# man > mailq(1) [_SENDMAIL_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SENDMAIL/1/markdown) General Commands Manual [_SENDMAIL_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SENDMAIL/1/markdown) ## NAME sendmail - Postfix to Sendmail compatibility interface ## SYNOPSIS **sendmail **[_option_ _..._] [_recipient_ _..._] ### mailq ### sendmail -bp ### newaliases ### sendmail -I ## DESCRIPTION The Postfix [**sendmail**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/markdown) command implements the Postfix to Sendmail compatibility interface. For the sake of compatibility with existing applications, some Sendmail command-line options are recognized but silently ignored. By default, Postfix [**sendmail**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/markdown) reads a message from standard input until EOF or until it reads a line with only a **. **character, and arranges for delivery. Postfix [**sendmail**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/markdown) relies on the [**postdrop**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postdrop/1/markdown) 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 de‐ livered upon the last attempt, the reason for failure is shown. The queue ID string is followed by an optional status character: *** **The message is in the **active **queue, i.e. the message is selected for delivery. **! **The message is in the **hold **queue, i.e. no further delivery attempt will be made until the mail is taken off hold. **# **The message is forced to expire. See the [**postsuper**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postsuper/1/markdown) options **-e **or **-f**. This mode of operation is implemented by executing the [**postqueue**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postqueue/1/markdown) 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 **con‐ figuration 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postalias/1/markdown) 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 com‐ mand-line options. Some features are controlled by parameters in the **main.cf **configuration file. The following options are recognized: ### -Am (ignored) ### -Ac (ignored) Postfix sendmail uses the same configuration file regardless of whether or not a mes‐ sage is an initial submission. ### -B _ The message body MIME type: **7BIT **or **8BITMIME**. ### -bd **start**" command. ### -bh (ignored) ### -bH (ignored) Postfix has no persistent host status database. ### -bi ### -bl -bl specify "**inet_interfaces = loopback**" in the Postfix **main.cf **configuration file. ### -bm operation. ### -bp ### -bs sponses to standard 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/smtpd/8/markdown) daemon. ### -bv each recipient address. This is useful for testing address rewriting and routing con‐ figurations. This feature is available in Postfix version 2.1 and later. ### -C _ ### -C _ The path name of the Postfix **main.cf **file, or of its parent directory. This informa‐ tion is ignored with Postfix versions before 2.3. With Postfix version 3.2 and later, a non-default directory must be authorized in the default **main.cf **file, through the alternate_config_directories or multi_instance_di‐ rectories parameters. With all Postfix versions, you can specify a directory pathname with the MAIL_CONFIG environment variable to override the location of configuration files. ### -F _ Set the sender full name. This overrides the NAME environment variable, and is used only with messages that have no **From: **message header. ### -f _ 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 er‐ ror return address. ### -G rewrite addresses at all, or update incomplete addresses with the domain information specified with **remote_header_rewrite_domain**. This option is ignored before Postfix version 2.3. ### -h _ Hop count limit. Use the **hopcount_limit **configuration parameter instead. ### -I ### -i as the end of input. ### -L _ The logging label. Use the **syslog_name **configuration parameter instead. ### -m (ignored) Backwards compatibility. ### -N _ Delivery status notification control. Specify either a comma-separated list with one or more of **failure **(send notification when delivery fails), **delay **(send notification when delivery is delayed), or **success **(send notification when the message is deliv‐ ered); or specify **never **(don't send any notifications at all). This feature is available in Postfix 2.3 and later. ### -n (ignored) Backwards compatibility. ### -oA_ Non-default alias database. Specify _pathname_ or _type_:_pathname_. See [**postalias**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postalias/1/markdown) for details. ### -O _ Set the named _option_ to _value_. Use the equivalent configuration parameter in **main.cf** instead. ### -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 as the end of input. ### -om (ignored) The sender is never eliminated from alias etc. expansions. ### -o _ Set option _x_ to _value_. Use the equivalent configuration parameter in **main.cf **instead. ### -r _ 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 er‐ ror return address. ### -R _ Delivery status notification control. Specify "hdrs" to return only the header when a message bounces, "full" to return a full copy (the default behavior). The **-R **option specifies an upper bound; Postfix will return only the header, when a full copy would exceed the bounce_size_limit setting. This option is ignored before Postfix version 2.10. ### -q command. Warning: flushing undeliverable mail frequently will result in poor delivery perfor‐ mance of all other mail. ### -q_ The interval between queue runs. Use the **queue_run_delay **configuration parameter in‐ stead. ### -qI_ Schedule immediate delivery of mail with the specified queue ID. This option is im‐ plemented by executing the [**postqueue**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postqueue/1/markdown) command, and is available with Postfix version 2.4 and later. ### -qR_ 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 imple‐ mented by executing the [**postqueue**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postqueue/1/markdown) command. See [**flush**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/flush/8/markdown) for more information about the "fast flush" service. ### -qS_ This command is not implemented. Use the slower "**sendmail -q**" command instead. ### -t 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 _ Specify the envelope ID for notification by servers that support DSN. This feature is available in Postfix 2.3 and later. ### -XV -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_**=_**do‐_ _main_@_origin_. The default **+ **and **= **characters are configurable with the **default_verp_de‐** **limiters **configuration parameter. ### -XV_ -V_ As **-XV**, but uses _x_ and _y_ as the VERP delimiter characters, instead of the characters specified with the **default_verp_delimiters **configuration parameter. ### -v Mail delivery always happens in the background. When multiple **-v **options are given, enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. ### -X _ Log mailer traffic. Use the **debug_peer_list **and **debug_peer_level **configuration parame‐ ters instead. ## SECURITY By design, this program is not set-user (or group) id. It is prepared to handle message con‐ tent from untrusted, possibly remote, users. However, like most Postfix programs, this program does not enforce a security policy on its command-line arguments. Instead, it relies on the UNIX system to enforce access policies based on the effective user and group IDs of the process. Concretely, this means that running Postfix commands as root (from sudo or equivalent) on behalf of a non-root user is likely to create privilege escalation opportunities. If an application runs any Postfix programs on behalf of users that do not have normal shell access to Postfix commands, then that application MUST restrict user-specified command-line arguments to avoid privilege escalation. • Filter all command-line arguments, for example arguments that contain a pathname or that specify a database access method. These pathname checks must reject user-con‐ trolled symlinks or hardlinks to sensitive files, and must not be vulnerable to TOCTOU race attacks. • Disable command options processing for all command arguments that contain user-speci‐ fied data. For example, the Postfix [**sendmail**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/markdown) command line MUST be structured as follows: **/path/to/sendmail _**system-arguments_ **-- _**user-arguments_ Here, the "**--**" disables command option processing for all _user-arguments_ that follow. Without the "**--**", a malicious user could enable Postfix [**sendmail**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/markdown) command options, by specifying an email address that starts with "**-**". ## DIAGNOSTICS Problems are logged to [**syslogd**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/syslogd/8/markdown) or [**postlogd**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postlogd/8/markdown), and to the standard error stream. ## ENVIRONMENT **MAIL_CONFIG** Directory with Postfix configuration files. **MAIL_VERBOSE **(value does not matter) Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. **MAIL_DEBUG **(value does not matter) Enable debugging with an external command, as specified with the **debugger_command **con‐ figuration parameter. **NAME **The sender full name. This is used only with messages that have no **From: **message header. See also the **-F **option above. ## CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS The following **main.cf **parameters are especially relevant to this program. The text below provides only a parameter summary. See [**postconf**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postconf/5/markdown) for more details including examples. ## COMPATIBILITY CONTROLS Available with Postfix 2.9 and later: ### sendmail_fix_line_endings (always) Controls how the Postfix sendmail command converts email message line endings from into UNIX format (). ## TROUBLE SHOOTING CONTROLS The DEBUG_README file gives examples of how to troubleshoot a Postfix system. ### debugger_command (empty) The external command to execute when a Postfix daemon program is invoked with the -D option. ### debug_peer_level (2) The increment in verbose logging level when a nexthop destination, remote client or server name or network address matches a pattern given with the debug_peer_list para‐ meter. ### debug_peer_list (empty) Optional list of nexthop destination, remote client or server name or network address patterns that, if matched, cause the verbose logging level to increase by the amount specified in $debug_peer_level. ## ACCESS CONTROLS Available in Postfix version 2.2 and later: ### authorized_flush_users (static:anyone) List of users who are authorized to flush the queue. ### authorized_mailq_users (static:anyone) List of users who are authorized to view the queue. ### authorized_submit_users (static:anyone) List of users who are authorized to submit mail with the [**sendmail**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/markdown) command (and with the privileged [**postdrop**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postdrop/1/markdown) helper command). ## RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS ### bounce_size_limit (50000) The maximal amount of original message text that is sent in a non-delivery notifica‐ tion. ### fork_attempts (5) The maximal number of attempts to fork() a child process. ### fork_delay (1s) The delay between attempts to fork() a child process. ### hopcount_limit (50) The maximal number of Received: message headers that is allowed in the primary mes‐ sage headers. ### queue_run_delay (300s) The time between deferred queue scans by the queue manager; prior to Postfix 2.4 the default value was 1000s. ## FAST FLUSH CONTROLS The ETRN_README file describes configuration and operation details for the Postfix "fast flush" service. ### fast_flush_domains ($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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/markdown) command line and in SMTP commands. ## MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS ### alias_database (see 'postconf -d' output) The alias databases for [**local**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/local/8/markdown) delivery that are updated with "**newaliases**" or with "**sendmail -bi**". ### command_directory (see 'postconf -d' output) The location of all postfix administrative commands. ### 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/newaliases/1/markdown), [**postalias**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postalias/1/markdown) and [**postmap**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postmap/1/markdown) com‐ mands. ### delay_warning_time (0h) The time after which the sender receives a copy of the message headers of mail that is still queued. ### import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output) The list of environment variables that a privileged Postfix process will import from a non-Postfix parent process, or name=value environment overrides. ### 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 directory. ### remote_header_rewrite_domain (empty) Don't rewrite message headers from remote clients at all when this parameter is empty; otherwise, rewrite message headers and append the specified domain name to incomplete addresses. ### syslog_facility (mail) The syslog facility of Postfix logging. ### syslog_name (see 'postconf -d' output) A prefix that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that, for exam‐ ple, "smtpd" becomes "prefix/smtpd". Postfix 3.2 and later: ### alternate_config_directories (empty) A list of non-default Postfix configuration directories that may be specified with "-c config_directory" on the command line (in the case of [**sendmail**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/markdown), with the "-C" op‐ tion), or via the MAIL_CONFIG environment parameter. ### multi_instance_directories (empty) An optional list of non-default Postfix configuration directories; these directories belong to additional Postfix instances that share the Postfix executable files and documentation with the default Postfix instance, and that are started, stopped, etc., together with the default Postfix instance. ## FILES /var/spool/postfix, mail queue /etc/postfix, configuration files ## SEE ALSO [pickup(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pickup/8/markdown), mail pickup daemon [qmgr(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/qmgr/8/markdown), queue manager [smtpd(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/smtpd/8/markdown), SMTP server [flush(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/flush/8/markdown), fast flush service [postsuper(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postsuper/1/markdown), queue maintenance [postalias(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postalias/1/markdown), create/update/query alias database [postdrop(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postdrop/1/markdown), mail posting utility [postfix(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postfix/1/markdown), mail system control [postqueue(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postqueue/1/markdown), mail queue control [postlogd(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postlogd/8/markdown), Postfix logging [syslogd(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/syslogd/8/markdown), system logging ## READMEFILES Use "**postconf readme_directory**" or "**postconf html_directory**" to locate this information. 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 Wietse Venema Google, Inc. 111 8th Avenue New York, NY 10011, USA [_SENDMAIL_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SENDMAIL/1/markdown)