xref: /netbsd-src/external/ibm-public/postfix/dist/proto/aliases (revision 6de51c519f1b899da63c1bf576f478920b89083f)
1#++
2# NAME
3#	aliases 5
4# SUMMARY
5#	Postfix local alias database format
6# SYNOPSIS
7# .fi
8#	\fBnewaliases\fR
9# DESCRIPTION
10#	The \fBaliases\fR(5) table provides a system-wide mechanism to
11#	redirect mail for local recipients. The redirections are
12#	processed by the Postfix \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent.
13#
14#	Normally, the \fBaliases\fR(5) table is specified as a text file
15#	that serves as input to the \fBpostalias\fR(1) command. The
16#	result, an indexed file in \fBdbm\fR or \fBdb\fR format, is
17#	used for fast lookup by the mail system. Execute the command
18#	\fBnewaliases\fR in order to rebuild the indexed file after
19#	changing the Postfix alias database.
20#
21#	The input and output file formats are expected to be compatible
22#	with Sendmail version 8, and are expected to be suitable for the
23#	use as NIS maps.
24#
25#	Users can control delivery of their own mail by setting
26#	up \fB.forward\fR files in their home directory.
27#	Lines in per-user \fB.forward\fR files have the same syntax
28#	as the right-hand side of \fBaliases\fR(5) entries.
29#
30#	The format of the alias database input file is as follows:
31# .IP \(bu
32#	An alias definition has the form
33# .sp
34# .nf
35#	     \fIname\fR: \fIvalue1\fR, \fIvalue2\fR, \fI...\fR
36# .fi
37# .IP \(bu
38#	Empty lines and whitespace-only lines are ignored, as
39#	are lines whose first non-whitespace character is a `#'.
40# .IP \(bu
41#	A logical line starts with non-whitespace text. A line that
42#	starts with whitespace continues a logical line.
43# .PP
44#	The \fIname\fR is a local address (no domain part).
45#	Use double quotes when the name contains any special characters
46#	such as whitespace, `#', `:', or `@'. The \fIname\fR is folded to
47#	lowercase, in order to make database lookups case insensitive.
48# .PP
49#	In addition, when an alias exists for \fBowner-\fIname\fR, delivery
50#	diagnostics are directed to that address, instead of to the originator
51#	of the message.
52#	This is typically used to direct delivery errors to the maintainer of
53#	a mailing list, who is in a better position to deal with mailing
54#	list delivery problems than the originator of the undelivered mail.
55# .PP
56#	The \fIvalue\fR contains one or more of the following:
57# .IP \fIaddress\fR
58#	Mail is forwarded to \fIaddress\fR, which is compatible
59#	with the RFC 822 standard.
60# .IP \fI/file/name\fR
61#	Mail is appended to \fI/file/name\fR. See \fBlocal\fR(8)
62#	for details of delivery to file.
63#	Delivery is not limited to regular files.  For example, to dispose
64#	of unwanted mail, deflect it to \fB/dev/null\fR.
65# .IP "|\fIcommand\fR"
66#	Mail is piped into \fIcommand\fR. Commands that contain special
67#	characters, such as whitespace, should be enclosed between double
68#	quotes. See \fBlocal\fR(8) for details of delivery to command.
69# .sp
70#	When the command fails, a limited amount of command output is
71#	mailed back to the sender.  The file \fB/usr/include/sysexits.h\fR
72#	defines the expected exit status codes. For example, use
73#	\fB"|exit 67"\fR to simulate a "user unknown" error, and
74#	\fB"|exit 0"\fR to implement an expensive black hole.
75# .IP \fB:include:\fI/file/name\fR
76#	Mail is sent to the destinations listed in the named file.
77#	Lines in \fB:include:\fR files have the same syntax
78#	as the right-hand side of alias entries.
79# .sp
80#	A destination can be any destination that is described in this
81#	manual page. However, delivery to "|\fIcommand\fR" and
82#	\fI/file/name\fR is disallowed by default. To enable, edit the
83#	\fBallow_mail_to_commands\fR and \fBallow_mail_to_files\fR
84#	configuration parameters.
85# ADDRESS EXTENSION
86# .ad
87# .fi
88#	When alias database search fails, and the recipient localpart
89#	contains the optional recipient delimiter (e.g., \fIuser+foo\fR),
90#	the search is repeated for the unextended address (e.g., \fIuser\fR).
91#
92#	The \fBpropagate_unmatched_extensions\fR parameter controls
93#	whether an unmatched address extension (\fI+foo\fR) is
94#	propagated to the result of table lookup.
95# CASE FOLDING
96# .ad
97# .fi
98#       The local(8) delivery agent always folds the search string
99#       to lowercase before database lookup.
100# SECURITY
101# .ad
102# .fi
103#	The \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent disallows regular expression
104#	substitution of $1 etc. in \fBalias_maps\fR, because that
105#	would open a security hole.
106#
107#	The \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent will silently ignore
108#	requests to use the \fBproxymap\fR(8) server within
109#	\fBalias_maps\fR. Instead it will open the table directly.
110#	Before Postfix version 2.2, the \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery
111#	agent will terminate with a fatal error.
112# CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
113# .ad
114# .fi
115#	The following \fBmain.cf\fR parameters are especially relevant.
116#	The text below provides only a parameter summary. See
117#	\fBpostconf\fR(5) for more details including examples.
118# .IP \fBalias_database\fR
119#	List of alias databases that are updated by the
120#	\fBnewaliases\fR(1) command.
121# .IP \fBalias_maps\fR
122#	List of alias databases queried by the \fBlocal\fR(8) delivery agent.
123# .IP \fBallow_mail_to_commands\fR
124#	Restrict the usage of mail delivery to external command.
125# .IP \fBallow_mail_to_files\fR
126#	Restrict the usage of mail delivery to external file.
127# .IP \fBexpand_owner_alias\fR
128#	When delivering to an alias that has an \fBowner-\fR companion alias,
129#	set the envelope sender address to the right-hand side of the
130#	owner alias, instead using of the left-hand side address.
131# .IP \fBpropagate_unmatched_extensions\fR
132#	A list of address rewriting or forwarding mechanisms that
133#	propagate an address extension from the original address
134#	to the result. Specify zero or more of \fBcanonical\fR,
135#	\fBvirtual\fR, \fBalias\fR, \fBforward\fR, \fBinclude\fR,
136#	or \fBgeneric\fR.
137# .IP \fBowner_request_special\fR
138#	Give special treatment to \fBowner-\fIlistname\fR and
139#	\fIlistname\fB-request\fR
140#	addresses.
141# .IP \fBrecipient_delimiter\fR
142#	Delimiter that separates recipients from address extensions.
143# .PP
144#	Available in Postfix version 2.3 and later:
145# .IP \fBfrozen_delivered_to\fR
146#	Update the local(8) delivery agent's Delivered-To: address
147#	(see prepend_delivered_header) only once, at the start of
148#	a delivery; do not update the Delivered-To: address while
149#	expanding aliases or .forward files.
150# STANDARDS
151#	RFC 822 (ARPA Internet Text Messages)
152# SEE ALSO
153#	local(8), local delivery agent
154#	newaliases(1), create/update alias database
155#	postalias(1), create/update alias database
156#	postconf(5), configuration parameters
157# README FILES
158# .ad
159# .fi
160#	Use "\fBpostconf readme_directory\fR" or
161#	"\fBpostconf html_directory\fR" to locate this information.
162# .na
163# .nf
164#	DATABASE_README, Postfix lookup table overview
165# LICENSE
166# .ad
167# .fi
168#	The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.
169# AUTHOR(S)
170#	Wietse Venema
171#	IBM T.J. Watson Research
172#	P.O. Box 704
173#	Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
174#--
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