MASTER(8) MASTER(8)
NAME
master - Postfix master process
SYNOPSIS
master [-Dtv] [-c config_dir] [-e exit_time]
DESCRIPTION
The master daemon is the resident process that runs Postfix 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. Exceptions to this rule are the resident queue man- ager and the resident address verification server. The behavior of the master daemon is controlled by the master.cf con- figuration file. The table specifies zero or more servers in the UNIX or INET domain, or servers that take requests from a FIFO. Precise con- figuration 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 instead of the default configuration directory. -e exit_time Terminate the master process after exit_time seconds. Child pro- cesses terminate at their convenience. -D After initialization, run a debugger on the master process. The debugging command is specified with the debugger_command in the main.cf global configuration file. -t Test mode. Return a zero exit status when the master.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 soft- ware increasingly verbose. 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 running processes to finish what they are doing.
DIAGNOSTICS
Problems are reported to syslogd(8).
ENVIRONMENT
MAIL_DEBUG After initialization, start a debugger as specified with the debugger_command configuration parameter in the main.cf configu- ration file. MAIL_CONFIG Directory with Postfix configuration files.
CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
Unlike most Postfix daemon processes, the master(8) server does not automatically pick up changes to main.cf. Changes to master.cf are never picked up automatically. Use the postfix reload command after a configuration change.
RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS
daemon_timeout (18000s) How much time a Postfix daemon process may take to handle a request before it is terminated by a built-in watchdog timer. default_process_limit (100) The default maximal number of Postfix child processes that pro- vide a given service. max_idle (100s) The maximum amount of time that an idle Postfix daemon process waits for the next service request before exiting. max_use (100) The maximal number of connection requests before a Postfix dae- mon process terminates. service_throttle_time (60s) How long the Postfix master(8) waits before forking a server that appears to be malfunctioning.
MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS
config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output) The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf con- figuration files. daemon_directory (see 'postconf -d' output) The directory with Postfix support programs and daemon programs. debugger_command (empty) The external command to execute when a Postfix daemon program is invoked with the -D option. inet_interfaces (all) The network interface addresses that this mail system receives mail on. import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output) The list of environment parameters that a Postfix process will import from a non-Postfix parent process. mail_owner (postfix) The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue and most Postfix daemon processes. process_id (read-only) The process ID of a Postfix command or daemon process. process_name (read-only) The process name of a Postfix command or daemon process. queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output) The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory. 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, "post- fix/smtpd".
FILES
/etc/postfix/main.cf, global configuration file. /etc/postfix/master.cf, master server configuration file. /var/spool/postfix/pid/master.pid, master lock file.
SEE ALSO
qmgr(8), queue manager verify(8), address verification postconf(5), configuration parameters 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 MASTER(8)
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