master(8) - NetBSD Manual Pages

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MASTER(8)                                               MASTER(8)



NAME

       master - Postfix master process


SYNOPSIS

       master [-c config_dir] [-D] [-t] [-v]


DESCRIPTION

       The  master 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 master daemon  is  controlled  by  the
       master.cf  configuration file. The table specifies zero or
       more servers in the UNIX or INET domain, or  servers  that
       take  requests  from a FIFO. Precise configuration details
       are given in the master.cf file, and in the  manual  pages
       of the respective daemons.

       Options:

       -c config_dir
              Read  the main.cf and master.cf configuration files
              in the named directory.

       -D     After initialization, run a debugger on the  master
              process.  The  debugging  command is specified with
              the debugger_command in the main.cf global configu-
              ration file.

       -t     Test  mode. Return a zero exit status when the mas-
              ter.pid lock file does not exist or when that  file
              is  not  locked.   This is evidence that the master
              daemon is not running.

       -v     Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. This
              option is passed on to child processes. Multiple -v
              options make the software increasingly verbose.

       Signals:

       SIGHUP Upon receipt of a HUP signal (e.g.,  after  postfix
              reload), the master process re-reads its configura-
              tion files. If a service has been removed from  the
              master.cf  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



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MASTER(8)                                               MASTER(8)


              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  ter-
              minate  only  the  master  (postfix stop) and allow
              running processes to finish what they are doing.


DIAGNOSTICS

       Problems are reported to syslogd(8).


BUGS


ENVIRONMENT

       MAIL_DEBUG
              After initialization, start a debugger as specified
              with  the  debugger_command configuration parameter
              in the main.cf configuration file.

       MAIL_CONFIG
              Directory with Postfix configuration files.


CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS

       The following main.cf parameters are  especially  relevant
       to  this  program. See the Postfix main.cf file for syntax
       details and for default values.  Use  the  postfix  reload
       command after a configuration change.

Miscellaneous
       mail_owner
              The  owner  of  the  mail queue and of most Postfix
              processes.

       command_directory
              Directory with Postfix support programs.

       daemon_directory
              Directory with Postfix daemon programs.

       queue_directory
              Top-level directory of the Postfix queue.  This  is
              also the root directory of Postfix daemons that run
              chrooted.

Resource controls
       default_process_limit
              Default limit for the number of simultaneous  child
              processes that provide a given service.

       max_idle
              Limit  the  time  in  seconds  that a child process
              waits between service requests.




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MASTER(8)                                               MASTER(8)


       max_use
              Limit the number of service requests handled  by  a
              child process.

       service_throttle_time
              Time  to  avoid forking a server that appears to be
              broken.


FILES

       /etc/postfix/main.cf: global configuration file.
       /etc/postfix/master.cf: master process configuration file.
       /var/spool/postfix/pid/master.pid: master lock file.


SEE ALSO

       qmgr(8) queue manager
       pickup(8) local mail pickup
       syslogd(8) system logging


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






























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