SYNOPSIS

       master [-Dtv] [-c config_dir]
               [-e exit_time]

DESCRIPTION

       The  master daemon is the resident process that runs Postfix daemons on
       demand: daemons to send or receive messages via the network, daemons to
       deliver mail locally, etc.  These daemons are created on demand up to a
       configurable maximum number per service.

       Postfix daemons terminate voluntarily, either after being  idle  for  a
       configurable  amount  of  time, or after having serviced a configurable
       number of requests. Exceptions to this rule are the resident queue man-
       ager and the resident address verification server.

       The  behavior  of the master daemon is controlled by the master.cf con-
       figuration file. The table specifies zero or more servers in  the  UNIX
       or INET domain, or servers that take requests from a FIFO. Precise con-
       figuration details are given in the master.cf file, and in  the  manual
       pages of the respective daemons.

       Options:

       -c config_dir
              Read  the main.cf and master.cf configuration files in the named
              directory instead of the default configuration directory.

       -e exit_time
              Terminate the master process after exit_time seconds. Child pro-
              cesses terminate at their convenience.

       -D     After  initialization, run a debugger on the master process. The
              debugging command is specified with the debugger_command in  the
              main.cf global configuration file.

       -t     Test  mode.  Return  a zero exit status when the master.pid lock
              file does not exist or when that file is not  locked.   This  is
              evidence that the master daemon is not running.

       -v     Enable  verbose  logging  for debugging purposes. This option is
              passed on to child processes. Multiple -v options make the soft-
              ware increasingly verbose.

       Signals:

       SIGHUP Upon  receipt  of a HUP signal (e.g., after postfix reload), the
              master process re-reads its configuration files.  If  a  service
              has  been removed from the master.cf file, its running processes
              are terminated immediately.  Otherwise,  running  processes  are
              allowed  to  terminate as soon as is convenient, so that changes
              in configuration settings affect only new service requests.

              ration file.

       MAIL_CONFIG
              Directory with Postfix configuration files.

CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS

       Unlike most Postfix daemon processes, the  master(8)  server  does  not
       automatically  pick  up  changes  to  main.cf. Changes to master.cf are
       never picked up automatically.  Use the postfix reload command after  a
       configuration change.

RESOURCE AND RATE CONTROLS

       daemon_timeout (18000s)
              How  much  time  a  Postfix  daemon process may take to handle a
              request before it is terminated by a built-in watchdog timer.

       default_process_limit (100)
              The default maximal number of Postfix child processes that  pro-
              vide a given service.

       max_idle (100s)
              The  maximum  amount of time that an idle Postfix daemon process
              waits for the next service request before exiting.

       max_use (100)
              The maximal number of connection requests before a Postfix  dae-
              mon process terminates.

       service_throttle_time (60s)
              How  long  the  Postfix  master(8) waits before forking a server
              that appears to be malfunctioning.

MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS

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

       daemon_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
              The directory with Postfix support programs and daemon programs.

       debugger_command (empty)
              The external command to execute when a Postfix daemon program is
              invoked with the -D option.

       inet_interfaces (all)
              The  network  interface addresses that this mail system receives
              mail on.

       import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)
              The list of environment parameters that a Postfix  process  will
              import from a non-Postfix parent process.

              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, "post-
              fix/smtpd".

FILES

       /etc/postfix/main.cf, global configuration file.
       /etc/postfix/master.cf, master server configuration file.
       /var/spool/postfix/pid/master.pid, master lock file.

SEE ALSO

       qmgr(8), queue manager
       verify(8), address verification
       postconf(5), configuration parameters
       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



                                                                     MASTER(8)