.TH MASTER 8 .ad .fi .SH NAME master \- Postfix master process .SH "SYNOPSIS" .na .nf .fi \fBmaster\fR [\fB-Dtv\fR] [\fB-c \fIconfig_dir\fR] [\fB-e \fIexit_time\fR] .SH DESCRIPTION .ad .fi The \fBmaster\fR 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 manager and the resident address verification server. The behavior of the \fBmaster\fR daemon is controlled by the \fBmaster.cf\fR configuration file. The table specifies zero or more servers in the \fBUNIX\fR or \fBINET\fR domain, or servers that take requests from a FIFO. Precise configuration details are given in the \fBmaster.cf\fR file, and in the manual pages of the respective daemons. Options: .IP "\fB-c \fIconfig_dir\fR" Read the \fBmain.cf\fR and \fBmaster.cf\fR configuration files in the named directory instead of the default configuration directory. .IP "\fB-e \fIexit_time\fR" Terminate the master process after \fIexit_time\fR seconds. Child processes terminate at their convenience. .IP \fB-D\fR After initialization, run a debugger on the master process. The debugging command is specified with the \fBdebugger_command\fR in the \fBmain.cf\fR global configuration file. .IP \fB-t\fR Test mode. Return a zero exit status when the \fBmaster.pid\fR lock file does not exist or when that file is not locked. This is evidence that the \fBmaster\fR daemon is not running. .IP \fB-v\fR Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. This option is passed on to child processes. Multiple \fB-v\fR options make the software increasingly verbose. .PP Signals: .IP \fBSIGHUP\fR Upon receipt of a \fBHUP\fR signal (e.g., after \fBpostfix reload\fR), the master process re-reads its configuration files. If a service has been removed from the \fBmaster.cf\fR 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. .IP \fBSIGTERM\fR Upon receipt of a \fBTERM\fR signal (e.g., after \fBpostfix abort\fR), 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 (\fBpostfix stop\fR) and allow running processes to finish what they are doing. .SH DIAGNOSTICS .ad .fi Problems are reported to \fBsyslogd\fR(8). .SH "ENVIRONMENT" .na .nf .ad .fi .IP \fBMAIL_DEBUG\fR After initialization, start a debugger as specified with the \fBdebugger_command\fR configuration parameter in the \fBmain.cf\fR configuration file. .IP \fBMAIL_CONFIG\fR Directory with Postfix configuration files. .SH "CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS" .na .nf .ad .fi Unlike most Postfix daemon processes, the master(8) server does not automatically pick up changes to \fBmain.cf\fR. Changes to \fBmaster.cf\fR are never picked up automatically. Use the \fBpostfix reload\fR command after a configuration change. .SH "RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS" .na .nf .ad .fi .IP "\fBdaemon_timeout (18000s)\fR" How much time a Postfix daemon process may take to handle a request before it is terminated by a built-in watchdog timer. .IP "\fBdefault_process_limit (100)\fR" The default maximal number of Postfix child processes that provide a given service. .IP "\fBmax_idle (100s)\fR" The maximum amount of time that an idle Postfix daemon process waits for the next service request before exiting. .IP "\fBmax_use (100)\fR" The maximal number of connection requests before a Postfix daemon process terminates. .IP "\fBservice_throttle_time (60s)\fR" How long the Postfix master(8) waits before forking a server that appears to be malfunctioning. .SH "MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS" .na .nf .ad .fi .IP "\fBconfig_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR" The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf configuration files. .IP "\fBdaemon_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR" The directory with Postfix support programs and daemon programs. .IP "\fBdebugger_command (empty)\fR" The external command to execute when a Postfix daemon program is invoked with the -D option. .IP "\fBinet_interfaces (all)\fR" The network interface addresses that this mail system receives mail on. .IP "\fBimport_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR" The list of environment parameters that a Postfix process will import from a non-Postfix parent process. .IP "\fBmail_owner (postfix)\fR" The UNIX system account that owns the Postfix queue and most Postfix daemon processes. .IP "\fBprocess_id (read-only)\fR" The process ID of a Postfix command or daemon process. .IP "\fBprocess_name (read-only)\fR" The process name of a Postfix command or daemon process. .IP "\fBqueue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)\fR" The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory. .IP "\fBsyslog_facility (mail)\fR" The syslog facility of Postfix logging. .IP "\fBsyslog_name (postfix)\fR" The mail system name that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that "smtpd" becomes, for example, "postfix/smtpd". .SH "FILES" .na .nf /etc/postfix/main.cf, global configuration file. /etc/postfix/master.cf, master server configuration file. /var/spool/postfix/pid/master.pid, master lock file. .SH "SEE ALSO" .na .nf qmgr(8), queue manager verify(8), address verification postconf(5), configuration parameters syslogd(8), system logging .SH "LICENSE" .na .nf .ad .fi The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software. .SH "AUTHOR(S)" .na .nf Wietse Venema IBM T.J. Watson Research P.O. Box 704 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA