POSTSUPER(1) General Commands Manual POSTSUPER(1)

postsuper - Postfix superintendent



postsuper [-psSv] [-c config_dir]
    [-d queue_id]
  

   [-h queue_id] [-H queue_id]
  

   [-r queue_id] [directory ...]








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:



  

  
The main.cf configuration file is in the named directory instead of
      the default configuration directory. See also the MAIL_CONFIG environment
      setting below.

  

  
Delete one message with the named queue ID from the named mail queue(s)
      (default: hold, incoming, active and
      deferred).
    
To delete multiple files, specify the -d option
        multiple times, or specify a queue_id of - to read queue
        IDs from standard input. For example, to delete all mail with exactly
        one recipient user@example.com:

    

    
mailq | tail -n +2 | grep -v '^ *(' | awk  'BEGIN { RS = "" }
    # $7=sender, $8=recipient1, $9=recipient2
    { if ($8 == "user@example.com" && $9 == "")
          print $1 }
 ' | tr -d '*!' | postsuper -d -

    
Specify "-d ALL" to remove all messages; for
        example, specify "-d ALL deferred" to delete all mail
        in the deferred queue. As a safety measure, the word ALL
        must be specified in upper case.

    
Warning: Postfix queue IDs are reused (always with Postfix
        <= 2.8; and with Postfix >= 2.9 when enable_long_queue_ids=no).
        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.







  

  
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.
    
To hold multiple files, specify the -h option multiple
        times, or specify a queue_id of - to read queue IDs from
        standard input.

    
Specify "-h ALL" to hold all messages; for
        example, specify "-h ALL deferred" to hold all 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".

    
This feature is available in Postfix 2.0 and later.

  

  

  
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.
    
To release multiple files, specify the -H option
        multiple times, or specify a queue_id of - to read queue
        IDs from standard input.

    
Note: specify "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.

    
This feature is available in Postfix 2.0 and later.

  

  

  
Purge old temporary files that are left over after system or software
      crashes.

  

  
Requeue the message with the named queue ID from the named mail queue(s)
      (default: hold, incoming, active and
      deferred).
    
To requeue multiple files, specify the -r option
        multiple times, or specify a queue_id of - to read 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 (always with Postfix <= 2.8; and
      with Postfix >= 2.9 when enable_long_queue_ids=no). 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.
    
This feature is available in Postfix 1.1 and later.

  

  

  
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, when queue files were created with Postfix <=
      2.8 or with "enable_long_queue_ids = no".
    • 
  
  • 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.
    • 
  
  • Rename queue files created with "enable_long_queue_ids = yes" to
      short names, for migration to Postfix <= 2.8. The procedure is as
      follows:
    
    
    
    # postfix stop
# postconf enable_long_queue_ids=no
# postsuper
    
    
    Run postsuper(1) repeatedly until it stops reporting
        file name changes.
    
  
    • 






  

  
A redundant version of -s that requires that long file names also
      match the message file inode number. This option exists for testing
      purposes, and is available with Postfix 2.9 and later.

  

  
Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Multiple -v options
      make the software increasingly verbose.












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).











  

  
Directory with the main.cf file.










Mail that is not sanitized by Postfix (i.e. mail in the
    maildrop queue) cannot be placed "on hold".










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.



  

  
The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf configuration
      files.

  

  
The number of subdirectory levels for queue directories listed with the
      hash_queue_names parameter.

  

  
The names of queue directories that are split across multiple subdirectory
      levels.

  

  
The list of environment parameters that a privileged Postfix process will
      import from a non-Postfix parent process, or name=value environment
      overrides.

  

  
The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.

  

  
The syslog facility of Postfix logging.

  

  
A prefix that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that,
      for example, "smtpd" becomes "prefix/smtpd".




Available in Postfix version 2.9 and later:



  

  
Enable long, non-repeating, queue IDs (queue file names).










sendmail(1), Sendmail-compatible user interface
postqueue(1), unprivileged queue operations










The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this
  software.








Wietse Venema
IBM T.J. Watson Research
P.O. Box 704
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
Wietse Venema
Google, Inc.
111 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10011, USA