Postfix manual - postsuper(1)

    POSTSUPER(1)                                                      POSTSUPER(1)

    NAME
           postsuper - Postfix superintendent

    SYNOPSIS
           postsuper [-psSv]
                   [-c config_dir] [-d queue_id]
                   [-e queue_id] [-f queue_id]
                   [-h queue_id] [-H queue_id]
                   [-r queue_id] [directory ...]

    DESCRIPTION
           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, deferred, and hold directories with mes-
           sage  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).

                  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 recipi-
                  ent user@example.com:

                  postqueue -j | jq -r '
                      # See JSON OBJECT FORMAT section in the postqueue(1) manpage
                      select(.recipients[0].address == "user@example.com")
                      | select(.recipients[1].address == null)
                      | .queue_id
                   ' | postsuper -d -

                  (note the "jq -r" option), or the historical form:

                  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 post-
                         super(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  short  queue  ID
                         depends on the number of distinct 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.

           -e queue_id

           -f queue_id
                  Request  forced  expiration for one message with the named queue
                  ID in the named mail queue(s) (default: hold,  incoming,  active
                  and deferred).

                  o      The message will be returned to the sender when the queue
                         manager attempts to deliver that message (note that Post-
                         fix will never deliver messages in the hold queue).

                  o      The -e and -f options both request forced expiration. The
                         difference is that -f will also release a message  if  it
                         is  in  the hold queue. With -e, such a message would not
                         be returned to the sender until it is released with -f or
                         -H.

                  o      When a deferred message is force-expired, the return mes-
                         sage will state the reason for the delay. Otherwise,  the
                         reason will be "message is administratively expired".

                  To  expire  multiple files, specify the -e or -f option multiple
                  times, or specify a queue_id of - to read queue IDs  from  stan-
                  dard  input (see the -d option above for an example, but be sure
                  to replace -d in the example).

                  Specify "-e ALL" or "-f ALL" to expire all messages;  for  exam-
                  ple,  specify  "-e  ALL  deferred"  to  expire  all  mail in the
                  deferred queue.  As a safety measure, the word ALL must be spec-
                  ified in upper case.

                  These features are available in Postfix 3.5 and later.

           -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.

                  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.

           -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.

                  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.

           -p     Purge  old  temporary  files  that are left over after system or
                  software crashes.  The -p, -s, and -S operations are done before
                  other operations.

           -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 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.

                  o      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.

                  o      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.

                  o      The  message is subjected to the same content_filter set-
                         tings (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.

           -s     Structure check and structure repair.  This should be done  once
                  before  Postfix startup.  The -p, -s, and -S operations are done
                  before other operations.

                  o      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".

                  o      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  neces-
                         sary  after  a  change  in  the  hash_queue_names  and/or
                         hash_queue_depth configuration parameters.

                  o      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.

           -S     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.
                  The -p, -s, and -S operations are done before other  operations.

           -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) or
           postlogd(8).

           postsuper(1) reports the number of messages deleted with -d, the number
           of messages expired with -e, the number of messages expired or released
           with  -f,  the  number  of messages held or released with -h or -H, 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 stan-
           dard error stream and to syslogd(8) or postlogd(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 pro-
           gram.  The text below provides only  a  parameter  summary.  See  post-
           conf(5) for more details including examples.

           config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  The  default  location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf con-
                  figuration 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.

           import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  The list of environment  variables  that  a  privileged  Postfix
                  process  will  import  from  a  non-Postfix  parent  process, or
                  name=value environment overrides.

           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 (see 'postconf -d' output)
                  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_queue_ids (no)
                  Enable long, non-repeating, queue IDs (queue file names).

    SEE ALSO
           sendmail(1), Sendmail-compatible user interface
           postqueue(1), unprivileged queue operations
           postlogd(8), Postfix logging
           syslogd(8), system logging

    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

           Wietse Venema
           Google, Inc.
           111 8th Avenue
           New York, NY 10011, USA

                                                                      POSTSUPER(1)