           -O option=value (ignored)
                  Backwards compatibility.

           -o7 (ignored)

           -o8 (ignored)
                  To send 8-bit or binary content, use an appropriate
                  MIME encapsulation and specify the  appropriate  -B
                  command-line option.

           -oi    When  reading  a message from standard input, don't
                  treat a line with only a . character as the end  of
                  input.

           -om (ignored)
                  The  sender  is  never  eliminated  from alias etc.
                  expansions.

           -o x value (ignored)
                  Set option x to value. Use the equivalent  configu-
                  ration parameter in main.cf instead.

           -r sender
                  Set  the  envelope  sender  address.  This  is  the
                  address where delivery problems are sent  to.  With
                  Postfix versions before 2.1, the Errors-To: message
                  header overrides the error return address.

           -R return_limit (ignored)
                  Limit  the  size   of   bounced   mail.   Use   the
                  bounce_size_limit  configuration parameter instead.

           -q     Attempt to deliver all queued mail. This is  imple-
                  mented by executing the postqueue(1) command.

                  Warning:  flushing  undeliverable  mail  frequently
                  will result in poor  delivery  performance  of  all
                  other mail.

           -qinterval (ignored)
                  The   interval   between   queue   runs.   Use  the
                  queue_run_delay configuration parameter instead.

           -qRsite
                  Schedule immediate delivery of  all  mail  that  is
                  queued for the named site. This option accepts only
                  site names that are eligible for the  "fast  flush"
                  service,   and  is  implemented  by  executing  the
                  postqueue(1) command.  See flush(8) for more infor-
                  mation about the "fast flush" service.

           -qSsite
                  This  command  is  not  implemented. Use the slower
                  "sendmail -q" command instead.

           -t     Extract recipients from message headers. These  are
                  added  to  any  recipients specified on the command
                  line.

                  With Postfix versions prior  to  2.1,  this  option
                  requires  that no recipient addresses are specified
                  on the command line.

           -U (ignored)
                  Initial user submission.

           -V     Variable Envelope Return Path.  Given  an  envelope
                  sender  address  of the form owner-listname@origin,
                  each recipient user@domain  receives  mail  with  a
                  personalized envelope sender address.

                  By   default,   the  personalized  envelope  sender
                  address is  owner-listname+user=domain@origin.  The
                  default  +  and  = characters are configurable with
                  the default_verp_delimiters  configuration  parame-
                  ter.

                  This  feature  is  available in Postfix version 1.1
                  and later.

           -Vxy   As -V, but uses x and y as the VERP delimiter char-
                  acters,  instead  of  the characters specified with
                  the default_verp_delimiters  configuration  parame-
                  ter.

           -v     Send  an email report of the first delivery attempt
                  (Postfix versions 2.1  and  later).  Mail  delivery
                  always  happens in the background. When multiple -v
                  options  are  given,  enable  verbose  logging  for
                  debugging purposes.

           -X log_file (ignored)
                  Log  mailer  traffic.  Use  the debug_peer_list and
                  debug_peer_level configuration parameters  instead.

    SECURITY
           By  design,  this  program  is not set-user (or group) id.
           However, it must  handle  data  from  untrusted  users  or
           untrusted  machines.   Thus, the usual precautions need to
           be taken against malicious inputs.

    DIAGNOSTICS
           Problems are logged to  syslogd(8)  and  to  the  standard
           error stream.

    ENVIRONMENT
           MAIL_CONFIG
                  Directory with Postfix configuration files.

           MAIL_VERBOSE
                  Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes.

           MAIL_DEBUG
                  Enable debugging with an external command, as spec-
                  ified  with  the   debugger_command   configuration
                  parameter.

    CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
           The  following  main.cf parameters are especially relevant
           to this program.  The text below provides only a parameter
           summary.  See postconf(5) for more details including exam-
           ples.

    TROUBLE SHOOTING CONTROLS
           The DEBUG_README file gives examples  of  how  to  trouble
           shoot a Postfix system.

           debugger_command (empty)
                  The external command to execute when a Postfix dae-
                  mon program is invoked with the -D option.

           debug_peer_level (2)
                  The increment  in  verbose  logging  level  when  a
                  remote  client  or  server matches a pattern in the
                  debug_peer_list parameter.

           debug_peer_list (empty)
                  Optional list of remote client or  server  hostname
                  or  network address patterns that cause the verbose
                  logging level to increase by the  amount  specified
                  in $debug_peer_level.

    ACCESS CONTROLS
           Available in Postfix version 2.2 and later:

           authorized_flush_users (static:anyone)
                  List  of  users  who  are  authorized  to flush the
                  queue.

           authorized_mailq_users (static:anyone)
                  List of users who are authorized to view the queue.

           authorized_submit_users (static:anyone)
                  List  of  users  who  are authorized to submit mail
                  with the sendmail(1) command (and with  the  privi-
                  leged postdrop(1) helper command).

    RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS
           bounce_size_limit (50000)
                  The maximal amount of original message text that is
                  sent in a non-delivery notification.

           fork_attempts (5)
                  The maximal number of attempts to  fork()  a  child
                  process.

           fork_delay (1s)
                  The  delay  between  attempts  to  fork()  a  child
                  process.

           hopcount_limit (50)
                  The maximal number of  Received:   message  headers
                  that is allowed in the primary message headers.

           queue_run_delay (1000s)
                  The  time between deferred queue scans by the queue
                  manager.

    FAST FLUSH CONTROLS
           The ETRN_README file describes configuration and operation
           details for the Postfix "fast flush" service.

           fast_flush_domains ($relay_domains)
                  Optional list of destinations that are eligible for
                  per-destination logfiles with mail that  is  queued
                  to those destinations.

    VERP CONTROLS
           The VERP_README file describes configuration and operation
           details of Postfix support for  variable  envelope  return
           path addresses.

           default_verp_delimiters (+=)
                  The two default VERP delimiter characters.

           verp_delimiter_filter (-=+)
                  The  characters  Postfix  accepts as VERP delimiter
                  characters on the Postfix sendmail(1) command  line
                  and in SMTP commands.

    MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS
           alias_database (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  The  alias databases for local(8) delivery that are
                  updated with "newaliases" or with "sendmail -bi".

           command_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  The location of  all  postfix  administrative  com-
                  mands.

           config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  The  default  location  of  the Postfix main.cf and
                  master.cf configuration files.

           daemon_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  The directory with  Postfix  support  programs  and
                  daemon programs.

           default_database_type (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  The default database type for use in newaliases(1),
                  postalias(1) and postmap(1) commands.

           delay_warning_time (0h)
                  The time after which the sender receives  the  mes-
                  sage headers of mail that is still queued.

           enable_errors_to (no)
                  Report  mail  delivery errors to the address speci-
                  fied  with  the  non-standard  Errors-To:   message
                  header,  instead  of  the  envelope  sender address
                  (this feature  is  removed  with  Postfix  2.2,  is
                  turned  off  by  default  with  Postfix 2.1, and is
                  always turned on with older Postfix versions).

           mail_owner (postfix)
                  The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue
                  and most Postfix daemon processes.

           queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  The  location of the Postfix top-level queue direc-
                  tory.

           syslog_facility (mail)
                  The syslog facility of Postfix logging.

           syslog_name (postfix)
                  The mail system  name  that  is  prepended  to  the
                  process  name  in  syslog  records, so that "smtpd"
                  becomes, for example, "postfix/smtpd".

           trigger_timeout (10s)
                  The time limit for sending a trigger to  a  Postfix
                  daemon  (for example, the pickup(8) or qmgr(8) dae-
                  mon).

    FILES
           /var/spool/postfix, mail queue
           /etc/postfix, configuration files

    SEE ALSO
           pickup(8), mail pickup daemon
           qmgr(8), queue manager
           smtpd(8), SMTP server
           flush(8), fast flush service
           postsuper(1), queue maintenance
           postalias(1), create/update/query alias database
           postdrop(1), mail posting utility
           postfix(1), mail system control
           postqueue(1), mail queue control
           syslogd(8), system logging

    README_FILES
           DEBUG_README, Postfix debugging howto
           ETRN_README, Postfix ETRN howto
           VERP_README, Postfix VERP howto

    LICENSE
           The Secure Mailer license must be  distributed  with  this
           software.

    AUTHOR(S)
           Wietse Venema
           IBM T.J. Watson Research
           P.O. Box 704
           Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA

                                                                       SENDMAIL(1)