#++ # NAME # aliases 5 # SUMMARY # format of the Postfix alias database # SYNOPSIS # .fi # \fBnewaliases\fR # DESCRIPTION # The \fBaliases\fR table provides a system-wide mechanism to # redirect mail for local recipients. The redirections are # processed by the Postfix \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent. # # Normally, the \fBaliases\fR table is specified as a text file # that serves as input to the \fBpostalias\fR(1) command. The # result, an indexed file in \fBdbm\fR or \fBdb\fR format, is # used for fast lookup by the mail system. Execute the command # \fBnewaliases\fR in order to rebuild the indexed file after # changing the Postfix alias database. # # The input and output file formats are expected to be compatible # with Sendmail version 8, and are expected to be suitable for the # use as NIS maps. # # Users can control delivery of their own mail by setting # up \fB.forward\fR files in their home directory. # Lines in per-user \fB.forward\fR files have the same syntax # as the right-hand side of \fBaliases\fR entries. # # The format of the alias database input file is as follows: # .IP \(bu # An alias definition has the form # .sp # .ti +5 # \fIname\fR: \fIvalue1\fR, \fIvalue2\fR, \fI...\fR # .IP \(bu # Empty lines and whitespace-only lines are ignored, as # are lines whose first non-whitespace character is a `#'. # .IP \(bu # A logical line starts with non-whitespace text. A line that # starts with whitespace continues a logical line. # .PP # The \fIname\fR is a local address (no domain part). # Use double quotes when the name contains any special characters # such as whitespace, `#', `:', or `@'. The \fIname\fR is folded to # lowercase, in order to make database lookups case insensitive. # .PP # In addition, when an alias exists for \fBowner-\fIname\fR, delivery # diagnostics are directed to that address, instead of to the originator. # This is typically used to direct delivery errors to the owner of # a mailing list, who is in a better position to deal with mailing # list delivery problems than the originator of the undelivered mail. # .PP # The \fIvalue\fR contains one or more of the following: # .IP \fIaddress\fR # Mail is forwarded to \fIaddress\fR, which is compatible # with the RFC 822 standard. # .IP \fI/file/name\fR # Mail is appended to \fI/file/name\fR. See \fBlocal\fR(8) # for details of delivery to file. # Delivery is not limited to regular files. For example, to dispose # of unwanted mail, deflect it to \fB/dev/null\fR. # .IP "|\fIcommand\fR" # Mail is piped into \fIcommand\fR. Commands that contain special # characters, such as whitespace, should be enclosed between double # quotes. See \fBlocal\fR(8) for details of delivery to command. # .sp # When the command fails, a limited amount of command output is # mailed back to the sender. The file \fB/usr/include/sysexits.h\fR # defines the expected exit status codes. For example, use # \fB|"exit 67"\fR to simulate a "user unknown" error, and # \fB|"exit 0"\fR to implement an expensive black hole. # .IP \fB:include:\fI/file/name\fR # Mail is sent to the destinations listed in the named file. # Lines in \fB:include:\fR files have the same syntax # as the right-hand side of alias entries. # .sp # A destination can be any destination that is described in this # manual page. However, delivery to "|\fIcommand\fR" and # \fI/file/name\fR is disallowed by default. To enable, edit the # \fBallow_mail_to_commands\fR and \fBallow_mail_to_files\fR # configuration parameters. # ADDRESS EXTENSION # .ad # .fi # When alias database search fails, and the recipient localpart # contains the optional recipient delimiter (e.g., \fIuser+foo\fR), # the search is repeated for the unextended address (e.g., \fIuser\fR). # CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS # .ad # .fi # The following \fBmain.cf\fR parameters are especially relevant to # this topic. See the Postfix \fBmain.cf\fR file for syntax details # and for default values. Use the \fBpostfix reload\fR command after # a configuration change. # .IP \fBalias_maps\fR # List of alias databases. # .IP \fBallow_mail_to_commands\fR # Restrict the usage of mail delivery to external command. # .IP \fBallow_mail_to_files\fR # Restrict the usage of mail delivery to external file. # .IP \fBexpand_owner_alias\fR # When delivering to an alias that has an \fBowner-\fR companion alias, # set the envelope sender address to the right-hand side of the # owner alias, instead using of the left-hand side address. # .IP \fBowner_request_special\fR # Give special treatment to \fBowner-\fIxxx\fR and \fIxxx\fB-request\fR # addresses. # .IP \fBrecipient_delimiter\fR # Delimiter that separates recipients from address extensions. # BUGS # Regular expression alias lookup tables are allowed, but # substitution of $1 etc. is forbidden because that would # open a security loophole. # STANDARDS # RFC 822 (ARPA Internet Text Messages) # SEE ALSO # local(8) local delivery agent # newaliases(1) alias database management # regexp_table(5) POSIX regular expression table format # pcre_table(5) Perl Compatible Regular Expression table format # LICENSE # .ad # .fi # 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 #--