usr/share/man/cat8/sendmail.0



SENDMAIL(8)                   1990                    SENDMAIL(8)


N\bNA\bAM\bME\bE
     sendmail - send mail over the internet

S\bSY\bYN\bNO\bOP\bPS\bSI\bIS\bS
     s\bse\ben\bnd\bdm\bma\bai\bil\bl [ flags ] [ address ...  ]

     n\bne\bew\bwa\bal\bli\bia\bas\bse\bes\bs

     m\bma\bai\bil\blq\bq [ -\b-v\bv ]

D\bDE\bES\bSC\bCR\bRI\bIP\bPT\bTI\bIO\bON\bN
     _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl sends a message to one or more _\br_\be_\bc_\bi_\bp_\bi_\be_\bn_\bt_\bs, routing
     the message over whatever networks are necessary.  _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl
     does internetwork forwarding as necessary to deliver the
     message to the correct place.

     _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl is not intended as a user interface routine; other
     programs provide user-friendly front ends; _\bs_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl is used
     only to deliver pre-formatted messages.

     With no flags, _\bs_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl reads its standard input up to an
     end-of-file or a line consisting only of a single dot and
     sends a copy of the message found there to all of the
     addresses listed.  It determines the network(s) to use based
     on the syntax and contents of the addresses.

     Local addresses are looked up in a file and aliased
     appropriately.  Aliasing can be prevented by preceding the
     address with a backslash.  Normally the sender is not
     included in any alias expansions, e.g., if `john' sends to
     `group', and `group' includes `john' in the expansion, then
     the letter will not be delivered to `john'.

     Flags are:

     -\b-b\bba\ba   Go into ARPANET mode.  All input lines must end
                 with a CR-LF, and all messages will be generated
                 with a CR-LF at the end.  Also, the ``From:''
                 and ``Sender:'' fields are examined for the name
                 of the sender.

     -\b-b\bbd\bd   Run as a daemon.  This requires Berkeley IPC.
                 _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl will fork and run in background listen-
                 ing on socket 25 for incoming SMTP connections.
                 This is normally run from /_\be_\bt_\bc/_\br_\bc.

     -\b-b\bbi\bi   Initialize the alias database.

     -\b-b\bbm\bm   Deliver mail in the usual way (default).

     -\b-b\bbp\bp   Print a listing of the queue.


Printed 7/4/90                June                              1


SENDMAIL(8)                   1990                    SENDMAIL(8)


     -\b-b\bbs\bs   Use the SMTP protocol as described in RFC821 on
                 standard input and output.  This flag implies
                 all the operations of the -\b-b\bba\ba flag that are com-
                 patible with SMTP.

     -\b-b\bbt\bt   Run in address test mode.  This mode reads
                 addresses and shows the steps in parsing; it is
                 used for debugging configuration tables.

     -\b-b\bbv\bv   Verify names only - do not try to collect or
                 deliver a message.  Verify mode is normally used
                 for validating users or mailing lists.

     -\b-b\bbz\bz   Create the configuration freeze file.

     -\b-C\bC_\bf_\bi_\bl_\be  Use alternate configuration file.  _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl
                 refuses to run as root if an alternate confi-
                 guration file is specified.  The frozen confi-
                 guration file is bypassed.

     -\b-d\bd_\bX   Set debugging value to _\bX.

     -\b-F\bF_\bf_\bu_\bl_\bl_\bn_\ba_\bm_\be  Set the full name of the sender.

     -\b-f\bf_\bn_\ba_\bm_\be  Sets the name of the ``from'' person (i.e., the
                 sender of the mail).  -\b-f\bf can only be used by
                 ``trusted'' users (normally _\br_\bo_\bo_\bt, _\bd_\ba_\be_\bm_\bo_\bn, and
                 _\bn_\be_\bt_\bw_\bo_\br_\bk) or if the person you are trying to
                 become is the same as the person you are.

     -\b-h\bh_\bN   Set the hop count to _\bN. The hop count is incre-
                 mented every time the mail is processed.  When
                 it reaches a limit, the mail is returned with an
                 error message, the victim of an aliasing loop.
                 If not specified, ``Received:'' lines in the
                 message are counted.

     -\b-n\bn          Don't do aliasing.

     -\b-o\bo_\bx_\bv_\ba_\bl_\bu_\be    Set option _\bx to the specified _\bv_\ba_\bl_\bu_\be. Options are
                 described below.

     -\b-q\bq[\b[_\bt_\bi_\bm_\be]\b]    Processed saved messages in the queue at given
                 intervals.  If _\bt_\bi_\bm_\be is omitted, process the
                 queue once.  _\bT_\bi_\bm_\be is given as a tagged number,
                 with `s' being seconds, `m' being minutes, `h'
                 being hours, `d' being days, and `w' being
                 weeks.  For example, ``-q1h30m'' or ``-q90m''
                 would both set the timeout to one hour thirty
                 minutes.  If _\bt_\bi_\bm_\be is specified, _\bs_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl will
                 run in background.  This option can be used
                 safely with -\b-b\bbd\bd.


Printed 7/4/90                June                              2


SENDMAIL(8)                   1990                    SENDMAIL(8)


     -\b-r\br_\bn_\ba_\bm_\be  An alternate and obsolete form of the -\b-f\bf flag.

     -\b-t\bt          Read message for recipients.  To:, Cc:, and Bcc:
                 lines will be scanned for recipient addresses.
                 The Bcc: line will be deleted before transmis-
                 sion.  Any addresses in the argument list will
                 be suppressed, that is, they will _\bn_\bo_\bt receive
                 copies even if listed in the message header.

     -\b-v\bv          Go into verbose mode.      Alias expansions will be
                 announced, etc.

     There are also a number of processing options that may be
     set.  Normally these will only be used by a system adminis-
     trator.  Options may be set either on the command line using
     the -\b-o\bo flag or in the configuration file.      These are
     described in detail in the _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl _\bI_\bn_\bs_\bt_\ba_\bl_\bl_\ba_\bt_\bi_\bo_\bn _\ba_\bn_\bd _\bO_\bp_\be_\br_\ba_\b-
     _\bt_\bi_\bo_\bn _\bG_\bu_\bi_\bd_\be.  The options are:

     A_\bf_\bi_\bl_\be       Use alternate alias file.

     c           On mailers that are considered ``expensive'' to
                 connect to, don't initiate immediate connection.
                 This requires queueing.

     d_\bx          Set the delivery mode to _\bx. Delivery modes are
                 `i' for interactive (synchronous) delivery, `b'
                 for background (asynchronous) delivery, and `q'
                 for queue only - i.e., actual delivery is done
                 the next time the queue is run.

     D           Try to automatically rebuild the alias database
                 if necessary.

     e_\bx          Set error processing to mode _\bx. Valid modes are
                 `m' to mail back the error message, `w' to
                 ``write'' back the error message (or mail it
                 back if the sender is not logged in), `p' to
                 print the errors on the terminal (default), `q'
                 to throw away error messages (only exit status
                 is returned), and `e' to do special processing
                 for the BerkNet.  If the text of the message is
                 not mailed back by modes `m' or `w' and if the
                 sender is local to this machine, a copy of the
                 message is appended to the file ``dead.letter''
                 in the sender's home directory.

     F_\bm_\bo_\bd_\be       The mode to use when creating temporary files.

     f           Save UNIX-style From lines at the front of mes-
                 sages.


Printed 7/4/90                June                              3


SENDMAIL(8)                   1990                    SENDMAIL(8)


     g_\bN          The default group id to use when calling
                 mailers.

     H_\bf_\bi_\bl_\be       The SMTP help file.

     i           Do not take dots on a line by themselves as a
                 message terminator.

     L_\bn          The log level.

     m           Send to ``me'' (the sender) also if I am in an
                 alias expansion.

     o           If set, this message may have old style headers.
                 If not set, this message is guaranteed to have
                 new style headers (i.e., commas instead of
                 spaces between addresses).  If set, an adaptive
                 algorithm is used that will correctly determine
                 the header format in most cases.

     Q_\bq_\bu_\be_\bu_\be_\bd_\bi_\br   Select the directory in which to queue messages.

     r_\bt_\bi_\bm_\be_\bo_\bu_\bt      The timeout on reads; if none is set, _\bs_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl
                 will wait forever for a mailer.  This option
                 violates the word (if not the intent) of the
                 SMTP specification, show the timeout should
                 probably be fairly large.

     S_\bf_\bi_\bl_\be       Save statistics in the named file.

     s           Always instantiate the queue file, even under
                 circumstances where it is not strictly neces-
                 sary.  This provides safety against system
                 crashes during delivery.

     T_\bt_\bi_\bm_\be       Set the timeout on undelivered messages in the
                 queue to the specified time.  After delivery has
                 failed (e.g., because of a host being down) for
                 this amount of time, failed messages will be
                 returned to the sender.  The default is three
                 days.

     t_\bs_\bt_\bz,_\bd_\bt_\bz        Set the name of the time zone.

     u_\bN          Set the default user id for mailers.

     In aliases, the first character of a name may be a vertical
     bar to cause interpretation of the rest of the name as a
     command to pipe the mail to.  It may be necessary to quote
     the name to keep _\bs_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl from suppressing the blanks from
     between arguments.  For example, a common alias is:


Printed 7/4/90                June                              4


SENDMAIL(8)                   1990                    SENDMAIL(8)


          msgs: "|/usr/bin/msgs -s"

     Aliases may also have the syntax ``:include:_\bf_\bi_\bl_\be_\bn_\ba_\bm_\be'' to
     ask _\bs_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl to read the named file for a list of reci-
     pients.  For example, an alias such as:

          poets: ":include:/usr/local/lib/poets.list"

     would read /_\bu_\bs_\br/_\bl_\bo_\bc_\ba_\bl/_\bl_\bi_\bb/_\bp_\bo_\be_\bt_\bs._\bl_\bi_\bs_\bt for the list of
     addresses making up the group.

     _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl returns an exit status describing what it did.  The
     codes are defined in <_\bs_\by_\bs_\be_\bx_\bi_\bt_\bs._\bh>
        EX_OK            Successful completion on all addresses.
        EX_NOUSER        User name not recognized.
        EX_UNAVAILABLE   Catchall meaning necessary resources
                         were not available.
        EX_SYNTAX        Syntax error in address.
        EX_SOFTWARE      Internal software error, including bad
                         arguments.
        EX_OSERR         Temporary operating system error, such
                         as "cannot fork".
        EX_NOHOST        Host name not recognized.
        EX_TEMPFAIL      Message could not be sent immediately,
                         but was queued.

     If invoked as _\bn_\be_\bw_\ba_\bl_\bi_\ba_\bs_\be_\bs, _\bs_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl will rebuild the alias
     database.  If invoked as _\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl_\bq, _\bs_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl will print the con-
     tents of the mail queue.

F\bFI\bIL\bLE\bES\bS
     Except for /etc/sendmail.cf, these pathnames are all speci-
     fied in /etc/sendmail.cf.  Thus, these values are only
     approximations.

     /etc/aliases                  raw data for alias names
     /etc/aliases.pag
     /etc/aliases.dir              data base of alias names
     /etc/sendmail.cf              configuration file
     /etc/sendmail.fc              frozen configuration
     /usr/share/misc/sendmail.hf   help file
     /var/log/sendmail.st          collected statistics
     /var/spool/mqueue/*           temp files

S\bSE\bEE\bE A\bAL\bLS\bSO\bO
     binmail(1), mail(1), rmail(1), syslog(3), aliases(5),
     mailaddr(7), rc(8);
     DARPA Internet Request For Comments RFC819, RFC821, RFC822;
     _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl - _\bA_\bn _\bI_\bn_\bt_\be_\br_\bn_\be_\bt_\bw_\bo_\br_\bk _\bM_\ba_\bi_\bl _\bR_\bo_\bu_\bt_\be_\br (SMM:16);
     _\bS_\be_\bn_\bd_\bm_\ba_\bi_\bl _\bI_\bn_\bs_\bt_\ba_\bl_\bl_\ba_\bt_\bi_\bo_\bn _\ba_\bn_\bd _\bO_\bp_\be_\br_\ba_\bt_\bi_\bo_\bn _\bG_\bu_\bi_\bd_\be (SMM:7)


Printed 7/4/90                June                              5