Difference between revisions of "Postfix"
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==About== | ==About== | ||
| − | [[category:software]][[Postfix]] is an [[open-source]] [[ | + | [[category:software]][[Postfix]] is an [[open-source]] [[mail transfer agent]] (MTA) for [[POSIX]] systems. It is fully supported by [[Webmin]] and is part of the [[Dovecot]] stack. |
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
After making changes to the Postfix configuration files, you don't actually have to stop and restart Postfix to load the changes; you can just type (as root) "postfix reload". | After making changes to the Postfix configuration files, you don't actually have to stop and restart Postfix to load the changes; you can just type (as root) "postfix reload". | ||
| + | ===flow=== | ||
| + | There are multiple stages inside Postfix, and each stage can be affected by configuration parameters. I have not yet found a clear documentation of the data flow, but it seems to go like this (only much more complicated) under normal circumstances: | ||
| + | |||
| + | : [[SMTP]] → Postfix delivery queue → user alias mappings → [[mail delivery agent|local delivery]] (MDA, e.g. [[Dovecot]]) | ||
| + | |||
| + | However, when using virtual (non-system) users, internally-generated emails (e.g. mail from [[cron]] or [[PHP]]'s mail() function) seem to bypass the alias mappings, which the MDA then rejects if they are addressed to an alias instead of a user. | ||
===aliases=== | ===aliases=== | ||
| − | To set up aliases, either edit the file specified by the [[/main.cf/alias_maps|alias_maps]] setting in [[ | + | To set up aliases, either edit the file specified by the [[/main.cf/alias_maps|alias_maps]] setting in [[/main.cf|main.cf]] ([[etc/aliases|/etc/aliases]] by default) and then run [[newaliases]] (or "postalias /etc/aliases") to update the database, or else use [[Webmin]] ("Mail Aliases" icon, then click on the "Create a new alias" link). |
'''Notes''': | '''Notes''': | ||
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* luser_relay = youraddress@anotherdomain.org | * luser_relay = youraddress@anotherdomain.org | ||
** forwards all email addressed to invalid users to "youraddress@anotherdomain.org". | ** forwards all email addressed to invalid users to "youraddress@anotherdomain.org". | ||
| + | ===automatic BCC=== | ||
| + | To automatically [[blind carbon copy|BCC]] outgoing mail ''from'' any given set of users, set [[/main.cf/sender_bcc_maps|sender_bcc_maps]] in [[/main.cf]] to <u>hash:/etc/postfix/sender_bcc</u>. (In [[Webmin]]: BCC Mapping: Sender BCC mapping lookup tables) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Each line in the [[/sender_bcc]] file will contain the ''sender'' (which can be user@domain, user, or @domain), one or more blanks, then the ''recipient'' (which can be one address or multiple addresses separated by commas). | ||
| + | Example -- BCCs all mail sent by somedomain.com users to an archive address: | ||
| + | @vbz.com archive{{CURRENTYEAR}}@vbz.com | ||
==Links== | ==Links== | ||
===Official=== | ===Official=== | ||
Revision as of 18:21, 26 September 2010
About
Postfix is an open-source mail transfer agent (MTA) for POSIX systems. It is fully supported by Webmin and is part of the Dovecot stack.
Notes
After making changes to the Postfix configuration files, you don't actually have to stop and restart Postfix to load the changes; you can just type (as root) "postfix reload".
flow
There are multiple stages inside Postfix, and each stage can be affected by configuration parameters. I have not yet found a clear documentation of the data flow, but it seems to go like this (only much more complicated) under normal circumstances:
- SMTP → Postfix delivery queue → user alias mappings → local delivery (MDA, e.g. Dovecot)
However, when using virtual (non-system) users, internally-generated emails (e.g. mail from cron or PHP's mail() function) seem to bypass the alias mappings, which the MDA then rejects if they are addressed to an alias instead of a user.
aliases
To set up aliases, either edit the file specified by the alias_maps setting in main.cf (/etc/aliases by default) and then run newaliases (or "postalias /etc/aliases") to update the database, or else use Webmin ("Mail Aliases" icon, then click on the "Create a new alias" link).
Notes:
- Webmin seems to automatically run newaliases when you add or modify an individual alias, but not when you use it to edit the /etc/aliases file directly. Changes made to /etc/aliases will not take effect until the database is updated.
- Stopping and starting the postfix daemon does not update from the aliases file; you still have to run newaliases.
catch-all
To set up a catch-all address, edit main.cf and set the following parameters:
- local_recipient_maps =
- luser_relay = whereToSend
The syntax for whereToSend is explained here.
Examples:
- luser_relay = $user@anotherdomain.org
- forwards all email addressed to "invaliduser@firstdomain.org" to "invaliduser@anotherdomain.org"
- luser_relay = youraddress@anotherdomain.org
- forwards all email addressed to invalid users to "youraddress@anotherdomain.org".
automatic BCC
To automatically BCC outgoing mail from any given set of users, set sender_bcc_maps in /main.cf to hash:/etc/postfix/sender_bcc. (In Webmin: BCC Mapping: Sender BCC mapping lookup tables)
Each line in the /sender_bcc file will contain the sender (which can be user@domain, user, or @domain), one or more blanks, then the recipient (which can be one address or multiple addresses separated by commas).
Example -- BCCs all mail sent by somedomain.com users to an archive address:
@vbz.com archive2024@vbz.com