The postsuper(1) command does maintenance jobs on the Postfix
queue. Use of the command is restricted to the superuser.
See the postqueue(1) command for unprivileged queue operations
such as listing or flushing the mail queue.
By default, postsuper(1) performs the operations
requested with the
-s and -p command-line options on all Postfix queue
directories - this includes the incoming, active and
deferred directories with mail files and the bounce,
defer, trace and flush directories with log files.
Options:
-c config_dir
The main.cf configuration file is in the named directory
instead of the default configuration directory. See also the
MAIL_CONFIG environment setting below.
-d queue_id
Delete one message with the named queue ID from the named
mail queue(s) (default: hold, incoming, active and
deferred).
If a queue_id of - is specified, the program reads
queue IDs from standard input. For example, to delete all mail
with exactly one recipient [email protected]:
Specify -d ALL to remove all messages; for example, specify
-d ALL deferred to delete mail in the deferred queue.
As a safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper
case.
Warning: Postfix queue IDs are reused.
There is a very small possibility that postsuper deletes the
wrong message file when it is executed while the Postfix mail
system is delivering mail.
The scenario is as follows:
1)
The Postfix queue manager deletes the message that postsuper(1)
is asked to delete, because Postfix is finished with the
message (it is delivered, or it is returned to the sender).
2)
New mail arrives, and the new message is given the same queue ID
as the message that postsuper(1) is supposed to delete.
The probability for reusing a deleted queue ID is about 1 in 2**15
(the number of different microsecond values that the system clock
can distinguish within a second).
3)
postsuper(1) deletes the new message, instead of the old
message that it should have deleted.
-h queue_id
Put mail "on hold" so that no attempt is made to deliver it.
Move one message with the named queue ID from the named
mail queue(s) (default: incoming, active and
deferred) to the hold queue.
If a queue_id of - is specified, the program reads
queue IDs from standard input.
Specify -h ALL to hold all messages; for example, specify
-h ALL deferred to hold mail in the deferred queue.
As a safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper
case.
Note: while mail is "on hold" it will not expire when its
time in the queue exceeds the maximal_queue_lifetime
or bounce_queue_lifetime setting. It becomes subject to
expiration after it is released from "hold".
-H queue_id
Release mail that was put "on hold".
Move one message with the named queue ID from the named
mail queue(s) (default: hold) to the deferred queue.
If a queue_id of - is specified, the program reads
queue IDs from standard input.
Note: use "postsuper -r" to release mail that was kept on
hold for a significant fraction of $maximal_queue_lifetime
or $bounce_queue_lifetime, or longer.
Specify -H ALL to release all mail that is "on hold".
As a safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper
case.
-p
Purge old temporary files that are left over after system or
software crashes.
-r queue_id
Requeue the message with the named queue ID from the named
mail queue(s) (default: hold, incoming, active and
deferred).
To requeue multiple messages, specify multiple -r
command-line options.
Alternatively, if a queue_id of - is specified,
the program reads queue IDs from standard input.
Specify -r ALL to requeue all messages. As a safety
measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.
A requeued message is moved to the maildrop queue,
from where it is copied by the pickup(8) and
cleanup(8) daemons to a new queue file. In many
respects its handling differs from that of a new local
submission.
*
The message is not subjected to the smtpd_milters or
non_smtpd_milters settings. When mail has passed through
an external content filter, this would produce incorrect
results with Milter applications that depend on original
SMTP connection state information.
*
The message is subjected again to mail address rewriting
and substitution. This is useful when rewriting rules or
virtual mappings have changed.
The address rewriting context (local or remote) is the same
as when the message was received.
*
The message is subjected to the same content_filter settings
(if any) as used for new local mail submissions. This is
useful when content_filter settings have changed.
Warning: Postfix queue IDs are reused.
There is a very small possibility that postsuper(1) requeues
the wrong message file when it is executed while the Postfix mail
system is running, but no harm should be done.
-s
Structure check and structure repair. This should be done once
before Postfix startup.
*
Rename files whose name does not match the message file inode
number. This operation is necessary after restoring a mail queue
from a different machine, or from backup media.
*
Move queue files that are in the wrong place in the file system
hierarchy and remove subdirectories that are no longer needed.
File position rearrangements are necessary after a change in the
hash_queue_names and/or hash_queue_depth
configuration parameters.
-v
Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Multiple -v
options make the software increasingly verbose.
DIAGNOSTICS
Problems are reported to the standard error stream and to
syslogd(8).
postsuper(1) reports the number of messages deleted with -d,
the number of messages requeued with -r, and the number of
messages whose queue file name was fixed with -s. The report
is written to the standard error stream and to syslogd(8).
ENVIRONMENT
MAIL_CONFIG
Directory with the main.cf file.
BUGS
Mail that is not sanitized by Postfix (i.e. mail in the maildrop
queue) cannot be placed "on hold".
CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
The following main.cf parameters are especially relevant to
this program.
The text below provides only a parameter summary. See
postconf(5) for more details including examples.
config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf
configuration files.
hash_queue_depth (1)
The number of subdirectory levels for queue directories listed with
the hash_queue_names parameter.
hash_queue_names (deferred, defer)
The names of queue directories that are split across multiple
subdirectory levels.
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, "postfix/smtpd".
SEE ALSO
sendmail(1), Sendmail-compatible user interface
postqueue(1), unprivileged queue operations
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
