{ "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "# master (man)\n\n## NAME\n\nmaster - Postfix master process\n\n## SYNOPSIS\n\nmaster [-Dditvw] [-c configdir] [-e exittime]\n\n## DESCRIPTION\n\nThe master(8) daemon is the resident process that runs Postfix daemons on demand: daemons to\nsend or receive messages via the network, daemons to deliver mail locally, etc. These dae‐\nmons are created on demand up to a configurable maximum number per service.\n\n## Sections\n\n- **NAME**\n- **SYNOPSIS**\n- **DESCRIPTION** (9 subsections)\n- **DIAGNOSTICS**\n- **ENVIRONMENT**\n- **CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS**\n- **RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS** (5 subsections)\n- **MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS** (14 subsections)\n- **FILES**\n- **SEE ALSO**\n- **LICENSE**\n\nUse structuredContent.sections for detailed options, examples, and full documentation.\n" } ], "structuredContent": { "command": "master", "section": "", "mode": "man", "summary": "master - Postfix master process", "synopsis": "master [-Dditvw] [-c configdir] [-e exittime]", "tldr_summary": null, "tldr_examples": [], "tldr_source": null, "flags": [ { "flag": "-c", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "Read the main.cf and master.cf configuration files in the named directory instead of the default configuration directory. This also overrides the configuration files for other Postfix daemon processes." }, { "flag": "-D", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "specified with the debuggercommand in the main.cf global configuration file." }, { "flag": "-d", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "ling terminal. This must be used for debugging only." }, { "flag": "-e", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "Terminate the master process after exittime seconds. Child processes terminate at their convenience." }, { "flag": "-s", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "do not redirect stdout to /dev/null, so that \"maillogfile = /dev/stdout\" works. This mode is allowed only if the process ID equals 1. This feature is available in Postfix 3.3 and later." }, { "flag": "-s", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "This feature is available in Postfix 3.4 and later." }, { "flag": "-t", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "when that file is not locked. This is evidence that the master(8) daemon is not run‐ ning." }, { "flag": "-v", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "processes. Multiple -v options make the software increasingly verbose." }, { "flag": "-w", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "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 reasonable amount of time. This feature is available in Postfix 2.10 and later. Signals: SIGHUP Upon receipt of a HUP signal (e.g., after \"postfix reload\"), the master process re-reads its configuration files. If a service has been removed from the master.cf 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. SIGTERM Upon receipt of a TERM signal (e.g., after \"postfix abort\"), 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 (\"postfix stop\") and allow run‐ ning processes to finish what they are doing." } ], "examples": [], "see_also": [ { "name": "qmgr", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/qmgr/8/json" }, { "name": "verify", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/verify/8/json" }, { "name": "postconf", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postconf/5/json" }, { "name": "postlogd", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/postlogd/8/json" }, { "name": "syslogd", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/syslogd/8/json" } ], "section_outline": [ { "name": "NAME", "lines": 2, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "SYNOPSIS", "lines": 2, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "DESCRIPTION", "lines": 14, "subsections": [ { "name": "-c _", "lines": 4, "flag": "-c" }, { "name": "-D", "lines": 2, "flag": "-D" }, { "name": "-d", "lines": 2, "flag": "-d" }, { "name": "-e _", "lines": 3, "flag": "-e" }, { "name": "-i -s", "lines": 5, "flag": "-s" }, { "name": "-s", "lines": 2, "flag": "-s" }, { "name": "-t", "lines": 3, "flag": "-t" }, { "name": "-v", "lines": 2, "flag": "-v" }, { "name": "-w", "lines": 20, "flag": "-w" } ] }, { "name": "DIAGNOSTICS", "lines": 3, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "ENVIRONMENT", "lines": 7, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS", "lines": 4, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS", "lines": 1, "subsections": [ { "name": "default_process_limit (100)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "max_idle (100s)", "lines": 3 }, { "name": "max_use (100)", "lines": 3 }, { "name": "service_throttle_time (60s)", "lines": 5 }, { "name": "master_service_disable (empty)", "lines": 3 } ] }, { "name": "MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS", "lines": 1, "subsections": [ { "name": "config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "daemon_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "debugger_command (empty)", "lines": 3 }, { "name": "inet_interfaces (all)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "inet_protocols (see 'postconf -d output')", "lines": 3 }, { "name": "import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)", "lines": 3 }, { "name": "mail_owner (postfix)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "process_id (read-only)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "process_name (read-only)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "syslog_facility (mail)", "lines": 2 }, { "name": "syslog_name (see 'postconf -d' output)", "lines": 5 }, { "name": "service_name (read-only)", "lines": 4 }, { "name": "known_tcp_ports (lmtp=24, smtp=25, smtps=submissions=465, submission=587)", "lines": 2 } ] }, { "name": "FILES", "lines": 8, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "SEE ALSO", "lines": 7, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "LICENSE", "lines": 14, "subsections": [] } ], "sections": { "NAME": { "content": "master - Postfix master process\n", "subsections": [] }, "SYNOPSIS": { "content": "master [-Dditvw] [-c configdir] [-e exittime]\n", "subsections": [] }, "DESCRIPTION": { "content": "The master(8) daemon is the resident process that runs Postfix daemons on demand: daemons to\nsend or receive messages via the network, daemons to deliver mail locally, etc. These dae‐\nmons are created on demand up to a configurable maximum number per service.\n\nPostfix daemons terminate voluntarily, either after being idle for a configurable amount of\ntime, or after having serviced a configurable number of requests. Exceptions to this rule are\nthe resident queue manager, address verification server, and the TLS session cache and\npseudo-random number server.\n\nThe behavior of the master(8) daemon is controlled by the master.cf configuration file, as\ndescribed in master(5).\n\nOptions:\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "-c _", "content": "Read the main.cf and master.cf configuration files in the named directory instead of\nthe default configuration directory. This also overrides the configuration files for\nother Postfix daemon processes.\n", "flag": "-c" }, { "name": "-D", "content": "specified with the debuggercommand in the main.cf global configuration file.\n", "flag": "-D" }, { "name": "-d", "content": "ling terminal. This must be used for debugging only.\n", "flag": "-d" }, { "name": "-e _", "content": "Terminate the master process after exittime seconds. Child processes terminate at\ntheir convenience.\n", "flag": "-e" }, { "name": "-i -s", "content": "do not redirect stdout to /dev/null, so that \"maillogfile = /dev/stdout\" works. This\nmode is allowed only if the process ID equals 1.\n\nThis feature is available in Postfix 3.3 and later.\n", "flag": "-s" }, { "name": "-s", "content": "This feature is available in Postfix 3.4 and later.\n", "flag": "-s" }, { "name": "-t", "content": "when that file is not locked. This is evidence that the master(8) daemon is not run‐\nning.\n", "flag": "-t" }, { "name": "-v", "content": "processes. Multiple -v options make the software increasingly verbose.\n", "flag": "-v" }, { "name": "-w", "content": "background process. The dummy foreground process returns a zero exit status only if\nthe master daemon initialization is successful, and if it completes in a reasonable\namount of time.\n\nThis feature is available in Postfix 2.10 and later.\n\nSignals:\n\nSIGHUP Upon receipt of a HUP signal (e.g., after \"postfix reload\"), the master process\nre-reads its configuration files. If a service has been removed from the master.cf\nfile, its running processes are terminated immediately. Otherwise, running processes\nare allowed to terminate as soon as is convenient, so that changes in configuration\nsettings affect only new service requests.\n\nSIGTERM\nUpon receipt of a TERM signal (e.g., after \"postfix abort\"), the master process passes\nthe signal on to its child processes and terminates. This is useful for an emergency\nshutdown. Normally one would terminate only the master (\"postfix stop\") and allow run‐\nning processes to finish what they are doing.\n", "flag": "-w" } ] }, "DIAGNOSTICS": { "content": "Problems are reported to syslogd(8) or postlogd(8). The exit status is non-zero in case of\nproblems, including problems while initializing as a master daemon process in the background.\n", "subsections": [] }, "ENVIRONMENT": { "content": "MAILDEBUG\nAfter initialization, start a debugger as specified with the debuggercommand configu‐\nration parameter in the main.cf configuration file.\n\nMAILCONFIG\nDirectory with Postfix configuration files.\n", "subsections": [] }, "CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS": { "content": "Unlike most Postfix daemon processes, the master(8) server does not automatically pick up\nchanges to main.cf. Changes to master.cf are never picked up automatically. Use the \"postfix\nreload\" command after a configuration change.\n", "subsections": [] }, "RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS": { "content": "", "subsections": [ { "name": "default_process_limit (100)", "content": "The default maximal number of Postfix child processes that provide a given service.\n" }, { "name": "max_idle (100s)", "content": "The maximum amount of time that an idle Postfix daemon process waits for an incoming\nconnection before terminating voluntarily.\n" }, { "name": "max_use (100)", "content": "The maximal number of incoming connections that a Postfix daemon process will service\nbefore terminating voluntarily.\n" }, { "name": "service_throttle_time (60s)", "content": "How long the Postfix master(8) waits before forking a server that appears to be mal‐\nfunctioning.\n\nAvailable in Postfix version 2.6 and later:\n" }, { "name": "master_service_disable (empty)", "content": "Selectively disable master(8) listener ports by service type or by service name and\ntype.\n" } ] }, "MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS": { "content": "", "subsections": [ { "name": "config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)", "content": "The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf configuration files.\n" }, { "name": "daemon_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)", "content": "The directory with Postfix support programs and daemon programs.\n" }, { "name": "debugger_command (empty)", "content": "The external command to execute when a Postfix daemon program is invoked with the -D\noption.\n" }, { "name": "inet_interfaces (all)", "content": "The network interface addresses that this mail system receives mail on.\n" }, { "name": "inet_protocols (see 'postconf -d output')", "content": "The Internet protocols Postfix will attempt to use when making or accepting connec‐\ntions.\n" }, { "name": "import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)", "content": "The list of environment parameters that a privileged Postfix process will import from\na non-Postfix parent process, or name=value environment overrides.\n" }, { "name": "mail_owner (postfix)", "content": "The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue and most Postfix daemon processes.\n" }, { "name": "process_id (read-only)", "content": "The process ID of a Postfix command or daemon process.\n" }, { "name": "process_name (read-only)", "content": "The process name of a Postfix command or daemon process.\n" }, { "name": "queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)", "content": "The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.\n" }, { "name": "syslog_facility (mail)", "content": "The syslog facility of Postfix logging.\n" }, { "name": "syslog_name (see 'postconf -d' output)", "content": "A prefix that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that, for exam‐\nple, \"smtpd\" becomes \"prefix/smtpd\".\n\nAvailable in Postfix 3.3 and later:\n" }, { "name": "service_name (read-only)", "content": "The master.cf service name of a Postfix daemon process.\n\nAvailable in Postfix 3.6 and later:\n" }, { "name": "known_tcp_ports (lmtp=24, smtp=25, smtps=submissions=465, submission=587)", "content": "Optional setting that avoids lookups in the services(5) database.\n" } ] }, "FILES": { "content": "To expand the directory names below into their actual values, use the command \"postconf con‐\nfigdirectory\" etc.\n\n$configdirectory/main.cf, global configuration file.\n$configdirectory/master.cf, master server configuration file.\n$queuedirectory/pid/master.pid, master lock file.\n$datadirectory/master.lock, master lock file.\n", "subsections": [] }, "SEE ALSO": { "content": "qmgr(8), queue manager\nverify(8), address verification\nmaster(5), master.cf configuration file syntax\npostconf(5), main.cf configuration file syntax\npostlogd(8), Postfix logging\nsyslogd(8), system logging\n", "subsections": [] }, "LICENSE": { "content": "The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.\n\nAUTHOR(S)\nWietse Venema\nIBM T.J. Watson Research\nP.O. Box 704\nYorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA\n\nWietse Venema\nGoogle, Inc.\n111 8th Avenue\nNew York, NY 10011, USA\n\nMASTER(8postfix)", "subsections": [] } } } }