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

# [NAME](#NAME)

postlogd - Postfix internal log server

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
postlogd [generic Postfix daemon options]
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

This program logs events on behalf of Postfix programs when the maillog\_file configuration parameter specifies a non-empty value.

# [BUGS](#BUGS)

Non-daemon Postfix programs don't know that they should log to the internal logging service before they have processed command-line options and main.cf parameters. These programs still log earlier events to the syslog service.

If Postfix is down, the non-daemon programs [**postfix**(1)](/man/os/postfix/postfix.1), [**postsuper**(1)](/man/os/postfix/postsuper.1), [**postmulti**(1)](/man/os/postfix/postmulti.1), and [**postlog**(1)](/man/os/postfix/postlog.1), will log directly to **$maillog\_file**. These programs expect to run with root privileges, for example during Postfix start-up, reload, or shutdown.

Other non-daemon Postfix programs will never write directly to **$maillog\_file** (also, logging to stdout would interfere with the operation of some of these programs). These programs can log to [**postlogd**(8)](/man/os/postfix/postlogd.8) if they are run by the super-user, or if their executable file has set-gid permission. Do not set this permission on programs other than [**postdrop**(1)](/man/os/postfix/postdrop.1), [**postqueue**(1)](/man/os/postfix/postqueue.1) and (Postfix >= 3.7) [**postlog**(1)](/man/os/postfix/postlog.1).

# [CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS](#CONFIGURATION_PARAMETERS)

```

```

Changes to **main.cf** are not picked up automatically, because [**postlogd**(8)](/man/os/postfix/postlogd.8) terminates only after reaching the **max\_idle** time limit. 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.

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

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

[**maillog\_file (empty)**](#maillog_file)

The name of an optional logfile that is written by the Postfix [**postlogd**(8)](/man/os/postfix/postlogd.8) service.

[**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.

[**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".

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

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

[**postlogd\_watchdog\_timeout (10s)**](#postlogd_watchdog_timeout)

How much time a [**postlogd**(8)](/man/os/postfix/postlogd.8) process may take to process a request before it is terminated by a built-in watchdog timer.

Available in Postfix 3.9 and later:

[**maillog\_file\_permissions (0600)**](#maillog_file_permissions)

The file access permissions that will be set when the file $maillog\_file is created for the first time, or when the file is created after an existing file is rotated.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

```
postconf(5), configuration parameters
syslogd(8), system logging
```

# [README\_FILES](#README_FILES)

```

```

Use "**postconf readme\_directory**" or "**postconf html\_directory**" to locate this information.

```
MAILLOG_README, Postfix logging to file or stdout
```

# [LICENSE](#LICENSE)

```

```

The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.

# [HISTORY](#HISTORY)

This service was introduced with Postfix version 3.4.

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

```
Wietse Venema
Google, Inc.
111 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10011, USA
Wietse Venema
porcupine.org
```

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Document: postlogd(8) from postfix 3.11.7-r3 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix