POSTSUPER(1)                                                      POSTSUPER(1)

NAME
       postsuper - Postfix superintendent

SYNOPSIS
       postsuper [-psv] [-c config_dir] [-d queue_id] [-h queue_id] [-H
       queue_id] [-r queue_id] [directory ...]

DESCRIPTION
       The postsuper command does maintenance jobs on the Postfix  queue.  Use
       of  the command is restricted to the superuser.  See the postqueue com-
       mand for unprivileged queue operations such as listing or flushing  the
       mail queue.

       By default, postsuper performs the operations requested with the -s and
       -p command-line  options  on  all  Postfix  queue  directories  -  this
       includes  the incoming, active and deferred directories with mail 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).  If a
              queue_id of - is specified, the program  reads  queue  IDs  from
              standard  input.  For  example,  to  delete  all mail from or to
              user@example.com:

              mailq | tail +2 | awk  'BEGIN { RS = "" } \
                  / user@example\.com$/ { print $1 } \
              ' | tr -d '*!' | postsuper -d -

              Specify -d ALL to remove all messages; for example,  specify  -d
              ALL  deferred to delete mail in the deferred queue.  As a safety
              measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.

              Postfix queue IDs are reused.  There is a very small possibility
              that  postsuper  deletes  the wrong message file when it is exe-
              cuted while the Postfix mail system is running.

              The scenario is as follows:

              1)     The Postfix queue manager deletes the message that  post-
                     super  is supposed to delete, because Postfix is finished
                     with the message.

              2)     New mail arrives, and the new message is given  the  same
                     queue  ID  as  the  message that postsuper is supposed to
                     delete.  The probability for reusing a deleted  queue  ID
                     is  about 1 in 2**15 (the number of different microsecond
                     values that the system clock  can  distinguish  within  a
                     second).

              3)     postsuper  deletes  the  new  message, instead of the old
                     message that it should have deleted.

       -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.  If a queue_id of - is specified, the program reads queue
              IDs from standard input.

              Specify -h ALL to hold all messages; for example, specify -h ALL
              deferred  to  hold mail in the deferred queue.  As a safety mea-
              sure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.

              Note: mail that is put "on hold" will not expire when  its  time
              in the queue exceeds the maximal_queue_lifetime setting.

       -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.  If a queue_id of - is specified, the pro-
              gram reads queue IDs from standard input.

              Specify -H ALL to release all mail that  is  "on  hold".   As  a
              safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.

       -p     Purge  old  temporary  files  that are left over after system or
              software crashes.

       -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  messages,  specify  multiple  -r  command-line
              options.   Alternatively,  if  a queue_id of - is specified, the
              program reads 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 daemon to a new file whose name is guar-
              anteed  to  match the new queue file inode number. The new queue
              file is subjected again to mail address rewriting and  substitu-
              tion.  This  is  useful when rewriting rules or virtual mappings
              have changed.

              Postfix queue IDs are reused.  There is a very small possibility
              that  postsuper  requeues the wrong message file when it is exe-
              cuted while the Postfix mail system  is  running,  but  no  harm
              should be done.

       -s     Structure  check and structure repair.  It is highly recommended
              to perform this operation once before Postfix startup.

              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
                     media.

              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.

       -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.

       postsuper reports the number of messages deleted with -d, 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  standard  error
       stream and to syslogd.

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
       See the Postfix main.cf file for syntax details and for default values.

       hash_queue_depth
              Number of subdirectory levels for hashed queues.

       hash_queue_names
              The  names  of queues that are organized into multiple levels of
              subdirectories.

       queue_directory
              Top-level directory of the Postfix queue. This is also the  root
              directory of Postfix daemons that run chrooted.

SEE ALSO
       sendmail(1) sendmail-compatible user interface
       postqueue(1) unprivileged queue operations

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

                                                                  POSTSUPER(1)