NetBSD/gnu/dist/postfix/html/master.8.html

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MASTER(8) MASTER(8)
<b>NAME</b>
master - Postfix master process
<b>SYNOPSIS</b>
<b>master</b> [<b>-c</b> <i>config_dir</i>] [<b>-e</b> <i>exit_time</i>] [<b>-D</b>] [<b>-t</b>] [<b>-v</b>]
<b>DESCRIPTION</b>
The <b>master</b> daemon is the resident process that runs Post-
fix 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. The exception
to this rule is the resident Postfix queue manager.
The behavior of the <b>master</b> daemon is controlled by the
<b>master.cf</b> configuration file. The table specifies zero or
more servers in the <b>UNIX</b> or <b>INET</b> domain, or servers that
take requests from a FIFO. Precise configuration details
are given in the <b>master.cf</b> file, and in the manual pages
of the respective daemons.
Options:
<b>-c</b> <i>config_dir</i>
Read the <b>main.cf</b> and <b>master.cf</b> configuration files
in the named directory instead of the default con-
figuration directory.
<b>-e</b> <i>exit_time</i>
Terminate the master process after <i>exit_time</i> sec-
onds. Child processes terminate at their conve-
nience.
<b>-D</b> After initialization, run a debugger on the master
process. The debugging command is specified with
the <b>debugger</b><i>_</i><b>command</b> in the <b>main.cf</b> global configu-
ration file.
<b>-t</b> Test mode. Return a zero exit status when the <b>mas-</b>
<b>ter.pid</b> lock file does not exist or when that file
is not locked. This is evidence that the <b>master</b>
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 software increasingly verbose.
Signals:
<b>SIGHUP</b> Upon receipt of a <b>HUP</b> signal (e.g., after <b>postfix</b>
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MASTER(8) MASTER(8)
<b>reload</b>), the master process re-reads its configura-
tion files. If a service has been removed from the
<b>master.cf</b> file, its running processes are termi-
nated 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</b>
<b>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 ter-
minate only the master (<b>postfix</b> <b>stop</b>) and allow
running processes to finish what they are doing.
<b>DIAGNOSTICS</b>
Problems are reported to <b>syslogd</b>(8).
<b>BUGS</b>
<b>ENVIRONMENT</b>
<b>MAIL</b><i>_</i><b>DEBUG</b>
After initialization, start a debugger as specified
with the <b>debugger</b><i>_</i><b>command</b> configuration parameter
in the <b>main.cf</b> configuration file.
<b>MAIL</b><i>_</i><b>CONFIG</b>
Directory with Postfix configuration files.
<b>CONFIGURATION</b> <b>PARAMETERS</b>
The following <b>main.cf</b> parameters are especially relevant
to this program. See the Postfix <b>main.cf</b> file for syntax
details and for default values. Use the <b>postfix</b> <b>reload</b>
command after a configuration change.
<b>Miscellaneous</b>
<b>import</b><i>_</i><b>environment</b>
<b>export</b><i>_</i><b>environment</b>
Lists of names of environment parameters that can
be imported from (exported to) non-Postfix pro-
cesses.
<b>mail</b><i>_</i><b>owner</b>
The owner of the mail queue and of most Postfix
processes.
<b>command</b><i>_</i><b>directory</b>
Directory with Postfix support programs.
<b>daemon</b><i>_</i><b>directory</b>
Directory with Postfix daemon programs.
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<b>queue</b><i>_</i><b>directory</b>
Top-level directory of the Postfix queue. This is
also the root directory of Postfix daemons that run
chrooted.
<b>Resource</b> <b>controls</b>
<b>default</b><i>_</i><b>process</b><i>_</i><b>limit</b>
Default limit for the number of simultaneous child
processes that provide a given service.
<b>max</b><i>_</i><b>idle</b>
Limit the time in seconds that a child process
waits between service requests.
<b>max</b><i>_</i><b>use</b>
Limit the number of service requests handled by a
child process.
<b>service</b><i>_</i><b>throttle</b><i>_</i><b>time</b>
Time to avoid forking a server that appears to be
broken.
<b>FILES</b>
/etc/postfix/main.cf: global configuration file.
/etc/postfix/master.cf: master process configuration file.
/var/spool/postfix/pid/master.pid: master lock file.
<b>SEE</b> <b>ALSO</b>
<a href="qmgr.8.html">qmgr(8)</a> queue manager
<a href="pickup.8.html">pickup(8)</a> local mail pickup
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
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