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