Sendmail Quick Reference

Tips and Tricks for Sendmail mailq – Prints the mail queue's contents, same as /usr/lib/sendmail –bp newaliases – Rebuilds the aliases database file, same as /usr/lib/sendmail –bi hoststat – Prints persistent host status info, same as /usr/lib/sendmail -bh purgestat – Purges (zeroes) persistent host status info, same as /usr/lib/sendmail -bH smtpd – Runs in daemon mode, same as /usr/lib/sendmail –bd –q30 mailq –OmaxQueueRunSize=1 - Quickly print the total number of messages within mail queue /usr/lib/sendmail –q –Otimeout.queuereturn=99d - Purges the mail queue without timing out any messages. Useful if the mail server has been down longer than the queuereturn value set in the cf. /usr/lib/sendmail –bv foolist | grep –v deliverable - Prints only undeliverable addresses from in the mail list foolist. Great for use in a shell script to remove badd addresses from a mailing list. Command Line Switches -B 7bit - Causes sendmail to clear the high-bit of every incoming byte. -B 8bitmime – Causes sendmail to preserve the high-bit or every incoming byte. -ba – Uses ARPAnet/Grey-Book protocols to transfer mail. -bD – Runs as daemon, like –bd, but does not fork and does not detach from controlling terminal. -bd – Runs as daemon, forks and detaches. -bH - Purges (zeroes) persistent host status info. -bh - Prints persistent host status info. -bi - Initializes the aliases database. -bm – Causes sendmail to read and send message (this is the default) -bp – Prints the contents of the mail queue. -bs – Runs sendmail on standard I/O. -bt – Runs sendmail in rule testing mode. -bv <address> - Verifies address. -C /tmp/different.cf – Uses different.cf as its configuration file. -c - Sets HoldExpensive option to true. -d <facility.level> - set debug mode. -d0 – Shows general config -d0.1 – Prints version -d.04 – Prints local hostname and any aliases for it. -d0.15 – Prints the list of delivery agents declared -d0.20 – Prints address of each network interface -d8 – Traces most DNS lookups -d8.1 – Prints failure of low level MX searches. -d8.2 – Prints calls to getcanonname -d8.3 - Traces dropped local hostnames -d8.5 – Shows hostnames tried in getcanonname -d8.8 – Shows when MX lookups return the wrong type. -d11 – Traces delivery agent calls -d11.1 – Traces arguments passed to the delivery agent -d11.2 - Prints the user ID that the delivery agent is invoked as -d21 – Traces rewriting of addresses -d21.1- Traces general ruleset rewriting -d21.2 – Traces use of $& macro -d21.3 – Shows $> subroutines called -d21.4 – Displays result of rewrite -d21.15 – Shows $digit replacement -d21.35 – shows token by token LHS matching -d27 – Traces aliasing -d27.1 – Traces general aliasing -d27.2 – Traces :include: files, alias self-references, and errors on home -d27.3 – Traces the ~/.forward path and the alias wait -d27.4 – Prints "not safe" when a file is unsafe to trust -d27.9 – Shows uid/gid changes when reading :include: files -d35 – Traces macros -d35.9 shows macro values as they are defined -d35.14 – Shows macro names being converted to integer id’s -d35.24 – Shows macro expansion -d37 – Traces options and class macros -d37.1 – Traces the setting of options -d37.8 – Traces the adding of words to a class -d41 – Traces the queue -d41.1 – Traces queue ordering -d41.2 – Shows failure to open qf files -d41.49 – Shows skipped queue files -d41.50 – Show every file in queue -F <name> - Set senders full name -f <address> - Set senders address -h <count> - Set minimum hop count -i – Set IgnoreDots option to true -M<macro><value> - Set macro -N<switch> - Set return DNS notify information never – Never return the info success – Return on successful delivery failure – Return on failure delay – Return on delayed delivery -n – Supresses aliasing -O<option=value> - Set an option (long name) -o – Set an option (short name) -pUUCP:test – Sets protocol in $r macro to UUCP and $s macro to test -q30m – Sets queue processing to every 30 min -qR@here.com – Processes the queue once delivering only mail to @here.com -R hdrs – bounces only the headers -R full – Bounces headers and body -s – Sets SaveFromLine option to true -T 5d – Sets Timeout.queuereturn option to 5 days -t – Gathers a list of recipients from messages headers -U – make this the initial MUA to MTA submission -V test123456 – Sets the DSN ENVID string to test123456 -v – Runs sendmail in verbose mode -X /var/tmp/trace.mail – Logs both sides of smtp transactions to trace.mail file.   Rule Testing Mode (/usr/lib/sendmail –bt) ? – Prints help .DrUUCP – Defines macro r as UUCP =S5 – Prints the contents of ruleset 5 =M – Displays list of delivery agents ${name} – Prints the value of macro name. $=w – prints the contents of the class macro w /mx here.com – Returns the MX records for here.com in the order they will be utilized /parse foo – Parses the value of the address foo, returns the value of crackaddr(), and the final parsed address including the delivery agent. /try local foo – Rewrites the address foo based on the rules for local delivery /tryflags HS – Sets the flags used by /parse and /try to H for header and S for sender, can also use E for envelope and R for recipient /canon foo - Transforms the hostname foo into its canonical form /map aliases foo – Looks up foo in the aliases database 3,0 – me@foo – Runs the address me@foo through rulesets 3 and 0