When should I use this postfix-script?
Use it to restore a missing default, confirm what shipped, or diff against your current Postfix config.
#!/bin/sh
#++
# NAME
# postfix-script 1
# SUMMARY
# execute Postfix administrative commands
# SYNOPSIS
# \fBpostfix-script\fR \fIcommand\fR
# DESCRIPTION
# The \fBpostfix-script\fR script executes Postfix administrative
# commands in an environment that is set up by the \fBpostfix\fR(1)
# command.
# SEE ALSO
# master(8) Postfix master program
# postfix(1) Postfix administrative interface
# LICENSE
# .ad
# .fi
# 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
#--
# Avoid POSIX death due to SIGHUP when some parent process exits.
trap '' 1
case $daemon_directory in
"") echo This script must be run by the postfix command. 1>&2
echo Do not run directly. 1>&2
exit 1
esac
LOGGER="$command_directory/postlog -t $MAIL_LOGTAG/postfix-script"
INFO="$LOGGER -p info"
WARN="$LOGGER -p warn"
ERROR="$LOGGER -p error"
FATAL="$LOGGER -p fatal"
PANIC="$LOGGER -p panic"
if [ "X${1#quiet-}" != "X${1}" ]; then
INFO=:
x=${1#quiet-}
shift
set -- $x "$@"
fi
umask 022
SHELL=/bin/sh
#
# Can't do much without these in place.
#
cd $command_directory || {
$FATAL no Postfix command directory $command_directory!
exit 1
}
cd $daemon_directory || {
$FATAL no Postfix daemon directory $daemon_directory!
exit 1
}
test -f master || {
$FATAL no Postfix master program $daemon_directory/master!
exit 1
}
cd $config_directory || {
$FATAL no Postfix configuration directory $config_directory!
exit 1
}
case $shlib_directory in
no) ;;
*) cd $shlib_directory || {
$FATAL no Postfix shared-library directory $shlib_directory!
exit 1
}
esac
cd $meta_directory || {
$FATAL no Postfix meta directory $meta_directory!
exit 1
}
cd $queue_directory || {
$FATAL no Postfix queue directory $queue_directory!
exit 1
}
def_config_directory=`$command_directory/postconf -dh config_directory` || {
$FATAL cannot execute $command_directory/postconf!
exit 1
}
# If this is a secondary instance, don't touch shared files.
instances=`test ! -f $def_config_directory/main.cf ||
$command_directory/postconf -c $def_config_directory \
-h multi_instance_directories | sed 's/,/ /'` || {
$FATAL cannot execute $command_directory/postconf!
exit 1
}
check_shared_files=1
for name in $instances
do
case "$name" in
"$def_config_directory") ;;
"$config_directory") check_shared_files=; break;;
esac
done
#
# Parse JCL
#
case $1 in
start_msg)
echo "Start postfix"
;;
stop_msg)
echo "Stop postfix"
;;
quick-start)
$daemon_directory/master -t 2>/dev/null || {
$FATAL the Postfix mail system is already running
exit 1
}
$daemon_directory/postfix-script quick-check || {
$FATAL Postfix integrity check failed!
exit 1
}
$INFO starting the Postfix mail system
$daemon_directory/master &
;;
start|start-fg)
$daemon_directory/master -t 2>/dev/null || {
$FATAL the Postfix mail system is already running
exit 1
}
if [ -f $queue_directory/quick-start ]
then
rm -f $queue_directory/quick-start
else
$daemon_directory/postfix-script check-fatal || {
$FATAL Postfix integrity check failed!
exit 1
}
# Foreground this so it can be stopped. All inodes are cached.
$daemon_directory/postfix-script check-warn
fi
$INFO starting the Postfix mail system
case $1 in
start)
# NOTE: wait in foreground process to get the initialization status.
$daemon_directory/master -w || {
$FATAL "mail system startup failed"
exit 1
}
;;
start-fg)
# Foreground start-up is incompatible with multi-instance mode.
# We can't use "exec $daemon_directory/master" here: that would
# break process group management, and "postfix stop" would kill
# too many processes.
case $instances in
"") $daemon_directory/master
;;
*) $FATAL "start-fg does not support multi_instance_directories"
exit 1
;;
esac
;;
esac
;;
drain)
$daemon_directory/master -t 2>/dev/null && {
$FATAL the Postfix mail system is not running
exit 1
}
$INFO stopping the Postfix mail system
kill -9 `sed 1q pid/master.pid`
;;
quick-stop)
$daemon_directory/postfix-script stop
touch $queue_directory/quick-start
;;
stop)
$daemon_directory/master -t 2>/dev/null && {
$FATAL the Postfix mail system is not running
exit 0
}
$INFO stopping the Postfix mail system
kill `sed 1q pid/master.pid`
for i in 5 4 3 2 1
do
$daemon_directory/master -t && exit 0
$INFO waiting for the Postfix mail system to terminate
sleep 1
done
$WARN stopping the Postfix mail system with force
pid=`awk '{ print $1; exit 0 } END { exit 1 }' pid/master.pid` &&
kill -9 -$pid
;;
abort)
$daemon_directory/master -t 2>/dev/null && {
$FATAL the Postfix mail system is not running
exit 0
}
$INFO aborting the Postfix mail system
kill `sed 1q pid/master.pid`
;;
reload)
$daemon_directory/master -t 2>/dev/null && {
$FATAL the Postfix mail system is not running
exit 1
}
$INFO refreshing the Postfix mail system
$command_directory/postsuper active || exit 1
kill -HUP `sed 1q pid/master.pid`
$command_directory/postsuper &
;;
flush)
cd $queue_directory || {
$FATAL no Postfix queue directory $queue_directory!
exit 1
}
$command_directory/postqueue -f
;;
check)
$daemon_directory/postfix-script check-fatal || exit 1
$daemon_directory/postfix-script check-warn
exit 0
;;
status)
$daemon_directory/master -t 2>/dev/null && {
$INFO the Postfix mail system is not running
exit 1
}
$INFO the Postfix mail system is running: PID: `sed 1q pid/master.pid`
exit 0
;;
quick-check)
# This command is NOT part of the public interface.
$SHELL $daemon_directory/post-install create-missing || {
$WARN unable to create missing queue directories
exit 1
}
# Look for incomplete installations.
test -f $config_directory/master.cf || {
$FATAL no $config_directory/master.cf file found
exit 1
}
exit 0
;;
check-fatal)
# This command is NOT part of the public interface.
$daemon_directory/postfix-script quick-check
# See if all queue files are in the right place. This is slow.
# We must scan all queues for mis-named queue files before the
# mail system can run.
$command_directory/postsuper || exit 1
exit 0
;;
check-warn)
# This command is NOT part of the public interface.
# Check Postfix root-owned directory owner/permissions.
find $queue_directory/. $queue_directory/pid \
-prune ! -user root \
-exec $WARN not owned by root: {} \;
find $queue_directory/. $queue_directory/pid \
-prune \( -perm -020 -o -perm -002 \) \
-exec $WARN group or other writable: {} \;
# Check Postfix root-owned directory tree owner/permissions.
todo="$config_directory/."
test -n "$check_shared_files" && {
todo="$daemon_directory/. $meta_directory/. $todo"
test "$shlib_directory" = "no" ||
todo="$shlib_directory/. $todo"
}
todo=`echo "$todo" | tr ' ' '\12' | sort -u`
find $todo ! -user root \
-exec $WARN not owned by root: {} \;
# Handle symlinks separately
find -L $todo \( -perm -020 -o -perm -002 \) \
-exec $WARN group or other writable: {} \;
find $todo -type l | while read f; do \
readlink "$f" | grep -q / && $WARN symlink leaves directory: "$f"; \
done; \
# Check Postfix mail_owner-owned directory tree owner/permissions.
find $data_directory/. ! -user $mail_owner \
-exec $WARN not owned by $mail_owner: {} \;
find $data_directory/. \( -perm -020 -o -perm -002 \) \
-exec $WARN group or other writable: {} \;
# Check Postfix mail_owner-owned directory tree owner.
find `ls -d $queue_directory/* | \
egrep '/(saved|incoming|active|defer|deferred|bounce|hold|trace|corrupt|public|private|flush)$'` \
! \( -type p -o -type s \) ! -user $mail_owner \
-exec $WARN not owned by $mail_owner: {} \;
# WARNING: this should not descend into the maildrop directory.
# maildrop is the least trusted Postfix directory.
find $queue_directory/maildrop -prune ! -user $mail_owner \
-exec $WARN not owned by $mail_owner: $queue_directory/maildrop \;
# Check Postfix setgid_group-owned directory and file group/permissions.
todo="$queue_directory/public $queue_directory/maildrop"
test -n "$check_shared_files" &&
todo="$command_directory/postqueue $command_directory/postdrop $todo"
find $todo \
-prune ! -group $setgid_group \
-exec $WARN not owned by group $setgid_group: {} \;
test -n "$check_shared_files" &&
find $command_directory/postqueue $command_directory/postdrop \
-prune ! -perm -02111 \
-exec $WARN not set-gid or not owner+group+world executable: {} \;
# Check non-Postfix root-owned directory tree owner/content.
for dir in bin etc lib sbin usr
do
test -d $dir && {
find $dir ! -user root \
-exec $WARN not owned by root: $queue_directory/{} \;
find $dir -type f -print | while read path
do
test -f /$path && {
cmp -s $path /$path ||
$WARN $queue_directory/$path and /$path differ
}
done
}
done
find corrupt -type f -exec $WARN damaged message: {} \;
# Check for non-Postfix MTA remnants.
test -n "$check_shared_files" -a -f /usr/sbin/sendmail -a \
-f /usr/lib/sendmail && {
cmp -s /usr/sbin/sendmail /usr/lib/sendmail || {
$WARN /usr/lib/sendmail and /usr/sbin/sendmail differ
$WARN Replace one by a symbolic link to the other
}
}
exit 0
;;
set-permissions|upgrade-configuration)
$daemon_directory/post-install create-missing "$@"
;;
post-install)
# Currently not part of the public interface.
shift
$daemon_directory/post-install "$@"
;;
tls)
shift
$daemon_directory/postfix-tls-script "$@"
;;
/*)
# Currently not part of the public interface.
"$@"
;;
*)
$FATAL "unknown command: '$1'. Usage: postfix start (or stop, reload, abort, flush, check, status, set-permissions, upgrade-configuration)"
exit 1
;;
esac
curl https://exampleconfig.com/api/v1/config/original/9f6655ff3836b4c7096ddcdbebc76b82?hint=postfix-script
wget -O postfix-script https://exampleconfig.com/api/v1/config/original/9f6655ff3836b4c7096ddcdbebc76b82?hint=postfix-script
<prompt><role>DevOps agent</role><source url='https://exampleconfig.com/api/v1/config/original/9f6655ff3836b4c7096ddcdbebc76b82?hint=postfix-script' /><config><app>Postfix</app><os>Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver)</os><location>/etc/postfix/postfix-script</location><lines>428</lines><md5>9f6655ff3836b4c7096ddcdbebc76b82</md5><sha256>4047a3b924055d429d1cf6d97927f13b4e08a19b45133c7f264aec5250536176</sha256></config></prompt>
Paste into Claude, ChatGPT, or any AI assistant.
sudo apk add postfix
sudo apt update && sudo apt install postfix
sudo yum install postfix
sudo apt update && sudo apt install postfix
When should I use this postfix-script?
Use it to restore a missing default, confirm what shipped, or diff against your current Postfix config.
How do I restore Postfix defaults?
Download the file, back up the current one in /etc/postfix/postfix-script, replace it, then reload or restart Postfix.
Is postfix-script safe for production?
It is the vendor default for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver). Treat it as a baseline and review security and performance settings before production use.
How does this differ from other OS versions?
Defaults vary by distro and version. This copy matches Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver).
Can I use this for Postfix troubleshooting?
Yes. Diff it against yours to find drift, then restore only the sections you need.