ERROR(8) System Manager's Manual ERROR(8)

# [NAME](#NAME)

error - Postfix error/retry mail delivery agent

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
error [generic Postfix daemon options]
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

The Postfix [**error**(8)](/man/os/postfix/error.8) delivery agent processes delivery requests from the queue manager. Each request specifies a queue file, a sender address, the reason for non-delivery (specified as the next-hop destination), and recipient information. The reason may be prefixed with an RFC 3463-compatible detail code; if none is specified a default 4.0.0 or 5.0.0 code is used instead. This program expects to be run from the [**master**(8)](/man/os/postfix/master.8) process manager.

Depending on the service name in master.cf, **error** or **retry**, the server bounces or defers all recipients in the delivery request using the "next-hop" information as the reason for non-delivery. The **retry** service name is supported as of Postfix 2.4.

Delivery status reports are sent to the [**bounce**(8)](/man/os/postfix/bounce.8), [**defer**(8)](/man/os/postfix/defer.8) or [**trace**(8)](/man/os/postfix/trace.8) daemon as appropriate.

# [SECURITY](#SECURITY)

```

```

The [**error**(8)](/man/os/postfix/error.8) mailer is not security-sensitive. It does not talk to the network, and can be run chrooted at fixed low privilege.

# [STANDARDS](#STANDARDS)

```
RFC 3463 (Enhanced Status Codes)
```

# [DIAGNOSTICS](#DIAGNOSTICS)

Problems and transactions are logged to [**syslogd**(8)](/man/os/postfix/syslogd.8) or [**postlogd**(8)](/man/os/postfix/postlogd.8).

Depending on the setting of the **notify\_classes** parameter, the postmaster is notified of bounces and of other trouble.

# [CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS](#CONFIGURATION_PARAMETERS)

```

```

Changes to **main.cf** are picked up automatically as [**error**(8)](/man/os/postfix/error.8) processes run for only a limited amount of time. Use the command "**postfix reload**" to speed up a change.

The text below provides only a parameter summary. See [**postconf**(5)](/man/os/postfix/postconf.5) for more details including examples.

**2bounce\_notice\_recipient (postmaster)**

The recipient of undeliverable mail that cannot be returned to the sender.

[**bounce\_notice\_recipient (postmaster)**](#bounce_notice_recipient)

The recipient of postmaster notifications with the message headers of mail that Postfix did not deliver and of SMTP conversation transcripts of mail that Postfix did not receive.

[**config\_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)**](#config_directory)

The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf configuration files.

[**daemon\_timeout (18000s)**](#daemon_timeout)

How much time a Postfix daemon process may take to handle a request before it is terminated by a built-in watchdog timer.

[**delay\_logging\_resolution\_limit (2)**](#delay_logging_resolution_limit)

The maximal number of digits after the decimal point when logging delay values.

[**double\_bounce\_sender (double-bounce)**](#double_bounce_sender)

The sender address of postmaster notifications that are generated by the mail system.

[**ipc\_timeout (3600s)**](#ipc_timeout)

The time limit for sending or receiving information over an internal communication channel.

[**max\_idle (100s)**](#max_idle)

The maximum amount of time that an idle Postfix daemon process waits for an incoming connection before terminating voluntarily.

[**max\_use (100)**](#max_use)

The maximal number of incoming connections that a Postfix daemon process will service before terminating voluntarily.

[**notify\_classes (resource, software)**](#notify_classes)

The list of error classes that are reported to the postmaster.

[**process\_id (read-only)**](#process_id)

The process ID of a Postfix command or daemon process.

[**process\_name (read-only)**](#process_name)

The process name of a Postfix command or daemon process.

[**queue\_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)**](#queue_directory)

The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.

[**syslog\_facility (mail)**](#syslog_facility)

The syslog facility of Postfix logging.

[**syslog\_name (see 'postconf -d' output)**](#syslog_name)

A prefix that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that, for example, "smtpd" becomes "prefix/smtpd".

Available in Postfix 3.3 and later:

[**service\_name (read-only)**](#service_name)

The master.cf service name of a Postfix daemon process.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

```
qmgr(8), queue manager
bounce(8), delivery status reports
discard(8), Postfix discard delivery agent
postconf(5), configuration parameters
master(5), generic daemon options
master(8), process manager
postlogd(8), Postfix logging
syslogd(8), system logging
```

# [LICENSE](#LICENSE)

```

```

The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.

# [AUTHOR(S)](#AUTHOR%28S%29)

```
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
```

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Document: error(8) from postfix 3.11.7-r2 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix