The postsuper(1) command does maintenance jobs on the Postfix queue. Use of the command is restricted to
the superuser. See the postqueue(1) command for unprivileged queue operations such as listing or
flushing the mail queue.
By default, postsuper(1) performs the operations requested with the -s and -p command-line options on all
Postfix queue directories - this includes the incoming, active, deferred, and hold directories with
message files and the bounce, defer, trace and flush directories with log files.
Options:
-cconfig_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.
-dqueue_id
Delete one message with the named queue ID from the named mail queue(s) (default: hold, incoming,
active and deferred).
To delete multiple files, specify the -d option multiple times, or specify a queue_id of - to read
queue IDs from standard input. For example, to delete all mail with exactly one recipient
user@example.com:
postqueue -j | jq -r '
# See JSON OBJECT FORMAT section in the postqueue(1) manpage
select(.recipients[0].address == "user@example.com")
| select(.recipients[1].address == null)
| .queue_id
' | postsuper -d -
(note the "jq -r" option), or the historical form:
mailq | tail -n +2 | grep -v '^ *(' | awk 'BEGIN { RS = "" }
# $7=sender, $8=recipient1, $9=recipient2
{ if ($8 == "user@example.com" && $9 == "")
print $1 }
' | tr -d '*!' | postsuper -d -
Specify "-dALL" to remove all messages; for example, specify "-dALLdeferred" to delete all mail
in the deferred queue. As a safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.
Warning: Postfix queue IDs are reused (always with Postfix <= 2.8; and with Postfix >= 2.9 when
enable_long_queue_ids=no). There is a very small possibility that postsuper deletes the wrong
message file when it is executed while the Postfix mail system is delivering mail.
The scenario is as follows:
1) The Postfix queue manager deletes the message that postsuper(1) is asked to delete, because
Postfix is finished with the message (it is delivered, or it is returned to the sender).
2) New mail arrives, and the new message is given the same queue ID as the message that
postsuper(1) 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(1) deletes the new message, instead of the old message that it should have
deleted.
-equeue_id-fqueue_id
Request forced expiration for one message with the named queue ID in the named mail queue(s)
(default: hold, incoming, active and deferred).
• The message will be returned to the sender when the queue manager attempts to deliver that
message (note that Postfix will never deliver messages in the hold queue).
• The -e and -f options both request forced expiration. The difference is that -f will also
release a message if it is in the hold queue. With -e, such a message would not be returned
to the sender until it is released with -f or -H.
• When a deferred message is force-expired, the return message will state the reason for the
delay. Otherwise, the reason will be "message is administratively expired".
To expire multiple files, specify the -e or -f option multiple times, or specify a queue_id of -
to read queue IDs from standard input (see the -d option above for an example, but be sure to
replace -d in the example).
Specify "-eALL" or "-fALL" to expire all messages; for example, specify "-eALLdeferred" to
expire all mail in the deferred queue. As a safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in
upper case.
These features are available in Postfix 3.5 and later.
-hqueue_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.
To hold multiple files, specify the -h option multiple times, or specify a queue_id of - to read
queue IDs from standard input.
Specify "-hALL" to hold all messages; for example, specify "-hALLdeferred" to hold all mail in
the deferred queue. As a safety measure, the word ALL must be specified in upper case.
Note: while mail is "on hold" it will not expire when its time in the queue exceeds the
maximal_queue_lifetime or bounce_queue_lifetime setting. It becomes subject to expiration after it
is released from "hold".
This feature is available in Postfix 2.0 and later.
-Hqueue_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.
To release multiple files, specify the -H option multiple times, or specify a queue_id of - to
read queue IDs from standard input.
Note: specify "postsuper-r" to release mail that was kept on hold for a significant fraction of
$maximal_queue_lifetime or $bounce_queue_lifetime, or longer.
Specify "-HALL" to release all mail that is "on hold". As a safety measure, the word ALL must be
specified in upper case.
This feature is available in Postfix 2.0 and later.
-p Purge old temporary files that are left over after system or software crashes. The -p, -s, and -S
operations are done before other operations.
-rqueue_id
Requeue the message with the named queue ID from the named mail queue(s) (default: hold, incoming,
active and deferred).
To requeue multiple files, specify the -r option multiple times, or specify a queue_id of - to
read queue IDs from standard input.
Specify "-rALL" 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(8) and
cleanup(8) daemons to a new queue file. In many respects its handling differs from that of a new
local submission.
• The message is not subjected to the smtpd_milters or non_smtpd_milters settings. When mail
has passed through an external content filter, this would produce incorrect results with
Milter applications that depend on original SMTP connection state information.
• The message is subjected again to mail address rewriting and substitution. This is useful
when rewriting rules or virtual mappings have changed.
The address rewriting context (local or remote) is the same as when the message was
received.
• The message is subjected to the same content_filter settings (if any) as used for new local
mail submissions. This is useful when content_filter settings have changed.
Warning: Postfix queue IDs are reused (always with Postfix <= 2.8; and with Postfix >= 2.9 when
enable_long_queue_ids=no). There is a very small possibility that postsuper(1) requeues the wrong
message file when it is executed while the Postfix mail system is running, but no harm should be
done.
This feature is available in Postfix 1.1 and later.
-s Structure check and structure repair. This should be done once before Postfix startup. The -p,
-s, and -S operations are done before other operations.
• 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, when queue
files were created with Postfix <= 2.8 or with "enable_long_queue_ids = no".
• 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 necessary after
a change in the hash_queue_names and/or hash_queue_depth configuration parameters.
• Rename queue files created with "enable_long_queue_ids = yes" to short names, for migration
to Postfix <= 2.8. The procedure is as follows:
# postfix stop
# postconf enable_long_queue_ids=no
# postsuper
Run postsuper(1) repeatedly until it stops reporting file name changes.
-S A redundant version of -s that requires that long file names also match the message file inode
number. This option exists for testing purposes, and is available with Postfix 2.9 and later. The
-p, -s, and -S operations are done before other operations.
-v Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Multiple -v options make the software increasingly
verbose.
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