1POSTSUPER(1) General Commands Manual POSTSUPER(1)
2
6 postsuper - Postfix superintendent
7
9 postsuper [-psSv]
10 [-c config_dir] [-d queue_id]
11 [-e queue_id] [-f queue_id]
12 [-h queue_id] [-H queue_id]
13 [-r queue_id] [directory ...]
14
16 The postsuper(1) command does maintenance jobs on the Postfix queue.
17 Use of the command is restricted to the superuser. See the
18 postqueue(1) command for unprivileged queue operations such as listing
19 or flushing the mail queue.
20 By default, postsuper(1) performs the operations requested with the -s
22 and -p command-line options on all Postfix queue directories - this in‐
23 cludes the incoming, active, deferred, and hold directories with mes‐
24 sage files and the bounce, defer, trace and flush directories with log
25 files.
26 Options:
28 -c config_dir
30 The main.cf configuration file is in the named directory instead
31 of the default configuration directory. See also the MAIL_CONFIG
32 environment setting below.
33 -d queue_id
35 Delete one message with the named queue ID from the named mail
36 queue(s) (default: hold, incoming, active and deferred).
37 To delete multiple files, specify the -d option multiple times,
39 or specify a queue_id of - to read queue IDs from standard in‐
40 put. For example, to delete all mail with exactly one recipient
41 user@example.com:
42 postqueue -j | jq -r '
44 # See JSON OBJECT FORMAT section in the postqueue(1) manpage
45 select(.recipients[0].address == "user@example.com")
46 | select(.recipients[1].address == null)
47 | .queue_id
48 ' | postsuper -d -
49 (note the "jq -r" option), or the historical form:
51 mailq | tail -n +2 | grep -v '^ *(' | awk 'BEGIN { RS = "" }
53 # $7=sender, $8=recipient1, $9=recipient2
54 { if ($8 == "user@example.com" && $9 == "")
55 print $1 }
56 ' | tr -d '*!' | postsuper -d -
57 Specify "-d ALL" to remove all messages; for example, specify
59 "-d ALL deferred" to delete all mail in the deferred queue. As
60 a safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.
61 Warning: Postfix queue IDs are reused (always with Postfix <=
63 2.8; and with Postfix >= 2.9 when enable_long_queue_ids=no).
64 There is a very small possibility that postsuper deletes the
65 wrong message file when it is executed while the Postfix mail
66 system is delivering mail.
67 The scenario is as follows:
69 1) The Postfix queue manager deletes the message that post‐
71 super(1) is asked to delete, because Postfix is finished
72 with the message (it is delivered, or it is returned to
73 the sender).
74 2) New mail arrives, and the new message is given the same
76 queue ID as the message that postsuper(1) is supposed to
77 delete. The probability for reusing a deleted queue ID
78 is about 1 in 2**15 (the number of different microsecond
79 values that the system clock can distinguish within a
80 second).
81 3) postsuper(1) deletes the new message, instead of the old
83 message that it should have deleted.
84 -e queue_id
86 -f queue_id
88 Request forced expiration for one message with the named queue
89 ID in the named mail queue(s) (default: hold, incoming, active
90 and deferred).
91 • The message will be returned to the sender when the queue
93 manager attempts to deliver that message (note that Post‐
94 fix will never deliver messages in the hold queue).
95 • The -e and -f options both request forced expiration. The
97 difference is that -f will also release a message if it
98 is in the hold queue. With -e, such a message would not
99 be returned to the sender until it is released with -f or
100 -H.
101 • When a deferred message is force-expired, the return mes‐
103 sage will state the reason for the delay. Otherwise, the
104 reason will be "message is administratively expired".
105 To expire multiple files, specify the -e or -f option multiple
107 times, or specify a queue_id of - to read queue IDs from stan‐
108 dard input (see the -d option above for an example, but be sure
109 to replace -d in the example).
110 Specify "-e ALL" or "-f ALL" to expire all messages; for exam‐
112 ple, specify "-e ALL deferred" to expire all mail in the de‐
113 ferred queue. As a safety measure, the word ALL must be speci‐
114 fied in upper case.
115 These features are available in Postfix 3.5 and later.
117 -h queue_id
119 Put mail "on hold" so that no attempt is made to deliver it.
120 Move one message with the named queue ID from the named mail
121 queue(s) (default: incoming, active and deferred) to the hold
122 queue.
123 To hold multiple files, specify the -h option multiple times, or
125 specify a queue_id of - to read queue IDs from standard input.
126 Specify "-h ALL" to hold all messages; for example, specify "-h
128 ALL deferred" to hold all mail in the deferred queue. As a
129 safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.
130 Note: while mail is "on hold" it will not expire when its time
132 in the queue exceeds the maximal_queue_lifetime or
133 bounce_queue_lifetime setting. It becomes subject to expiration
134 after it is released from "hold".
135 This feature is available in Postfix 2.0 and later.
137 -H queue_id
139 Release mail that was put "on hold". Move one message with the
140 named queue ID from the named mail queue(s) (default: hold) to
141 the deferred queue.
142 To release multiple files, specify the -H option multiple times,
144 or specify a queue_id of - to read queue IDs from standard in‐
145 put.
146 Note: specify "postsuper -r" to release mail that was kept on
148 hold for a significant fraction of $maximal_queue_lifetime or
149 $bounce_queue_lifetime, or longer.
150 Specify "-H ALL" to release all mail that is "on hold". As a
152 safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.
153 This feature is available in Postfix 2.0 and later.
155 -p Purge old temporary files that are left over after system or
157 software crashes. The -p, -s, and -S operations are done before
158 other operations.
159 -r queue_id
161 Requeue the message with the named queue ID from the named mail
162 queue(s) (default: hold, incoming, active and deferred).
163 To requeue multiple files, specify the -r option multiple times,
165 or specify a queue_id of - to read queue IDs from standard in‐
166 put.
167 Specify "-r ALL" to requeue all messages. As a safety measure,
169 the word ALL must be specified in upper case.
170 A requeued message is moved to the maildrop queue, from where it
172 is copied by the pickup(8) and cleanup(8) daemons to a new queue
173 file. In many respects its handling differs from that of a new
174 local submission.
175 • The message is not subjected to the smtpd_milters or
177 non_smtpd_milters settings. When mail has passed through
178 an external content filter, this would produce incorrect
179 results with Milter applications that depend on original
180 SMTP connection state information.
181 • The message is subjected again to mail address rewriting
183 and substitution. This is useful when rewriting rules or
184 virtual mappings have changed.
185 The address rewriting context (local or remote) is the
187 same as when the message was received.
188 • The message is subjected to the same content_filter set‐
190 tings (if any) as used for new local mail submissions.
191 This is useful when content_filter settings have changed.
192 Warning: Postfix queue IDs are reused (always with Postfix <=
194 2.8; and with Postfix >= 2.9 when enable_long_queue_ids=no).
195 There is a very small possibility that postsuper(1) requeues the
196 wrong message file when it is executed while the Postfix mail
197 system is running, but no harm should be done.
198 This feature is available in Postfix 1.1 and later.
200 -s Structure check and structure repair. This should be done once
202 before Postfix startup. The -p, -s, and -S operations are done
203 before other operations.
204 • Rename files whose name does not match the message file
206 inode number. This operation is necessary after restoring
207 a mail queue from a different machine or from backup,
208 when queue files were created with Postfix <= 2.8 or with
209 "enable_long_queue_ids = no".
210 • Move queue files that are in the wrong place in the file
212 system hierarchy and remove subdirectories that are no
213 longer needed. File position rearrangements are neces‐
214 sary after a change in the hash_queue_names and/or
215 hash_queue_depth configuration parameters.
216 • Rename queue files created with "enable_long_queue_ids =
218 yes" to short names, for migration to Postfix <= 2.8.
219 The procedure is as follows:
220 # postfix stop
222 # postconf enable_long_queue_ids=no
223 # postsuper
224 Run postsuper(1) repeatedly until it stops reporting file
226 name changes.
227 -S A redundant version of -s that requires that long file names
229 also match the message file inode number. This option exists for
230 testing purposes, and is available with Postfix 2.9 and later.
231 The -p, -s, and -S operations are done before other operations.
232 -v Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Multiple -v op‐
234 tions make the software increasingly verbose.
235
237 Problems are reported to the standard error stream and to syslogd(8) or
238 postlogd(8).
239 postsuper(1) reports the number of messages deleted with -d, the number
241 of messages expired with -e, the number of messages expired or released
242 with -f, the number of messages held or released with -h or -H, the
243 number of messages requeued with -r, and the number of messages whose
244 queue file name was fixed with -s. The report is written to the stan‐
245 dard error stream and to syslogd(8) or postlogd(8).
246
248 MAIL_CONFIG
249 Directory with the main.cf file.
250
252 Mail that is not sanitized by Postfix (i.e. mail in the maildrop queue)
253 cannot be placed "on hold".
254
256 The following main.cf parameters are especially relevant to this pro‐
257 gram. The text below provides only a parameter summary. See post‐
258 conf(5) for more details including examples.
259 config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
261 The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf con‐
262 figuration files.
263 hash_queue_depth (1)
265 The number of subdirectory levels for queue directories listed
266 with the hash_queue_names parameter.
267 hash_queue_names (deferred, defer)
269 The names of queue directories that are split across multiple
270 subdirectory levels.
271 import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)
273 The list of environment parameters that a privileged Postfix
274 process will import from a non-Postfix parent process, or
275 name=value environment overrides.
276 queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
278 The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.
279 syslog_facility (mail)
281 The syslog facility of Postfix logging.
282 syslog_name (see 'postconf -d' output)
284 A prefix that is prepended to the process name in syslog
285 records, so that, for example, "smtpd" becomes "prefix/smtpd".
286 Available in Postfix version 2.9 and later:
288 enable_long_queue_ids (no)
290 Enable long, non-repeating, queue IDs (queue file names).
291
293 sendmail(1), Sendmail-compatible user interface
294 postqueue(1), unprivileged queue operations
295 postlogd(8), Postfix logging
296 syslogd(8), system logging
297
299 The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.
300
302 Wietse Venema
303 IBM T.J. Watson Research
304 P.O. Box 704
305 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
306 Wietse Venema
308 Google, Inc.
309 111 8th Avenue
310 New York, NY 10011, USA
311 POSTSUPER(1)