. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
. This is the primary source of the Exim Manual. It is an xfpt document that is
-. converted into DocBook XML for subsequent conversion into printing and online
+. converted into DocBook XML for subsequent conversion into printable and online
. formats. The markup used herein is "standard" xfpt markup, with some extras.
. The markup is summarized in a file called Markup.txt.
.
.literal off
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-. This generate the outermost <book> element that wraps then entire document.
+. This generates the outermost <book> element that wraps the entire document.
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
.book
. Update the Copyright year (only) when changing content.
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-.set previousversion "4.91"
+.set previousversion "4.96"
.include ./local_params
.set ACL "access control lists (ACLs)"
.set I " "
+.set drivernamemax "64"
+
.macro copyyear
-2018
+2022
.endmacro
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
. provided in the xfpt library.
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-. --- Override the &$ flag to automatically insert a $ with the variable name
+. --- Override the &$ flag to automatically insert a $ with the variable name.
.flag &$ $& "<varname>$" "</varname>"
. --- Short flags for daggers in option headings. They will always be inside
-. --- an italic string, but we want the daggers to be roman.
+. --- an italic string, but we want the daggers to be in Roman.
.flag &!! "</emphasis>†<emphasis>"
.flag &!? "</emphasis>‡<emphasis>"
. --- A macro for the common 2-column tables. The width of the first column
. --- is suitable for the many tables at the start of the main options chapter;
-. --- the small number of other 2-column tables override it.
+. --- a small number of other 2-column tables override it.
.macro table2 196pt 254pt
.itable none 0 0 2 $1 left $2 left
.endmacro
+
+. --- A macro for a plain variable, including the .vitem and .vindex
+.macro var
+.vitem $1
+.vindex $1
+.endmacro
+
+. --- A macro for a "tainted" marker, done as a one-element table
+.macro tmark
+.itable none 0 0 1 10pt left
+.row &'Tainted'&
+.endtable
+.endmacro
+
+. --- A macro for a tainted variable, adding a taint-marker
+.macro tvar
+.var $1
+.tmark
+.endmacro
+
+. --- A macro for a cmdline option, including a .oindex
+. --- 1st arg is the option name, undecorated (we do that here).
+. --- 2nd arg, optional, text (decorated as needed) to be appended to the name
+.macro cmdopt
+.vitem &%$1%&$=2+&~$2+
+.oindex &%$1%&
+.endmacro
+
. --- A macro that generates .row, but puts &I; at the start of the first
. --- argument, thus indenting it. Assume a minimum of two arguments, and
. --- allow up to four arguments, which is as many as we'll ever need.
. --- style of entry, use .scindex for the start and .ecindex for the end. The
. --- first argument of .scindex and the only argument of .ecindex must be the
. --- ID that ties them together.
+. --- The index entry points to the most-recent chapter head, section or subsection
+. --- head, or list-item.
.macro cindex
&<indexterm role="concept">&
&</indexterm>&
.endmacro
+. --- The index entry points to the most-recent chapter head, section or subsection
+. --- head, or varlist item.
+
.macro vindex
&<indexterm role="variable">&
&<primary>&$1&</primary>&
.macro index
.echo "** Don't use .index; use .cindex or .oindex or .vindex"
.endmacro
+
+
+. use this for a concept-index entry for a header line
+.macro chindex
+.cindex "&'$1'& header line"
+.cindex "header lines" $1
+.endmacro
. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-. The <bookinfo> element is removed from the XML before processing for Ascii
+. The <bookinfo> element is removed from the XML before processing for ASCII
. output formats.
. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
</revision></revhistory>
<copyright><year>
.copyyear
- </year><holder>University of Cambridge</holder></copyright>
+ </year><holder>The Exim Maintainers</holder></copyright>
</bookinfo>
.literal off
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-. This chunk of literal XML implements index entries of the form "x, see y" and
-. "x, see also y". However, the DocBook DTD doesn't allow <indexterm> entries
+. These implement index entries of the form "x, see y" and "x, see also y".
+. However, the DocBook DTD doesn't allow <indexterm> entries
. at the top level, so we have to put the .chapter directive first.
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
.chapter "Introduction" "CHID1"
-.literal xml
-<indexterm role="variable">
- <primary>$1, $2, etc.</primary>
- <see><emphasis>numerical variables</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>address</primary>
- <secondary>rewriting</secondary>
- <see><emphasis>rewriting</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>Bounce Address Tag Validation</primary>
- <see><emphasis>BATV</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>Client SMTP Authorization</primary>
- <see><emphasis>CSA</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>CR character</primary>
- <see><emphasis>carriage return</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>CRL</primary>
- <see><emphasis>certificate revocation list</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>delivery</primary>
- <secondary>failure report</secondary>
- <see><emphasis>bounce message</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>dialup</primary>
- <see><emphasis>intermittently connected hosts</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>exiscan</primary>
- <see><emphasis>content scanning</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>failover</primary>
- <see><emphasis>fallback</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>fallover</primary>
- <see><emphasis>fallback</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>filter</primary>
- <secondary>Sieve</secondary>
- <see><emphasis>Sieve filter</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>ident</primary>
- <see><emphasis>RFC 1413</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>LF character</primary>
- <see><emphasis>linefeed</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>maximum</primary>
- <seealso><emphasis>limit</emphasis></seealso>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>monitor</primary>
- <see><emphasis>Exim monitor</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>no_<emphasis>xxx</emphasis></primary>
- <see>entry for xxx</see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>NUL</primary>
- <see><emphasis>binary zero</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>passwd file</primary>
- <see><emphasis>/etc/passwd</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>process id</primary>
- <see><emphasis>pid</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>RBL</primary>
- <see><emphasis>DNS list</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>redirection</primary>
- <see><emphasis>address redirection</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>return path</primary>
- <seealso><emphasis>envelope sender</emphasis></seealso>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>scanning</primary>
- <see><emphasis>content scanning</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>SSL</primary>
- <see><emphasis>TLS</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>string</primary>
- <secondary>expansion</secondary>
- <see><emphasis>expansion</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>top bit</primary>
- <see><emphasis>8-bit characters</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>variables</primary>
- <see><emphasis>expansion, variables</emphasis></see>
-</indexterm>
-<indexterm role="concept">
- <primary>zero, binary</primary>
- <see><emphasis>binary zero</emphasis></see>
+.macro seeother
+.literal xml
+<indexterm role="$2">
+ <primary>$3</primary>
+.arg 5
+ <secondary>$5</secondary>
+.endarg
+ <$1><emphasis>$4</emphasis></$1>
</indexterm>
-
.literal off
+.endmacro
+
+. NB: for the 4-arg variant the ordering is awkward
+.macro see
+.seeother see "$1" "$2" "$3" "$4"
+.endmacro
+.macro seealso
+.seeother seealso "$1" "$2" "$3" "$4"
+.endmacro
+
+.see variable "<emphasis>$1</emphasis>, <emphasis>$2</emphasis>, etc." "numerical variables"
+.see concept address rewriting rewriting
+.see concept "Bounce Address Tag Validation" BATV
+.see concept "Client SMTP Authorization" CSA
+.see concept "CR character" "carriage return"
+.see concept CRL "certificate revocation list"
+.seealso concept de-tainting "tainted data"
+.see concept delivery "bounce message" "failure report"
+.see concept dialup "intermittently connected hosts"
+.see concept exiscan "content scanning"
+.see concept fallover fallback
+.see concept filter "Sieve filter" Sieve
+.see concept headers "header lines"
+.see concept ident "RFC 1413"
+.see concept "LF character" "linefeed"
+.seealso concept maximum limit
+.see concept monitor "Exim monitor"
+.see concept "no_<emphasis>xxx</emphasis>" "entry for xxx"
+.see concept NUL "binary zero"
+.see concept "passwd file" "/etc/passwd"
+.see concept "process id" pid
+.see concept RBL "DNS list"
+.see concept redirection "address redirection"
+.see concept "return path" "envelope sender"
+.see concept scanning "content scanning"
+.see concept SSL TLS
+.see concept string expansion expansion
+.see concept "top bit" "8-bit characters"
+.see concept variables "expansion, variables"
+.see concept "zero, binary" "binary zero"
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
BSD/OS (aka BSDI), Darwin (Mac OS X), DGUX, Dragonfly, FreeBSD, GNU/Hurd,
GNU/Linux, HI-OSF (Hitachi), HI-UX, HP-UX, IRIX, MIPS RISCOS, NetBSD, OpenBSD,
OpenUNIX, QNX, SCO, SCO SVR4.2 (aka UNIX-SV), Solaris (aka SunOS5), SunOS4,
-Tru64-Unix (formerly Digital UNIX, formerly DEC-OSF1), Ultrix, and Unixware.
+Tru64-Unix (formerly Digital UNIX, formerly DEC-OSF1), Ultrix, and UnixWare.
Some of these operating systems are no longer current and cannot easily be
tested, so the configuration files may no longer work in practice.
the file &_NOTICE_&. Exim is distributed under the terms of the GNU General
Public Licence, a copy of which may be found in the file &_LICENCE_&.
-The use, supply or promotion of Exim for the purpose of sending bulk,
-unsolicited electronic mail is incompatible with the basic aims of the program,
+The use, supply, or promotion of Exim for the purpose of sending bulk,
+unsolicited electronic mail is incompatible with the basic aims of Exim,
which revolve around the free provision of a service that enhances the quality
of personal communications. The author of Exim regards indiscriminate
mass-mailing as an antisocial, irresponsible abuse of the Internet.
.cindex "documentation"
This edition of the Exim specification applies to version &version() of Exim.
Substantive changes from the &previousversion; edition are marked in some
-renditions of the document; this paragraph is so marked if the rendition is
+renditions of this document; this paragraph is so marked if the rendition is
capable of showing a change indicator.
.wen
with general Unix system administration. Although there are some discussions
and examples in places, the information is mostly organized in a way that makes
it easy to look up, rather than in a natural order for sequential reading.
-Furthermore, the manual aims to cover every aspect of Exim in detail, including
+Furthermore, this manual aims to cover every aspect of Exim in detail, including
a number of rarely-used, special-purpose features that are unlikely to be of
very wide interest.
SMTP Mail Server'& (second edition, 2007), published by UIT Cambridge
(&url(https://www.uit.co.uk/exim-book/)).
-This book also contains a chapter that gives a general introduction to SMTP and
+The book also contains a chapter that gives a general introduction to SMTP and
Internet mail. Inevitably, however, the book is unlikely to be fully up-to-date
with the latest release of Exim. (Note that the earlier book about Exim,
published by O'Reilly, covers Exim 3, and many things have changed in Exim 4.)
.cindex "&_doc/NewStuff_&"
.cindex "&_doc/ChangeLog_&"
.cindex "change log"
-As the program develops, there may be features in newer versions that have not
+As Exim develops, there may be features in newer versions that have not
yet made it into this document, which is updated only when the most significant
digit of the fractional part of the version number changes. Specifications of
new features that are not yet in this manual are placed in the file
they are not documented in this manual. Information about experimental features
can be found in the file &_doc/experimental.txt_&.
-All changes to the program (whether new features, bug fixes, or other kinds of
+All changes to Exim (whether new features, bug fixes, or other kinds of
change) are noted briefly in the file called &_doc/ChangeLog_&.
.cindex "&_doc/spec.txt_&"
-.section "FTP and web sites" "SECID2"
-.cindex "web site"
+.section "FTP site and websites" "SECID2"
+.cindex "website"
.cindex "FTP site"
The primary site for Exim source distributions is the &%exim.org%& FTP site,
available over HTTPS, HTTP and FTP. These services, and the &%exim.org%&
.cindex "wiki"
.cindex "FAQ"
-As well as Exim distribution tar files, the Exim web site contains a number of
+As well as Exim distribution tar files, the Exim website contains a number of
differently formatted versions of the documentation. A recent addition to the
online information is the Exim wiki (&url(https://wiki.exim.org)),
which contains what used to be a separate FAQ, as well as various other
.display
&url(https://alioth-lists.debian.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pkg-exim4-users)
.endd
-Please ask Debian-specific questions on this list and not on the general Exim
+Please ask Debian-specific questions on that list and not on the general Exim
lists.
.section "Bug reports" "SECID5"
.section "Where to find the Exim distribution" "SECTavail"
.cindex "FTP site"
.cindex "HTTPS download site"
-.cindex "distribution" "ftp site"
+.cindex "distribution" "FTP site"
.cindex "distribution" "https site"
The master distribution site for the Exim distribution is
.display
Coordinator. This key will have a uid containing an email address in the
&'exim.org'& domain and will have signatures from other people, including
other Exim maintainers. We expect that the key will be in the "strong set" of
-PGP keys. There should be a trust path to that key from Nigel Metheringham's
-PGP key, a version of which can be found in the release directory in the file
-&_nigel-pubkey.asc_&. All keys used will be available in public keyserver pools,
+PGP keys. There should be a trust path to that key from the Exim Maintainer's
+PGP keys, a version of which can be found in the release directory in the file
+&_Exim-Maintainers-Keyring.asc_&. All keys used will be available in public keyserver pools,
such as &'pool.sks-keyservers.net'&.
-At time of last update, releases were being made by Jeremy Harris and signed
+At the time of the last update, releases were being made by Jeremy Harris and signed
with key &'0xBCE58C8CE41F32DF'&. Other recent keys used for signing are those
of Heiko Schlittermann, &'0x26101B62F69376CE'&,
and of Phil Pennock, &'0x4D1E900E14C1CC04'&.
&_exim-n.nn.tar.gz.asc_&
&_exim-n.nn.tar.bz2.asc_&
.endd
-For each released version, the log of changes is made separately available in a
+For each released version, the log of changes is made available in a
separate file in the directory &_ChangeLogs_& so that it is possible to
find out what has changed without having to download the entire distribution.
.endlist
-.section "Run time configuration" "SECID7"
-Exim's run time configuration is held in a single text file that is divided
+.section "Runtime configuration" "SECID7"
+Exim's runtime configuration is held in a single text file that is divided
into a number of sections. The entries in this file consist of keywords and
values, in the style of Smail 3 configuration files. A default configuration
file which is suitable for simple online installations is provided in the
&_/usr/sbin/sendmail_& when sending mail, but you do not need to know anything
about Sendmail in order to run Exim. For actions other than sending messages,
Sendmail-compatible options also exist, but those that produce output (for
-example, &%-bp%&, which lists the messages on the queue) do so in Exim's own
+example, &%-bp%&, which lists the messages in the queue) do so in Exim's own
format. There are also some additional options that are compatible with Smail
3, and some further options that are new to Exim. Chapter &<<CHAPcommandline>>&
documents all Exim's command line options. This information is automatically
made into the man page that forms part of the Exim distribution.
-Control of messages on the queue can be done via certain privileged command
+Control of messages in the queue can be done via certain privileged command
line options. There is also an optional monitor program called &'eximon'&,
which displays current information in an X window, and which contains a menu
interface to Exim's command line administration options.
.cindex "terminology definitions"
.cindex "body of message" "definition of"
The &'body'& of a message is the actual data that the sender wants to transmit.
-It is the last part of a message, and is separated from the &'header'& (see
+It is the last part of a message and is separated from the &'header'& (see
below) by a blank line.
.cindex "bounce message" "definition of"
.cindex "local part" "definition of"
.cindex "domain" "definition of"
-The term &'local part'&, which is taken from RFC 2822, is used to refer to that
+The term &'local part'&, which is taken from RFC 2822, is used to refer to the
part of an email address that precedes the @ sign. The part that follows the
@ sign is called the &'domain'& or &'mail domain'&.
message's envelope.
.cindex "queue" "definition of"
-The term &'queue'& is used to refer to the set of messages awaiting delivery,
+The term &'queue'& is used to refer to the set of messages awaiting delivery
because this term is in widespread use in the context of MTAs. However, in
-Exim's case the reality is more like a pool than a queue, because there is
+Exim's case, the reality is more like a pool than a queue, because there is
normally no ordering of waiting messages.
.cindex "queue runner" "definition of"
The term &'queue runner'& is used to describe a process that scans the queue
and attempts to deliver those messages whose retry times have come. This term
-is used by other MTAs, and also relates to the command &%runq%&, but in Exim
+is used by other MTAs and also relates to the command &%runq%&, but in Exim
the waiting messages are normally processed in an unpredictable order.
.cindex "spool directory" "definition of"
The term &'spool directory'& is used for a directory in which Exim keeps the
-messages on its queue &-- that is, those that it is in the process of
+messages in its queue &-- that is, those that it is in the process of
delivering. This should not be confused with the directory in which local
mailboxes are stored, which is called a &"spool directory"& by some people. In
the Exim documentation, &"spool"& is always used in the first sense.
.chapter "Incorporated code" "CHID2"
.cindex "incorporated code"
.cindex "regular expressions" "library"
-.cindex "PCRE"
+.cindex "PCRE2"
.cindex "OpenDMARC"
A number of pieces of external code are included in the Exim distribution.
.ilist
Regular expressions are supported in the main Exim program and in the
-Exim monitor using the freely-distributable PCRE library, copyright
-© University of Cambridge. The source to PCRE is no longer shipped with
-Exim, so you will need to use the version of PCRE shipped with your system,
+Exim monitor using the freely-distributable PCRE2 library, copyright
+© University of Cambridge. The source to PCRE2 is not longer shipped with
+Exim, so you will need to use the version of PCRE2 shipped with your system,
or obtain and install the full version of the library from
-&url(ftp://ftp.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/software/programming/pcre).
+&url(https://github.com/PhilipHazel/pcre2/releases).
.next
.cindex "cdb" "acknowledgment"
Support for the cdb (Constant DataBase) lookup method is provided by code
.next
Many people have contributed code fragments, some large, some small, that were
-not covered by any specific licence requirements. It is assumed that the
+not covered by any specific license requirements. It is assumed that the
contributors are happy to see their code incorporated into Exim under the GPL.
.endlist
.section "Policy control" "SECID11"
.cindex "policy control" "overview"
Policy controls are now an important feature of MTAs that are connected to the
-Internet. Perhaps their most important job is to stop MTAs being abused as
+Internet. Perhaps their most important job is to stop MTAs from being abused as
&"open relays"& by misguided individuals who send out vast amounts of
-unsolicited junk, and want to disguise its source. Exim provides flexible
+unsolicited junk and want to disguise its source. Exim provides flexible
facilities for specifying policy controls on incoming mail:
.ilist
normally encoding numbers in base 62. However, in the Darwin operating
system (Mac OS X) and when Exim is compiled to run under Cygwin, base 36
(avoiding the use of lower case letters) is used instead, because the message
-id is used to construct file names, and the names of files in those systems are
+id is used to construct filenames, and the names of files in those systems are
not always case-sensitive.
.cindex "pid (process id)" "re-use of"
If the process runs Exim with the &%-bS%& option, the message is also read
non-interactively, but in this case the recipients are listed at the start of
the message in a series of SMTP RCPT commands, terminated by a DATA
-command. This is so-called &"batch SMTP"& format,
+command. This is called &"batch SMTP"& format,
but it isn't really SMTP. The SMTP commands are just another way of passing
envelope addresses in a non-interactive submission.
.next
qualification domain (which can be set by the &%qualify_domain%& configuration
option). For local or batch SMTP, a sender address that is passed using the
SMTP MAIL command is ignored. However, the system administrator may allow
-certain users (&"trusted users"&) to specify a different sender address
+certain users (&"trusted users"&) to specify a different sender addresses
unconditionally, or all users to specify certain forms of different sender
address. The &%-f%& option or the SMTP MAIL command is used to specify these
different addresses. See section &<<SECTtrustedadmin>>& for details of trusted
users to change sender addresses.
Messages received by either of the non-interactive mechanisms are subject to
-checking by the non-SMTP ACL, if one is defined. Messages received using SMTP
-(either over TCP/IP, or interacting with a local process) can be checked by a
+checking by the non-SMTP ACL if one is defined. Messages received using SMTP
+(either over TCP/IP or interacting with a local process) can be checked by a
number of ACLs that operate at different times during the SMTP session. Either
-individual recipients, or the entire message, can be rejected if local policy
+individual recipients or the entire message can be rejected if local policy
requirements are not met. The &[local_scan()]& function (see chapter
&<<CHAPlocalscan>>&) is run for all incoming messages.
file containing the envelope and header, and &`-D`& for the data file.
.cindex "spool directory" "&_input_& sub-directory"
-By default all these message files are held in a single directory called
+By default, all these message files are held in a single directory called
&_input_& inside the general Exim spool directory. Some operating systems do
not perform very well if the number of files in a directory gets large; to
improve performance in such cases, the &%split_spool_directory%& option can be
A message remains in the spool directory until it is completely delivered to
its recipients or to an error address, or until it is deleted by an
administrator or by the user who originally created it. In cases when delivery
-cannot proceed &-- for example, when a message can neither be delivered to its
+cannot proceed &-- for example when a message can neither be delivered to its
recipients nor returned to its sender, the message is marked &"frozen"& on the
spool, and no more deliveries are attempted.
.oindex "&%ignore_bounce_errors_after%&"
There are options called &%ignore_bounce_errors_after%& and
&%timeout_frozen_after%&, which discard frozen messages after a certain time.
-The first applies only to frozen bounces, the second to any frozen messages.
+The first applies only to frozen bounces, the second to all frozen messages.
.cindex "message" "log file for"
.cindex "log" "file for each message"
attempt to its main log file. This includes successful, unsuccessful, and
delayed deliveries for each recipient (see chapter &<<CHAPlog>>&). The log
lines are also written to a separate &'message log'& file for each message.
-These logs are solely for the benefit of the administrator, and are normally
+These logs are solely for the benefit of the administrator and are normally
deleted along with the spool files when processing of a message is complete.
The use of individual message logs can be disabled by setting
&%no_message_logs%&; this might give an improvement in performance on very busy
Updating the spool file is done by writing a new file and renaming it, to
minimize the possibility of data loss.
-Should the system or the program crash after a successful delivery but before
+Should the system or Exim crash after a successful delivery but before
the spool file has been updated, the journal is left lying around. The next
time Exim attempts to deliver the message, it reads the journal file and
updates the spool file before proceeding. This minimizes the chances of double
The main delivery processing elements of Exim are called &'routers'& and
&'transports'&, and collectively these are known as &'drivers'&. Code for a
number of them is provided in the source distribution, and compile-time options
-specify which ones are included in the binary. Run time options specify which
+specify which ones are included in the binary. Runtime options specify which
ones are actually used for delivering messages.
.cindex "drivers" "instance definition"
-Each driver that is specified in the run time configuration is an &'instance'&
+Each driver that is specified in the runtime configuration is an &'instance'&
of that particular driver type. Multiple instances are allowed; for example,
you can set up several different &(smtp)& transports, each with different
option values that might specify different ports or different timeouts. Each
configuration.
The first router that is specified in a configuration is often one that handles
-addresses in domains that are not recognized specially by the local host. These
-are typically addresses for arbitrary domains on the Internet. A precondition
+addresses in domains that are not recognized specifically by the local host.
+Typically these are addresses for arbitrary domains on the Internet. A precondition
is set up which looks for the special domains known to the host (for example,
its own domain name), and the router is run for addresses that do &'not'&
match. Typically, this is a router that looks up domains in the DNS in order to
does not affect the way the routers work, but it is a state that can be
detected. By this means, a router can be skipped or made to behave differently
when verifying. A common example is a configuration in which the first router
-sends all messages to a message-scanning program, unless they have been
+sends all messages to a message-scanning program unless they have been
previously scanned. Thus, the first router accepts all addresses without any
checking, making it useless for verifying. Normally, the &%no_verify%& option
would be set for such a router, causing it to be skipped in verify mode.
.ilist
&'accept'&: The router accepts the address, and either assigns it to a
-transport, or generates one or more &"child"& addresses. Processing the
-original address ceases,
+transport or generates one or more &"child"& addresses. Processing the
+original address ceases
.oindex "&%unseen%&"
unless the &%unseen%& option is set on the router. This option
can be used to set up multiple deliveries with different routing (for example,
&%redirect_router%& may be anywhere in the router configuration.
.next
&'pass'&: The router recognizes the address, but cannot handle it itself. It
-requests that the address be passed to another router. By default the address
+requests that the address be passed to another router. By default, the address
is passed to the next router, but this can be changed by setting the
&%pass_router%& option. However, (unlike &%redirect_router%&) the named router
must be below the current router (to avoid loops).
.cindex "address duplicate, discarding"
.cindex "duplicate addresses"
Once routing is complete, Exim scans the addresses that are assigned to local
-and remote transports, and discards any duplicates that it finds. During this
-check, local parts are treated as case-sensitive. This happens only when
+and remote transports and discards any duplicates that it finds. During this
+check, local parts are treated case-sensitively. This happens only when
actually delivering a message; when testing routers with &%-bt%&, all the
routed addresses are shown.
order in which they are tested. The individual configuration options are
described in more detail in chapter &<<CHAProutergeneric>>&.
-.ilist
+.olist
.cindex affix "router precondition"
The &%local_part_prefix%& and &%local_part_suffix%& options can specify that
the local parts handled by the router may or must have certain prefixes and/or
.next
Individual routers can be explicitly skipped when running the routers to
check an address given in the SMTP EXPN command (see the &%expn%& option).
+
.next
If the &%domains%& option is set, the domain of the address must be in the set
of domains that it defines.
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using router domains option"
+A match verifies the variable &$domain$& (which carries tainted data)
+and assigns an untainted value to the &$domain_data$& variable.
+Such an untainted value is often needed in the transport.
+For specifics of the matching operation and the resulting untainted value,
+refer to section &<<SECTdomainlist>>&.
+
+When an untainted value is wanted, use this option
+rather than the generic &%condition%& option.
+
.next
.vindex "&$local_part_prefix$&"
+.vindex "&$local_part_prefix_v$&"
.vindex "&$local_part$&"
.vindex "&$local_part_suffix$&"
+.vindex "&$local_part_suffix_v$&"
.cindex affix "router precondition"
If the &%local_parts%& option is set, the local part of the address must be in
-the set of local parts that it defines. If &%local_part_prefix%& or
+the set of local parts that it defines.
+A match verifies the variable &$local_part$& (which carries tainted data)
+and assigns an untainted value to the &$local_part_data$& variable.
+Such an untainted value is often needed in the transport.
+For specifics of the matching operation and the resulting untainted value,
+refer to section &<<SECTlocparlis>>&.
+
+When an untainted value is wanted, use this option
+rather than the generic &%condition%& option.
+
+If &%local_part_prefix%& or
&%local_part_suffix%& is in use, the prefix or suffix is removed from the local
part before this check. If you want to do precondition tests on local parts
that include affixes, you can do so by using a &%condition%& option (see below)
-that uses the variables &$local_part$&, &$local_part_prefix$&, and
-&$local_part_suffix$& as necessary.
+that uses the variables &$local_part$&, &$local_part_prefix$&,
+&$local_part_prefix_v$&, &$local_part_suffix$&
+and &$local_part_suffix_v$& as necessary.
+
.next
.vindex "&$local_user_uid$&"
.vindex "&$local_user_gid$&"
local user are placed in &$local_user_uid$& and &$local_user_gid$& and the
user's home directory is placed in &$home$&; these values can be used in the
remaining preconditions.
+
.next
If the &%router_home_directory%& option is set, it is expanded at this point,
because it overrides the value of &$home$&. If this expansion were left till
later, the value of &$home$& as set by &%check_local_user%& would be used in
subsequent tests. Having two different values of &$home$& in the same router
could lead to confusion.
+
.next
If the &%senders%& option is set, the envelope sender address must be in the
set of addresses that it defines.
+
.next
If the &%require_files%& option is set, the existence or non-existence of
specified files is tested.
+
.next
.cindex "customizing" "precondition"
If the &%condition%& option is set, it is evaluated and tested. This option
uses an expanded string to allow you to set up your own custom preconditions.
Expanded strings are described in chapter &<<CHAPexpand>>&.
+
+Note that while using
+this option for address matching technically works,
+it does not set any de-tainted values.
+Such values are often needed, either for router-specific options or
+for transport options.
+Using the &%domains%& and &%local_parts%& options is usually the most
+convenient way to obtain them.
.endlist
.cindex "delivery" "in detail"
When a message is to be delivered, the sequence of events is as follows:
-.ilist
+.olist
If a system-wide filter file is specified, the message is passed to it. The
filter may add recipients to the message, replace the recipients, discard the
message, cause a new message to be generated, or cause the message delivery to
condition &%first_delivery%& can be used to detect the first run of the system
filter.
.next
-Each recipient address is offered to each configured router in turn, subject to
+Each recipient address is offered to each configured router, in turn, subject to
its preconditions, until one is able to handle it. If no router can handle the
address, that is, if they all decline, the address is failed. Because routers
can be targeted at particular domains, several locally handled domains can be
Exim's mechanism for retrying messages that fail to get delivered at the first
attempt is the queue runner process. You must either run an Exim daemon that
uses the &%-q%& option with a time interval to start queue runners at regular
-intervals, or use some other means (such as &'cron'&) to start them. If you do
+intervals or use some other means (such as &'cron'&) to start them. If you do
not arrange for queue runners to be run, messages that fail temporarily at the
-first attempt will remain on your queue for ever. A queue runner process works
+first attempt will remain in your queue forever. A queue runner process works
its way through the queue, one message at a time, trying each delivery that has
passed its retry time.
You can run several queue runners at once.
-.section "Temporary delivery failure" "SECID20"
+.subsection "Temporary delivery failure" SECID20
.cindex "delivery" "temporary failure"
There are many reasons why a message may not be immediately deliverable to a
particular address. Failure to connect to a remote machine (because it, or the
-.section "Permanent delivery failure" "SECID21"
+.subsection "Permanent delivery failure" SECID21
.cindex "delivery" "permanent failure"
.cindex "bounce message" "when generated"
When a message cannot be delivered to some or all of its intended recipients, a
-.section "Failures to deliver bounce messages" "SECID22"
+.subsection "Failures to deliver bounce messages" SECID22
.cindex "bounce message" "failure to deliver"
If a bounce message (either locally generated or received from a remote host)
-itself suffers a permanent delivery failure, the message is left on the queue,
+itself suffers a permanent delivery failure, the message is left in the queue,
but it is frozen, awaiting the attention of an administrator. There are options
that can be used to make Exim discard such failed messages, or to keep them
for only a short time (see &%timeout_frozen_after%& and
.irow &_util_& "independent utilities"
.endtable
-The main utility programs are contained in the &_src_& directory, and are built
+The main utility programs are contained in the &_src_& directory and are built
with the Exim binary. The &_util_& directory contains a few optional scripts
that may be useful to some sites.
A C99-capable compiler will be required for the build.
-.section "PCRE library" "SECTpcre"
-.cindex "PCRE library"
-Exim no longer has an embedded PCRE library as the vast majority of
-modern systems include PCRE as a system library, although you may need
-to install the PCRE or PCRE development package for your operating
-system. If your system has a normal PCRE installation the Exim build
+.section "PCRE2 library" "SECTpcre"
+.cindex "PCRE2 library"
+Exim no longer has an embedded regular-expression library as the vast majority of
+modern systems include PCRE2 as a system library, although you may need to
+install the PCRE2 package or the PCRE2 development package for your operating
+system. If your system has a normal PCRE2 installation the Exim build
process will need no further configuration. If the library or the
-headers are in an unusual location you will need to either set the PCRE_LIBS
+headers are in an unusual location you will need to either set the PCRE2_LIBS
and INCLUDE directives appropriately,
-or set PCRE_CONFIG=yes to use the installed &(pcre-config)& command.
+or set PCRE2_CONFIG=yes to use the installed &(pcre-config)& command.
If your operating system has no
-PCRE support then you will need to obtain and build the current PCRE
-from &url(ftp://ftp.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/software/programming/pcre/).
-More information on PCRE is available at &url(https://www.pcre.org/).
+PCRE2 support then you will need to obtain and build the current PCRE2
+from &url(https://github.com/PhilipHazel/pcre2/releases).
+More information on PCRE2 is available at &url(https://www.pcre.org/).
.section "DBM libraries" "SECTdb"
.cindex "DBM libraries" "discussion of"
The GNU library, &'gdbm'&, operates on a single file. If used via its &'ndbm'&
compatibility interface it makes two different hard links to it with names
&_dbmfile.dir_& and &_dbmfile.pag_&, but if used via its native interface, the
-file name is used unmodified.
+filename is used unmodified.
.next
.cindex "Berkeley DB library"
The Berkeley DB package, if called via its &'ndbm'& compatibility interface,
.next
To complicate things further, there are several very different versions of the
Berkeley DB package. Version 1.85 was stable for a very long time, releases
-2.&'x'& and 3.&'x'& were current for a while, but the latest versions when Exim last revamped support were numbered 4.&'x'&.
-Maintenance of some of the earlier releases has ceased. All versions of
-Berkeley DB could be obtained from
+2.&'x'& and 3.&'x'& were current for a while,
+but the latest versions when Exim last revamped support were numbered 5.&'x'&.
+Maintenance of some of the earlier releases has ceased,
+and Exim no longer supports versions before 3.&'x'&.
+All versions of Berkeley DB could be obtained from
&url(http://www.sleepycat.com/), which is now a redirect to their new owner's
page with far newer versions listed.
It is probably wise to plan to move your storage configurations away from
.endd
Similarly, for gdbm you set USE_GDBM, and for tdb you set USE_TDB. An
error is diagnosed if you set more than one of these.
+You can set USE_NDBM if needed to override an operating system default.
At the lowest level, the build-time configuration sets none of these options,
thereby assuming an interface of type (1). However, some operating system
.code
DBMLIB = -ldb
DBMLIB = -ltdb
+DBMLIB = -lgdbm -lgdbm_compat
.endd
+The last of those was for a Linux having GDBM provide emulated NDBM facilities.
Settings like that will work if the DBM library is installed in the standard
place. Sometimes it is not, and the library's header file may also not be in
the default path. You may need to set INCLUDE to specify where the header
&_src/EDITME_& to &_Local/Makefile_&, then read it and edit it appropriately.
There are three settings that you must supply, because Exim will not build
-without them. They are the location of the run time configuration file
+without them. They are the location of the runtime configuration file
(CONFIGURE_FILE), the directory in which Exim binaries will be installed
(BIN_DIRECTORY), and the identity of the Exim user (EXIM_USER and
maybe EXIM_GROUP as well). The value of CONFIGURE_FILE can in fact be
-a colon-separated list of file names; Exim uses the first of them that exists.
+a colon-separated list of filenames; Exim uses the first of them that exists.
There are a few other parameters that can be specified either at build time or
-at run time, to enable the same binary to be used on a number of different
+at runtime, to enable the same binary to be used on a number of different
machines. However, if the locations of Exim's spool directory and log file
directory (if not within the spool directory) are fixed, it is recommended that
-you specify them in &_Local/Makefile_& instead of at run time, so that errors
+you specify them in &_Local/Makefile_& instead of at runtime, so that errors
detected early in Exim's execution (such as a malformed configuration file) can
be logged.
This is all the configuration that is needed in straightforward cases for known
operating systems. However, the building process is set up so that it is easy
to override options that are set by default or by operating-system-specific
-configuration files, for example to change the name of the C compiler, which
+configuration files, for example, to change the C compiler, which
defaults to &%gcc%&. See section &<<SECToverride>>& below for details of how to
do this.
.section "Including TLS/SSL encryption support" "SECTinctlsssl"
.cindex "TLS" "including support for TLS"
.cindex "encryption" "including support for"
-.cindex "SUPPORT_TLS"
.cindex "OpenSSL" "building Exim with"
.cindex "GnuTLS" "building Exim with"
-Exim can be built to support encrypted SMTP connections, using the STARTTLS
-command as per RFC 2487. It can also support legacy clients that expect to
+Exim is usually built to support encrypted SMTP connections, using the STARTTLS
+command as per RFC 2487. It can also support clients that expect to
start a TLS session immediately on connection to a non-standard port (see the
&%tls_on_connect_ports%& runtime option and the &%-tls-on-connect%& command
line option).
OpenSSL or GnuTLS library. There is no cryptographic code in Exim itself for
implementing SSL.
+If you do not want TLS support you should set
+.code
+DISABLE_TLS=yes
+.endd
+in &_Local/Makefile_&.
+
If OpenSSL is installed, you should set
.code
-SUPPORT_TLS=yes
+USE_OPENSL=yes
TLS_LIBS=-lssl -lcrypto
.endd
in &_Local/Makefile_&. You may also need to specify the locations of the
OpenSSL library and include files. For example:
.code
-SUPPORT_TLS=yes
+USE_OPENSSL=yes
TLS_LIBS=-L/usr/local/openssl/lib -lssl -lcrypto
TLS_INCLUDE=-I/usr/local/openssl/include/
.endd
.cindex "pkg-config" "OpenSSL"
If you have &'pkg-config'& available, then instead you can just use:
.code
-SUPPORT_TLS=yes
+USE_OPENSSL=yes
USE_OPENSSL_PC=openssl
.endd
.cindex "USE_GNUTLS"
If GnuTLS is installed, you should set
.code
-SUPPORT_TLS=yes
USE_GNUTLS=yes
TLS_LIBS=-lgnutls -ltasn1 -lgcrypt
.endd
in &_Local/Makefile_&, and again you may need to specify the locations of the
library and include files. For example:
.code
-SUPPORT_TLS=yes
USE_GNUTLS=yes
TLS_LIBS=-L/usr/gnu/lib -lgnutls -ltasn1 -lgcrypt
TLS_INCLUDE=-I/usr/gnu/include
.cindex "pkg-config" "GnuTLS"
If you have &'pkg-config'& available, then instead you can just use:
.code
-SUPPORT_TLS=yes
USE_GNUTLS=yes
USE_GNUTLS_PC=gnutls
.endd
However, there are some optional lookup types (such as cdb) for which
the code is entirely contained within Exim, and no external include
files or libraries are required. When a lookup type is not included in the
-binary, attempts to configure Exim to use it cause run time configuration
+binary, attempts to configure Exim to use it cause runtime configuration
errors.
.cindex "pkg-config" "lookups"
&_OS/eximon.conf-Default_& can be overridden dynamically by setting environment
variables of the same name, preceded by EXIMON_. For example, setting
EXIMON_LOG_DEPTH in the environment overrides the value of
-LOG_DEPTH at run time.
+LOG_DEPTH at runtime.
.ecindex IIDbuex
chapter &<<CHAPsecurity>>& for details).
.cindex "CONFIGURE_FILE"
-Exim's run time configuration file is named by the CONFIGURE_FILE setting
+Exim's runtime configuration file is named by the CONFIGURE_FILE setting
in &_Local/Makefile_&. If this names a single file, and the file does not
exist, the default configuration file &_src/configure.default_& is copied there
-by the installation script. If a run time configuration file already exists, it
+by the installation script. If a runtime configuration file already exists, it
is left alone. If CONFIGURE_FILE is a colon-separated list, naming several
alternative files, no default is installed.
For the utility programs, old versions are renamed by adding the suffix &_.O_&
to their names. The Exim binary itself, however, is handled differently. It is
installed under a name that includes the version number and the compile number,
-for example &_exim-&version()-1_&. The script then arranges for a symbolic link
+for example, &_exim-&version()-1_&. The script then arranges for a symbolic link
called &_exim_& to point to the binary. If you are updating a previous version
of Exim, the script takes care to ensure that the name &_exim_& is never absent
from the directory (as seen by other processes).
.cindex "installing Exim" "&'info'& documentation"
Not all systems use the GNU &'info'& system for documentation, and for this
reason, the Texinfo source of Exim's documentation is not included in the main
-distribution. Instead it is available separately from the ftp site (see section
+distribution. Instead it is available separately from the FTP site (see section
&<<SECTavail>>&).
If you have defined INFO_DIRECTORY in &_Local/Makefile_& and the Texinfo
.section "Testing" "SECID34"
.cindex "testing" "installation"
-Having installed Exim, you can check that the run time configuration file is
+Having installed Exim, you can check that the runtime configuration file is
syntactically valid by running the following command, which assumes that the
Exim binary directory is within your PATH environment variable:
.code
Testing a new version on a system that is already running Exim can most easily
be done by building a binary with a different CONFIGURE_FILE setting. From
-within the run time configuration, all other file and directory names
+within the runtime configuration, all other file and directory names
that Exim uses can be altered, in order to keep it entirely clear of the
production version.
+.section "Running the daemon" SECTdaemonLaunch
+The most common command line for launching the Exim daemon looks like
+.code
+exim -bd -q5m
+.endd
+This starts a daemon which
+.ilist
+listens for incoming smtp connections, launching handler processes for
+each new one
+.next
+starts a queue-runner process every five minutes, to inspect queued messages
+and run delivery attempts on any that have arrived at their retry time
+.endlist
+Should a queue run take longer than the time between queue-runner starts,
+they will run in parallel.
+Numbers of jobs of the various types are subject to policy controls
+defined in the configuration.
+
+
.section "Upgrading Exim" "SECID36"
.cindex "upgrading Exim"
If you are already running Exim on your host, building and installing a new
version automatically makes it available to MUAs, or any other programs that
call the MTA directly. However, if you are running an Exim daemon, you do need
+.cindex restart "on HUP signal"
+.cindex signal "HUP, to restart"
to send it a HUP signal, to make it re-execute itself, and thereby pick up the
new binary. You do not need to stop processing mail in order to install a new
version of Exim. The install script does not modify an existing runtime
configuration option. Note that the Exim group is not automatically trusted.
.cindex '&"From"& line'
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
Trusted users are always permitted to use the &%-f%& option or a leading
&"From&~"& line to specify the envelope sender of a message that is passed to
See the &%untrusted_set_sender%& option for a way of permitting non-trusted
users to set envelope senders.
-.cindex "&'From:'& header line"
-.cindex "&'Sender:'& header line"
-.cindex "header lines" "From:"
-.cindex "header lines" "Sender:"
+.chindex From:
+.chindex Sender:
For a trusted user, there is never any check on the contents of the &'From:'&
header line, and a &'Sender:'& line is never added. Furthermore, any existing
&'Sender:'& line in incoming local (non-TCP/IP) messages is not removed.
.vlist
-.vitem &%--%&
-.oindex "--"
+.cmdopt "--" "--"
.cindex "options" "command line; terminating"
This is a pseudo-option whose only purpose is to terminate the options and
therefore to cause subsequent command line items to be treated as arguments
rather than options, even if they begin with hyphens.
-.vitem &%--help%&
-.oindex "&%--help%&"
+.cmdopt --help
This option causes Exim to output a few sentences stating what it is.
The same output is generated if the Exim binary is called with no options and
no arguments.
-.vitem &%--version%&
-.oindex "&%--version%&"
+.cmdopt --version
This option is an alias for &%-bV%& and causes version information to be
displayed.
These options are used by Sendmail for selecting configuration files and are
ignored by Exim.
-.vitem &%-B%&<&'type'&>
+.cmdopt -B <&'type'&>
.oindex "&%-B%&"
.cindex "8-bit characters"
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "8-bit characters"
This is a Sendmail option for selecting 7 or 8 bit processing. Exim is 8-bit
clean; it ignores this option.
-.vitem &%-bd%&
-.oindex "&%-bd%&"
+.cmdopt -bd
.cindex "daemon"
.cindex "SMTP" "listener"
.cindex "queue runner"
The SIGHUP signal
.cindex "SIGHUP"
+.cindex restart "on HUP signal"
+.cindex signal "HUP, to restart"
.cindex "daemon" "restarting"
+.cindex signal "to reload configuration"
+.cindex daemon "reload configuration"
+.cindex reload configuration
can be used to cause the daemon to re-execute itself. This should be done
whenever Exim's configuration file, or any file that is incorporated into it by
means of the &%.include%& facility, is changed, and also whenever a new version
referenced from the configuration (for example, alias files) are changed,
because these are reread each time they are used.
-.vitem &%-bdf%&
-.oindex "&%-bdf%&"
+.cmdopt -bdf
This option has the same effect as &%-bd%& except that it never disconnects
from the controlling terminal, even when no debugging is specified.
-.vitem &%-be%&
-.oindex "&%-be%&"
+.cmdopt -be
.cindex "testing" "string expansion"
.cindex "expansion" "testing"
Run Exim in expansion testing mode. Exim discards its root privilege, to
test data. A line history is supported.
Long expansion expressions can be split over several lines by using backslash
-continuations. As in Exim's run time configuration, white space at the start of
+continuations. As in Exim's runtime configuration, white space at the start of
continuation lines is ignored. Each argument or data line is passed through the
string expansion mechanism, and the result is output. Variable values from the
configuration file (for example, &$qualify_domain$&) are available, but no
Because macros in the config file are often used for secrets, those are only
available to admin users.
-.vitem &%-bem%&&~<&'filename'&>
-.oindex "&%-bem%&"
+.new
+The word &"set"& at the start of a line, followed by a single space,
+is recognised specially as defining a value for a variable.
+The syntax is otherwise the same as the ACL modifier &"set ="&.
+.wen
+
+.cmdopt -bem <&'filename'&>
.cindex "testing" "string expansion"
.cindex "expansion" "testing"
This option operates like &%-be%& except that it must be followed by the name
line, because further arguments are taken as strings to expand (just like
&%-be%&).
-.vitem &%-bF%&&~<&'filename'&>
-.oindex "&%-bF%&"
+.cmdopt -bF <&'filename'&>
.cindex "system filter" "testing"
.cindex "testing" "system filter"
This option is the same as &%-bf%& except that it assumes that the filter being
tested is a system filter. The additional commands that are available only in
system filters are recognized.
-.vitem &%-bf%&&~<&'filename'&>
-.oindex "&%-bf%&"
+.cmdopt -bf <&'filename'&>
.cindex "filter" "testing"
.cindex "testing" "filter file"
.cindex "forward file" "testing"
When testing a filter file,
.cindex "&""From""& line"
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
.oindex "&%-f%&" "for filter testing"
the envelope sender can be set by the &%-f%& option,
can be set by means of additional command line options (see the next four
options).
-.vitem &%-bfd%&&~<&'domain'&>
-.oindex "&%-bfd%&"
+.cmdopt -bfd <&'domain'&>
.vindex "&$qualify_domain$&"
This sets the domain of the recipient address when a filter file is being
tested by means of the &%-bf%& option. The default is the value of
&$qualify_domain$&.
-.vitem &%-bfl%&&~<&'local&~part'&>
-.oindex "&%-bfl%&"
+.cmdopt -bfl <&'local&~part'&>
This sets the local part of the recipient address when a filter file is being
tested by means of the &%-bf%& option. The default is the username of the
process that calls Exim. A local part should be specified with any prefix or
suffix stripped, because that is how it appears to the filter when a message is
actually being delivered.
-.vitem &%-bfp%&&~<&'prefix'&>
-.oindex "&%-bfp%&"
+.cmdopt -bfp <&'prefix'&>
.cindex affix "filter testing"
This sets the prefix of the local part of the recipient address when a filter
file is being tested by means of the &%-bf%& option. The default is an empty
prefix.
-.vitem &%-bfs%&&~<&'suffix'&>
-.oindex "&%-bfs%&"
+.cmdopt -bfs <&'suffix'&>
.cindex affix "filter testing"
This sets the suffix of the local part of the recipient address when a filter
file is being tested by means of the &%-bf%& option. The default is an empty
suffix.
-.vitem &%-bh%&&~<&'IP&~address'&>
-.oindex "&%-bh%&"
+.cmdopt -bh <&'IP&~address'&>
.cindex "testing" "incoming SMTP"
.cindex "SMTP" "testing incoming"
.cindex "testing" "relay control"
specialized SMTP test program such as
&url(https://www.jetmore.org/john/code/swaks/,swaks).
-.vitem &%-bhc%&&~<&'IP&~address'&>
-.oindex "&%-bhc%&"
+.cmdopt -bhc <&'IP&~address'&>
This option operates in the same way as &%-bh%&, except that address
verification callouts are performed if required. This includes consulting and
updating the callout cache database.
-.vitem &%-bi%&
-.oindex "&%-bi%&"
+.cmdopt -bi
.cindex "alias file" "building"
.cindex "building alias file"
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "&%-bi%& option"
&%-bi%& is a no-op.
. // Keep :help first, then the rest in alphabetical order
-.vitem &%-bI:help%&
-.oindex "&%-bI:help%&"
+.cmdopt -bI:help
.cindex "querying exim information"
We shall provide various options starting &`-bI:`& for querying Exim for
information. The output of many of these will be intended for machine
synopsis of supported options beginning &`-bI:`&. Use of any of these
options shall cause Exim to exit after producing the requested output.
-.vitem &%-bI:dscp%&
-.oindex "&%-bI:dscp%&"
+.cmdopt -bI:dscp
.cindex "DSCP" "values"
This option causes Exim to emit an alphabetically sorted list of all
recognised DSCP names.
-.vitem &%-bI:sieve%&
-.oindex "&%-bI:sieve%&"
+.cmdopt -bI:sieve
.cindex "Sieve filter" "capabilities"
This option causes Exim to emit an alphabetically sorted list of all supported
Sieve protocol extensions on stdout, one per line. This is anticipated to be
compile-time build options, which this option will adapt to, this is the only
way to guarantee a correct response.
-.vitem &%-bm%&
-.oindex "&%-bm%&"
+.cmdopt -bm
.cindex "local message reception"
This option runs an Exim receiving process that accepts an incoming,
locally-generated message on the standard input. The recipients are given as the
preference to the address taken from the message. The caller of Exim must be a
trusted user for the sender of a message to be set in this way.
-.vitem &%-bmalware%&&~<&'filename'&>
-.oindex "&%-bmalware%&"
+.cmdopt -bmalware <&'filename'&>
.cindex "testing", "malware"
.cindex "malware scan test"
This debugging option causes Exim to scan the given file or directory
there are better tools for file-scanning. This option exists to help
administrators verify their Exim and AV scanner configuration.
-.vitem &%-bnq%&
-.oindex "&%-bnq%&"
+.cmdopt -bnq
.cindex "address qualification, suppressing"
By default, Exim automatically qualifies unqualified addresses (those
without domains) that appear in messages that are submitted locally (that
unqualified addresses in header lines are left alone.
-.vitem &%-bP%&
-.oindex "&%-bP%&"
+.cmdopt -bP
.cindex "configuration options" "extracting"
.cindex "options" "configuration &-- extracting"
If this option is given with no arguments, it causes the values of all Exim's
If &%config%& is given as an argument, the config is
output, as it was parsed, any include file resolved, any comment removed.
-If &%config_file%& is given as an argument, the name of the run time
+If &%config_file%& is given as an argument, the name of the runtime
configuration file is output. (&%configure_file%& works too, for
backward compatibility.)
If a list of configuration files was supplied, the value that is output here
For the "-bP macro <name>" form, if no such macro is found
the exit status will be nonzero.
-.vitem &%-bp%&
-.oindex "&%-bp%&"
-.cindex "queue" "listing messages on"
-.cindex "listing" "messages on the queue"
+.cmdopt -bp
+.cindex "queue" "listing messages in"
+.cindex "listing" "messages in the queue"
This option requests a listing of the contents of the mail queue on the
standard output. If the &%-bp%& option is followed by a list of message ids,
just those messages are listed. By default, this option can be used only by an
admin user. However, the &%queue_list_requires_admin%& option can be set false
to allow any user to see the queue.
-Each message on the queue is displayed as in the following example:
+Each message in the queue is displayed as in the following example:
.code
25m 2.9K 0t5C6f-0000c8-00 <alice@wonderland.fict.example>
red.king@looking-glass.fict.example
.endd
.cindex "message" "size in queue listing"
.cindex "size" "of message"
-The first line contains the length of time the message has been on the queue
+The first line contains the length of time the message has been in the queue
(in this case 25 minutes), the size of the message (2.9K), the unique local
identifier for the message, and the message sender, as contained in the
envelope. For bounce messages, the sender address is empty, and appears as
complete.
-.vitem &%-bpa%&
-.oindex "&%-bpa%&"
+.cmdopt -bpa
This option operates like &%-bp%&, but in addition it shows delivered addresses
that were generated from the original top level address(es) in each message by
alias or forwarding operations. These addresses are flagged with &"+D"& instead
of just &"D"&.
-.vitem &%-bpc%&
-.oindex "&%-bpc%&"
+.cmdopt -bpc
.cindex "queue" "count of messages on"
-This option counts the number of messages on the queue, and writes the total
+This option counts the number of messages in the queue, and writes the total
to the standard output. It is restricted to admin users, unless
&%queue_list_requires_admin%& is set false.
-.vitem &%-bpr%&
-.oindex "&%-bpr%&"
+.cmdopt -bpr
This option operates like &%-bp%&, but the output is not sorted into
chronological order of message arrival. This can speed it up when there are
-lots of messages on the queue, and is particularly useful if the output is
+lots of messages in the queue, and is particularly useful if the output is
going to be post-processed in a way that doesn't need the sorting.
-.vitem &%-bpra%&
-.oindex "&%-bpra%&"
+.cmdopt -bpra
This option is a combination of &%-bpr%& and &%-bpa%&.
-.vitem &%-bpru%&
-.oindex "&%-bpru%&"
+.cmdopt -bpru
This option is a combination of &%-bpr%& and &%-bpu%&.
-.vitem &%-bpu%&
-.oindex "&%-bpu%&"
+.cmdopt -bpu
This option operates like &%-bp%& but shows only undelivered top-level
addresses for each message displayed. Addresses generated by aliasing or
forwarding are not shown, unless the message was deferred after processing by a
router with the &%one_time%& option set.
-.vitem &%-brt%&
-.oindex "&%-brt%&"
+.cmdopt -brt
.cindex "testing" "retry configuration"
.cindex "retry" "configuration testing"
This option is for testing retry rules, and it must be followed by up to three
Retry rule: *@haydn.comp.mus.example quota_3d F,1h,15m
.endd
-.vitem &%-brw%&
-.oindex "&%-brw%&"
+.cmdopt -brw
.cindex "testing" "rewriting"
.cindex "rewriting" "testing"
This option is for testing address rewriting rules, and it must be followed by
would be rewritten for each possible place it might appear. See chapter
&<<CHAPrewrite>>& for further details.
-.vitem &%-bS%&
-.oindex "&%-bS%&"
+.cmdopt -bS
.cindex "SMTP" "batched incoming"
.cindex "batched SMTP input"
This option is used for batched SMTP input, which is an alternative interface
More details of input using batched SMTP are given in section
&<<SECTincomingbatchedSMTP>>&.
-.vitem &%-bs%&
-.oindex "&%-bs%&"
+.cmdopt -bs
.cindex "SMTP" "local input"
.cindex "local SMTP input"
This option causes Exim to accept one or more messages by reading SMTP commands
Exim behaves in exactly the same way as it does when receiving a message via
the listening daemon.
-.vitem &%-bt%&
-.oindex "&%-bt%&"
+.cmdopt -bt
.cindex "testing" "addresses"
.cindex "address" "testing"
This option runs Exim in address testing mode, in which each argument is taken
those conditions using &%-bt%&. The &%-N%& option provides a possible way of
doing such tests.
-.vitem &%-bV%&
-.oindex "&%-bV%&"
+.cmdopt -bV
.cindex "version number of Exim"
This option causes Exim to write the current version number, compilation
number, and compilation date of the &'exim'& binary to the standard output.
It also lists the DBM library that is being used, the optional modules (such as
specific lookup types), the drivers that are included in the binary, and the
-name of the run time configuration file that is in use.
+name of the runtime configuration file that is in use.
As part of its operation, &%-bV%& causes Exim to read and syntax check its
configuration file. However, this is a static check only. It cannot check
realistic testing is needed. The &%-bh%& and &%-N%& options provide more
dynamic testing facilities.
-.vitem &%-bv%&
-.oindex "&%-bv%&"
+.cmdopt -bv
.cindex "verifying address" "using &%-bv%&"
.cindex "address" "verification"
This option runs Exim in address verification mode, in which each argument is
sender when running &%-bv%& tests. Without it, the sender is assumed to be the
calling user at the default qualifying domain.
-.vitem &%-bvs%&
-.oindex "&%-bvs%&"
+.cmdopt -bvs
This option acts like &%-bv%&, but verifies the address as a sender rather
than a recipient address. This affects any rewriting and qualification that
might happen.
-.vitem &%-bw%&
-.oindex "&%-bw%&"
+.cmdopt -bw
.cindex "daemon"
.cindex "inetd"
.cindex "inetd" "wait mode"
If the option is given as &%-bw%&<&'time'&> then the time is a timeout, after
which the daemon will exit, which should cause inetd to listen once more.
-.vitem &%-C%&&~<&'filelist'&>
-.oindex "&%-C%&"
+.cmdopt -C <&'filelist'&>
.cindex "configuration file" "alternate"
.cindex "CONFIGURE_FILE"
.cindex "alternate configuration file"
-This option causes Exim to find the run time configuration file from the given
+This option causes Exim to find the runtime configuration file from the given
list instead of from the list specified by the CONFIGURE_FILE
-compile-time setting. Usually, the list will consist of just a single file
-name, but it can be a colon-separated list of names. In this case, the first
+compile-time setting. Usually, the list will consist of just a single filename,
+but it can be a colon-separated list of names. In this case, the first
file that exists is used. Failure to open an existing file stops Exim from
proceeding any further along the list, and an error is generated.
running as the Exim user, so when it re-executes to regain privilege for the
delivery, the use of &%-C%& causes privilege to be lost. However, root can
test reception and delivery using two separate commands (one to put a message
-on the queue, using &%-odq%&, and another to do the delivery, using &%-M%&).
+in the queue, using &%-odq%&, and another to do the delivery, using &%-M%&).
If ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX is defined &_in Local/Makefile_&, it specifies a
prefix string with which any file named in a &%-C%& command line option
-must start. In addition, the file name must not contain the sequence &`/../`&.
+must start. In addition, the filename must not contain the sequence &`/../`&.
However, if the value of the &%-C%& option is identical to the value of
CONFIGURE_FILE in &_Local/Makefile_&, Exim ignores &%-C%& and proceeds as
usual. There is no default setting for ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX; when it is
-unset, any file name can be used with &%-C%&.
+unset, any filename can be used with &%-C%&.
ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX can be used to confine alternative configuration files
to a directory to which only root has access. This prevents someone who has
debugging, whereas &%-d-all+filter%& selects only filter debugging. Note that
no spaces are allowed in the debug setting. The available debugging categories
are:
-.display
-&`acl `& ACL interpretation
-&`auth `& authenticators
-&`deliver `& general delivery logic
-&`dns `& DNS lookups (see also resolver)
-&`dnsbl `& DNS black list (aka RBL) code
-&`exec `& arguments for &[execv()]& calls
-&`expand `& detailed debugging for string expansions
-&`filter `& filter handling
-&`hints_lookup `& hints data lookups
-&`host_lookup `& all types of name-to-IP address handling
-&`ident `& ident lookup
-&`interface `& lists of local interfaces
-&`lists `& matching things in lists
-&`load `& system load checks
-&`local_scan `& can be used by &[local_scan()]& (see chapter &&&
- &<<CHAPlocalscan>>&)
-&`lookup `& general lookup code and all lookups
-&`memory `& memory handling
-&`pid `& add pid to debug output lines
-&`process_info `& setting info for the process log
-&`queue_run `& queue runs
-&`receive `& general message reception logic
-&`resolver `& turn on the DNS resolver's debugging output
-&`retry `& retry handling
-&`rewrite `& address rewriting
-&`route `& address routing
-&`timestamp `& add timestamp to debug output lines
-&`tls `& TLS logic
-&`transport `& transports
-&`uid `& changes of uid/gid and looking up uid/gid
-&`verify `& address verification logic
-&`all `& almost all of the above (see below), and also &%-v%&
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 20* left 80* left
+.irow acl "ACL interpretation"
+.irow auth "authenticators"
+.irow deliver "general delivery logic"
+.irow dns "DNS lookups (see also resolver)"
+.irow dnsbl "DNS black list (aka RBL) code"
+.irow exec "arguments for &[execv()]& calls"
+.irow expand "detailed debugging for string expansions"
+.irow filter "filter handling"
+.irow hints_lookup "hints data lookups"
+.irow host_lookup "all types of name-to-IP address handling"
+.irow ident "ident lookup"
+.irow interface "lists of local interfaces"
+.irow lists "matching things in lists"
+.irow load "system load checks"
+.irow local_scan "can be used by &[local_scan()]& (see chapter &&&
+ &<<CHAPlocalscan>>&)"
+.irow lookup "general lookup code and all lookups"
+.irow memory "memory handling"
+.irow noutf8 "modifier: avoid UTF-8 line-drawing"
+.irow pid "modifier: add pid to debug output lines"
+.irow process_info "setting info for the process log"
+.irow queue_run "queue runs"
+.irow receive "general message reception logic"
+.irow resolver "turn on the DNS resolver's debugging output"
+.irow retry "retry handling"
+.irow rewrite "address rewriting""
+.irow route "address routing"
+.irow timestamp "modifier: add timestamp to debug output lines"
+.irow tls "TLS logic"
+.irow transport "transports"
+.irow uid "changes of uid/gid and looking up uid/gid"
+.irow verify "address verification logic"
+.irow all "almost all of the above (see below), and also &%-v%&"
+.endtable
The &`all`& option excludes &`memory`& when used as &`+all`&, but includes it
for &`-all`&. The reason for this is that &`+all`& is something that people
tend to use when generating debug output for Exim maintainers. If &`+memory`&
of all debug output lines. This can be useful when trying to track down delays
in processing.
+.cindex debugging "UTF-8 in"
+.cindex UTF-8 "in debug output"
+The &`noutf8`& selector disables the use of
+UTF-8 line-drawing characters to group related information.
+When disabled. ascii-art is used instead.
+Using the &`+all`& option does not set this modifier,
+
If the &%debug_print%& option is set in any driver, it produces output whenever
any debugging is selected, or if &%-v%& is used.
subprocesses that the daemon creates. Thus, it is useful for monitoring the
behaviour of the daemon without creating as much output as full debugging does.
-.vitem &%-dropcr%&
-.oindex "&%-dropcr%&"
+.cmdopt -dropcr
This is an obsolete option that is now a no-op. It used to affect the way Exim
handled CR and LF characters in incoming messages. What happens now is
described in section &<<SECTlineendings>>&.
-.vitem &%-E%&
-.oindex "&%-E%&"
+.cmdopt -E
.cindex "bounce message" "generating"
This option specifies that an incoming message is a locally-generated delivery
failure report. It is used internally by Exim when handling delivery failures
example, the &%vacation%& program uses &%-eq%&. Exim treats all options of the
form &%-e%&&'x'& as synonymous with the corresponding &%-oe%&&'x'& options.
-.vitem &%-F%&&~<&'string'&>
-.oindex "&%-F%&"
+.cmdopt -F <&'string'&>
.cindex "sender" "name"
.cindex "name" "of sender"
This option sets the sender's full name for use when a locally-generated
their &'gecos'& entries, no security considerations are involved. White space
between &%-F%& and the <&'string'&> is optional.
-.vitem &%-f%&&~<&'address'&>
-.oindex "&%-f%&"
+.cmdopt -f <&'address'&>
.cindex "sender" "address"
.cindex "address" "sender"
.cindex "trusted users"
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
.cindex "user" "trusted"
This option sets the address of the envelope sender of a locally-generated
&"From&~"& line in the message &-- see the description of &%-bm%& above &-- but
if &%-f%& is also present, it overrides &"From&~"&.
-.vitem &%-G%&
-.oindex "&%-G%&"
+.cmdopt -G
.cindex "submission fixups, suppressing (command-line)"
This option is equivalent to an ACL applying:
.code
As this affects audit information, the caller must be a trusted user to use
this option.
-.vitem &%-h%&&~<&'number'&>
-.oindex "&%-h%&"
+.cmdopt -h <&'number'&>
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "&%-h%& option ignored"
This option is accepted for compatibility with Sendmail, but has no effect. (In
Sendmail it overrides the &"hop count"& obtained by counting &'Received:'&
headers.)
-.vitem &%-i%&
-.oindex "&%-i%&"
+.cmdopt -i
.cindex "Solaris" "&'mail'& command"
.cindex "dot" "in incoming non-SMTP message"
This option, which has the same effect as &%-oi%&, specifies that a dot on a
-line by itself should not terminate an incoming, non-SMTP message. I can find
-no documentation for this option in Solaris 2.4 Sendmail, but the &'mailx'&
-command in Solaris 2.4 uses it. See also &%-ti%&.
+line by itself should not terminate an incoming, non-SMTP message.
+Solaris 2.4 (SunOS 5.4) Sendmail has a similar &%-i%& processing option
+&url(https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19457-01/801-6680-1M/801-6680-1M.pdf),
+p. 1M-529), and therefore a &%-oi%& command line option, which both are used
+by its &'mailx'& command.
-.vitem &%-L%&&~<&'tag'&>
-.oindex "&%-L%&"
+.cmdopt -L <&'tag'&>
.cindex "syslog" "process name; set with flag"
This option is equivalent to setting &%syslog_processname%& in the config
file and setting &%log_file_path%& to &`syslog`&.
The tag should not be longer than 32 characters.
-.vitem &%-M%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-M%&"
+.cmdopt -M <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
.cindex "forcing delivery"
.cindex "delivery" "forcing attempt"
.cindex "frozen messages" "forcing delivery"
produced unless there is a serious error. If you want to see what is happening,
use the &%-v%& option as well, or inspect Exim's main log.
-.vitem &%-Mar%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'address'&>&~<&'address'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-Mar%&"
+.cmdopt -Mar <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'address'&>&~<&'address'&>&~...
.cindex "message" "adding recipients"
.cindex "recipient" "adding"
This option requests Exim to add the addresses to the list of recipients of the
active (in the middle of a delivery attempt), it is not altered. This option
can be used only by an admin user.
-.vitem "&%-MC%&&~<&'transport'&>&~<&'hostname'&>&~<&'sequence&~number'&>&&&
+.vitem "&%-MC%&&~<&'transport'&>&~<&'hostname'&>&&&
+ &~<&'host&~IP'&>&&&
+ &~<&'sequence&~number'&>&&&
&~<&'message&~id'&>"
.oindex "&%-MC%&"
.cindex "SMTP" "passed connection"
given in chapter &<<CHAPSMTP>>&. This must be the final option, and the caller
must be root or the Exim user in order to use it.
-.vitem &%-MCA%&
-.oindex "&%-MCA%&"
+.cmdopt -MCA
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option. It signifies that the
connection to the remote host has been authenticated.
-.vitem &%-MCD%&
-.oindex "&%-MCD%&"
+.cmdopt -MCD
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option. It signifies that the
remote host supports the ESMTP &_DSN_& extension.
-.vitem &%-MCG%&&~<&'queue&~name'&>
-.oindex "&%-MCG%&"
+.cmdopt -MCd
+This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
+by Exim in conjunction with the &%-d%& option
+to pass on an information string on the purpose of the process.
+
+.cmdopt -MCG <&'queue&~name'&>
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option. It signifies that an
alternate queue is used, named by the following argument.
-.vitem &%-MCK%&
-.oindex "&%-MCK%&"
+.cmdopt -MCK
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option. It signifies that a
remote host supports the ESMTP &_CHUNKING_& extension.
-.vitem &%-MCP%&
-.oindex "&%-MCP%&"
+.cmdopt -MCL
+This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
+by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option. It signifies that the server to
+which Exim is connected advertised limits on numbers of mails, recipients or
+recipient domains.
+The limits are given by the following three arguments.
+
+.cmdopt -MCP
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option. It signifies that the server to
which Exim is connected supports pipelining.
-.vitem &%-MCQ%&&~<&'process&~id'&>&~<&'pipe&~fd'&>
-.oindex "&%-MCQ%&"
+.cmdopt -MCp
+This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
+by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option. It signifies that the connection
+t a remote server is via a SOCKS proxy, using addresses and ports given by
+the following four arguments.
+
+.cmdopt -MCQ <&'process&~id'&>&~<&'pipe&~fd'&>
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option when the original delivery was
started by a queue runner. It passes on the process id of the queue runner,
signals the final completion of the sequence of processes that are passing
messages through the same SMTP connection.
-.vitem &%-MCS%&
-.oindex "&%-MCS%&"
+.cmdopt -MCq <&'recipient&~address'&>&~<&'size'&>
+This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
+by Exim to implement quota checking for local users.
+
+.cmdopt -MCS
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option, and passes on the fact that the
-SMTP SIZE option should be used on messages delivered down the existing
+ESMTP SIZE option should be used on messages delivered down the existing
connection.
-.vitem &%-MCT%&
-.oindex "&%-MCT%&"
+.cmdopt -MCT
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option, and passes on the fact that the
host to which Exim is connected supports TLS encryption.
-.vitem &%-MCt%&&~<&'IP&~address'&>&~<&'port'&>&~<&'cipher'&>
-.oindex "&%-MCt%&"
+.vitem &%-MCr%&&~<&'SNI'&> &&&
+ &%-MCs%&&~<&'SNI'&>
+.oindex "&%-MCs%&"
+.oindex "&%-MCr%&"
+These options are not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
+by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MCt%& option, and passes on the fact that
+a TLS Server Name Indication was sent as part of the channel establishment.
+The argument gives the SNI string.
+The "r" variant indicates a DANE-verified connection.
+
+.cmdopt -MCt <&'IP&~address'&>&~<&'port'&>&~<&'cipher'&>
This option is not intended for use by external callers. It is used internally
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option, and passes on the fact that the
connection is being proxied by a parent process for handling TLS encryption.
The arguments give the local address and port being proxied, and the TLS cipher.
-.vitem &%-Mc%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-Mc%&"
+.cmdopt -Mc <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
.cindex "hints database" "not overridden by &%-Mc%&"
.cindex "delivery" "manually started &-- not forced"
-This option requests Exim to run a delivery attempt on each message in turn,
+This option requests Exim to run a delivery attempt on each message, in turn,
but unlike the &%-M%& option, it does check for retry hints, and respects any
that are found. This option is not very useful to external callers. It is
provided mainly for internal use by Exim when it needs to re-invoke itself in
&%-q%& with a message id argument. A distinction between queue run deliveries
and other deliveries is made in one or two places.
-.vitem &%-Mes%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'address'&>
-.oindex "&%-Mes%&"
+.cmdopt -Mes <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'address'&>
.cindex "message" "changing sender"
.cindex "sender" "changing"
This option requests Exim to change the sender address in the message to the
is active (in the middle of a delivery attempt), its status is not altered.
This option can be used only by an admin user.
-.vitem &%-Mf%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-Mf%&"
+.cmdopt -Mf <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
.cindex "freezing messages"
.cindex "message" "manually freezing"
This option requests Exim to mark each listed message as &"frozen"&. This
attempt), their status is not altered. This option can be used only by an admin
user.
-.vitem &%-Mg%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-Mg%&"
+.cmdopt -Mg <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
.cindex "giving up on messages"
.cindex "message" "abandoning delivery attempts"
.cindex "delivery" "abandoning further attempts"
Bounce messages are just discarded. This option can be used only by an admin
user.
-.vitem &%-Mmad%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-Mmad%&"
+.cmdopt -MG <&'queue&~name'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
+.cindex queue named
+.cindex "named queues" "moving messages"
+.cindex "queue" "moving messages"
+This option requests that each listed message be moved from its current
+queue to the given named queue.
+The destination queue name argument is required, but can be an empty
+string to define the default queue.
+If the messages are not currently located in the default queue,
+a &%-qG<name>%& option will be required to define the source queue.
+
+.cmdopt -Mmad <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
.cindex "delivery" "cancelling all"
This option requests Exim to mark all the recipient addresses in the messages
as already delivered (&"mad"& for &"mark all delivered"&). However, if any
message is active (in the middle of a delivery attempt), its status is not
altered. This option can be used only by an admin user.
-.vitem &%-Mmd%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'address'&>&~<&'address'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-Mmd%&"
+.cmdopt -Mmd <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'address'&>&~<&'address'&>&~...
.cindex "delivery" "cancelling by address"
.cindex "recipient" "removing"
.cindex "removing recipients"
(in the middle of a delivery attempt), its status is not altered. This option
can be used only by an admin user.
-.vitem &%-Mrm%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-Mrm%&"
+.cmdopt -Mrm <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
.cindex "removing messages"
.cindex "abandoning mail"
.cindex "message" "manually discarding"
bounce messages are sent; each message is simply forgotten. However, if any of
the messages are active, their status is not altered. This option can be used
only by an admin user or by the user who originally caused the message to be
-placed on the queue.
+placed in the queue.
. .new
. .vitem &%-MS%&
. a bounce message.
. .wen
-.vitem &%-Mset%&&~<&'message&~id'&>
-.oindex "&%-Mset%&"
+.cmdopt -Mset <&'message&~id'&>
.cindex "testing" "string expansion"
.cindex "expansion" "testing"
This option is useful only in conjunction with &%-be%& (that is, when testing
make use of these variables. However, this option can be used only by an admin
user. See also &%-bem%&.
-.vitem &%-Mt%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
-.oindex "&%-Mt%&"
+.cmdopt -Mt <&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
.cindex "thawing messages"
.cindex "unfreezing messages"
.cindex "frozen messages" "thawing"
messages are active, their status is not altered. This option can be used only
by an admin user.
-.vitem &%-Mvb%&&~<&'message&~id'&>
-.oindex "&%-Mvb%&"
+.cmdopt -Mvb <&'message&~id'&>
.cindex "listing" "message body"
.cindex "message" "listing body of"
This option causes the contents of the message body (-D) spool file to be
written to the standard output. This option can be used only by an admin user.
-.vitem &%-Mvc%&&~<&'message&~id'&>
-.oindex "&%-Mvc%&"
+.cmdopt -Mvc <&'message&~id'&>
.cindex "message" "listing in RFC 2822 format"
.cindex "listing" "message in RFC 2822 format"
This option causes a copy of the complete message (header lines plus body) to
be written to the standard output in RFC 2822 format. This option can be used
only by an admin user.
-.vitem &%-Mvh%&&~<&'message&~id'&>
-.oindex "&%-Mvh%&"
+.cmdopt -Mvh <&'message&~id'&>
.cindex "listing" "message headers"
.cindex "header lines" "listing"
.cindex "message" "listing header lines"
This option causes the contents of the message headers (-H) spool file to be
written to the standard output. This option can be used only by an admin user.
-.vitem &%-Mvl%&&~<&'message&~id'&>
-.oindex "&%-Mvl%&"
+.cmdopt -Mvl <&'message&~id'&>
.cindex "listing" "message log"
.cindex "message" "listing message log"
This option causes the contents of the message log spool file to be written to
the standard output. This option can be used only by an admin user.
-.vitem &%-m%&
-.oindex "&%-m%&"
-This is apparently a synonym for &%-om%& that is accepted by Sendmail, so Exim
-treats it that way too.
+.cmdopt -m
+This is a synonym for &%-om%& that is accepted by Sendmail
+(&url(https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19457-01/801-6680-1M/801-6680-1M.pdf)
+p. 1M-258), so Exim treats it that way too.
-.vitem &%-N%&
-.oindex "&%-N%&"
+.cmdopt -N
.cindex "debugging" "&%-N%& option"
.cindex "debugging" "suppressing delivery"
This is a debugging option that inhibits delivery of a message at the transport
the message, and applies to any subsequent delivery attempts that may happen
for that message.
-.vitem &%-n%&
-.oindex "&%-n%&"
+.cmdopt -n
This option is interpreted by Sendmail to mean &"no aliasing"&.
For normal modes of operation, it is ignored by Exim.
When combined with &%-bP%& it makes the output more terse (suppresses
option names, environment values and config pretty printing).
-.vitem &%-O%&&~<&'data'&>
-.oindex "&%-O%&"
+.cmdopt -O <&'data'&>
This option is interpreted by Sendmail to mean &`set option`&. It is ignored by
Exim.
-.vitem &%-oA%&&~<&'file&~name'&>
-.oindex "&%-oA%&"
+.cmdopt -oA <&'file&~name'&>
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "&%-oA%& option"
This option is used by Sendmail in conjunction with &%-bi%& to specify an
-alternative alias file name. Exim handles &%-bi%& differently; see the
+alternative alias filename. Exim handles &%-bi%& differently; see the
description above.
-.vitem &%-oB%&&~<&'n'&>
-.oindex "&%-oB%&"
+.cmdopt -oB <&'n'&>
.cindex "SMTP" "passed connection"
.cindex "SMTP" "multiple deliveries"
.cindex "multiple SMTP deliveries"
be delivered down one SMTP connection, overriding the value set in any &(smtp)&
transport. If <&'n'&> is omitted, the limit is set to 1.
-.vitem &%-odb%&
-.oindex "&%-odb%&"
+.cmdopt -odb
.cindex "background delivery"
.cindex "delivery" "in the background"
This option applies to all modes in which Exim accepts incoming messages,
overrides it if &%queue_only_override%& is set true, which is the default
setting. If &%queue_only_override%& is set false, &%-odb%& has no effect.
-.vitem &%-odf%&
-.oindex "&%-odf%&"
+.cmdopt -odf
.cindex "foreground delivery"
.cindex "delivery" "in the foreground"
This option requests &"foreground"& (synchronous) delivery when Exim has
false and one of the queueing options in the configuration file is in effect.
If there is a temporary delivery error during foreground delivery, the
-message is left on the queue for later delivery, and the original reception
+message is left in the queue for later delivery, and the original reception
process exits. See chapter &<<CHAPnonqueueing>>& for a way of setting up a
restricted configuration that never queues messages.
-.vitem &%-odi%&
-.oindex "&%-odi%&"
+.cmdopt -odi
This option is synonymous with &%-odf%&. It is provided for compatibility with
Sendmail.
-.vitem &%-odq%&
-.oindex "&%-odq%&"
+.cmdopt -odq
.cindex "non-immediate delivery"
.cindex "delivery" "suppressing immediate"
.cindex "queueing incoming messages"
This option applies to all modes in which Exim accepts incoming messages,
including the listening daemon. It specifies that the accepting process should
not automatically start a delivery process for each message received. Messages
-are placed on the queue, and remain there until a subsequent queue runner
+are placed in the queue, and remain there until a subsequent queue runner
process encounters them. There are several configuration options (such as
&%queue_only%&) that can be used to queue incoming messages under certain
conditions. This option overrides all of them and also &%-odqs%&. It always
forces queueing.
-.vitem &%-odqs%&
-.oindex "&%-odqs%&"
+.cmdopt -odqs
.cindex "SMTP" "delaying delivery"
+.cindex "first pass routing"
This option is a hybrid between &%-odb%&/&%-odi%& and &%-odq%&.
However, like &%-odb%& and &%-odi%&, this option has no effect if
&%queue_only_override%& is false and one of the queueing options in the
message, in the background by default, but in the foreground if &%-odi%& is
also present. The recipient addresses are routed, and local deliveries are done
in the normal way. However, if any SMTP deliveries are required, they are not
-done at this time, so the message remains on the queue until a subsequent queue
+done at this time, so the message remains in the queue until a subsequent queue
runner process encounters it. Because routing was done, Exim knows which
messages are waiting for which hosts, and so a number of messages for the same
host can be sent in a single SMTP connection. The &%queue_smtp_domains%&
configuration option has the same effect for specific domains. See also the
&%-qq%& option.
-.vitem &%-oee%&
-.oindex "&%-oee%&"
+.cmdopt -oee
.cindex "error" "reporting"
If an error is detected while a non-SMTP message is being received (for
example, a malformed address), the error is reported to the sender in a mail
is that the original message has no recipients, or 1 for any other error.
This is the default &%-oe%&&'x'& option if Exim is called as &'rmail'&.
-.vitem &%-oem%&
-.oindex "&%-oem%&"
+.cmdopt -oem
.cindex "error" "reporting"
.cindex "return code" "for &%-oem%&"
This is the same as &%-oee%&, except that Exim always exits with a non-zero
return code, whether or not the error message was successfully sent.
This is the default &%-oe%&&'x'& option, unless Exim is called as &'rmail'&.
-.vitem &%-oep%&
-.oindex "&%-oep%&"
+.cmdopt -oep
.cindex "error" "reporting"
If an error is detected while a non-SMTP message is being received, the
error is reported by writing a message to the standard error file (stderr).
.cindex "return code" "for &%-oep%&"
The return code is 1 for all errors.
-.vitem &%-oeq%&
-.oindex "&%-oeq%&"
+.cmdopt -oeq
.cindex "error" "reporting"
This option is supported for compatibility with Sendmail, but has the same
effect as &%-oep%&.
-.vitem &%-oew%&
-.oindex "&%-oew%&"
+.cmdopt -oew
.cindex "error" "reporting"
This option is supported for compatibility with Sendmail, but has the same
effect as &%-oem%&.
-.vitem &%-oi%&
-.oindex "&%-oi%&"
+.cmdopt -oi
.cindex "dot" "in incoming non-SMTP message"
This option, which has the same effect as &%-i%&, specifies that a dot on a
line by itself should not terminate an incoming, non-SMTP message. Otherwise, a
lines that start with a dot. This option is set by default if Exim is called as
&'rmail'&. See also &%-ti%&.
-.vitem &%-oitrue%&
-.oindex "&%-oitrue%&"
+.cmdopt -oitrue
This option is treated as synonymous with &%-oi%&.
-.vitem &%-oMa%&&~<&'host&~address'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMa%&"
+.cmdopt -oMa <&'host&~address'&>
.cindex "sender" "host address, specifying for local message"
A number of options starting with &%-oM%& can be used to set values associated
with remote hosts on locally-submitted messages (that is, messages not received
are present on the command line, the sender host IP address is taken from
whichever one is last.
-.vitem &%-oMaa%&&~<&'name'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMaa%&"
+.cmdopt -oMaa <&'name'&>
.cindex "authentication" "name, specifying for local message"
See &%-oMa%& above for general remarks about the &%-oM%& options. The &%-oMaa%&
option sets the value of &$sender_host_authenticated$& (the authenticator
This option can be used with &%-bh%& and &%-bs%& to set up an
authenticated SMTP session without actually using the SMTP AUTH command.
-.vitem &%-oMai%&&~<&'string'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMai%&"
+.cmdopt -oMai <&'string'&>
.cindex "authentication" "id, specifying for local message"
See &%-oMa%& above for general remarks about the &%-oM%& options. The &%-oMai%&
option sets the value of &$authenticated_id$& (the id that was authenticated).
where there is no default) for messages from local sources. See chapter
&<<CHAPSMTPAUTH>>& for a discussion of authenticated ids.
-.vitem &%-oMas%&&~<&'address'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMas%&"
+.cmdopt -oMas <&'address'&>
.cindex "authentication" "sender, specifying for local message"
See &%-oMa%& above for general remarks about the &%-oM%& options. The &%-oMas%&
option sets the authenticated sender value in &$authenticated_sender$&. It
specified on a MAIL command overrides this value. See chapter
&<<CHAPSMTPAUTH>>& for a discussion of authenticated senders.
-.vitem &%-oMi%&&~<&'interface&~address'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMi%&"
+.cmdopt -oMi <&'interface&~address'&>
.cindex "interface" "address, specifying for local message"
See &%-oMa%& above for general remarks about the &%-oM%& options. The &%-oMi%&
option sets the IP interface address value. A port number may be included,
using the same syntax as for &%-oMa%&. The interface address is placed in
&$received_ip_address$& and the port number, if present, in &$received_port$&.
-.vitem &%-oMm%&&~<&'message&~reference'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMm%&"
+.cmdopt -oMm <&'message&~reference'&>
.cindex "message reference" "message reference, specifying for local message"
See &%-oMa%& above for general remarks about the &%-oM%& options. The &%-oMm%&
option sets the message reference, e.g. message-id, and is logged during
The message reference is the message-id of the original message for which Exim
is sending the bounce.
-.vitem &%-oMr%&&~<&'protocol&~name'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMr%&"
+.cmdopt -oMr <&'protocol&~name'&>
.cindex "protocol, specifying for local message"
.vindex "&$received_protocol$&"
See &%-oMa%& above for general remarks about the &%-oM%& options. The &%-oMr%&
one of those same names. For &%-bS%& (batched SMTP) however, the protocol can
be set by &%-oMr%&. Repeated use of this option is not supported.
-.vitem &%-oMs%&&~<&'host&~name'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMs%&"
+.cmdopt -oMs <&'host&~name'&>
.cindex "sender" "host name, specifying for local message"
See &%-oMa%& above for general remarks about the &%-oM%& options. The &%-oMs%&
option sets the sender host name in &$sender_host_name$&. When this option is
present, Exim does not attempt to look up a host name from an IP address; it
uses the name it is given.
-.vitem &%-oMt%&&~<&'ident&~string'&>
-.oindex "&%-oMt%&"
+.cmdopt -oMt <&'ident&~string'&>
.cindex "sender" "ident string, specifying for local message"
See &%-oMa%& above for general remarks about the &%-oM%& options. The &%-oMt%&
option sets the sender ident value in &$sender_ident$&. The default setting for
local callers is the login id of the calling process, except when &%-bh%& is
used, when there is no default.
-.vitem &%-om%&
-.oindex "&%-om%&"
+.cmdopt -om
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "&%-om%& option ignored"
In Sendmail, this option means &"me too"&, indicating that the sender of a
message should receive a copy of the message if the sender appears in an alias
expansion. Exim always does this, so the option does nothing.
-.vitem &%-oo%&
-.oindex "&%-oo%&"
+.cmdopt -oo
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "&%-oo%& option ignored"
This option is ignored. In Sendmail it specifies &"old style headers"&,
whatever that means.
-.vitem &%-oP%&&~<&'path'&>
-.oindex "&%-oP%&"
+.cmdopt -oP <&'path'&>
.cindex "pid (process id)" "of daemon"
.cindex "daemon" "process id (pid)"
This option is useful only in conjunction with &%-bd%& or &%-q%& with a time
without &%-bd%&, this is the only way of causing Exim to write a pid file,
because in those cases, the normal pid file is not used.
-.vitem &%-or%&&~<&'time'&>
-.oindex "&%-or%&"
+.cmdopt -oPX
+.cindex "pid (process id)" "of daemon"
+.cindex "daemon" "process id (pid)"
+This option is not intended for general use.
+The daemon uses it when terminating due to a SIGTEM, possibly in
+combination with &%-oP%&&~<&'path'&>.
+It causes the pid file to be removed.
+
+.cmdopt -or <&'time'&>
.cindex "timeout" "for non-SMTP input"
This option sets a timeout value for incoming non-SMTP messages. If it is not
set, Exim will wait forever for the standard input. The value can also be set
by the &%receive_timeout%& option. The format used for specifying times is
described in section &<<SECTtimeformat>>&.
-.vitem &%-os%&&~<&'time'&>
-.oindex "&%-os%&"
+.cmdopt -os <&'time'&>
.cindex "timeout" "for SMTP input"
.cindex "SMTP" "input timeout"
This option sets a timeout value for incoming SMTP messages. The timeout
the &%smtp_receive_timeout%& option; it defaults to 5 minutes. The format used
for specifying times is described in section &<<SECTtimeformat>>&.
-.vitem &%-ov%&
-.oindex "&%-ov%&"
+.cmdopt -ov
This option has exactly the same effect as &%-v%&.
-.vitem &%-oX%&&~<&'number&~or&~string'&>
-.oindex "&%-oX%&"
+.cmdopt -oX <&'number&~or&~string'&>
.cindex "TCP/IP" "setting listening ports"
.cindex "TCP/IP" "setting listening interfaces"
.cindex "port" "receiving TCP/IP"
is also given. It controls which ports and interfaces the daemon uses. Details
of the syntax, and how it interacts with configuration file options, are given
in chapter &<<CHAPinterfaces>>&. When &%-oX%& is used to start a daemon, no pid
-file is written unless &%-oP%& is also present to specify a pid file name.
+file is written unless &%-oP%& is also present to specify a pid filename.
-.vitem &%-pd%&
-.oindex "&%-pd%&"
+.cmdopt -oY
+.cindex "daemon notifier socket"
+This option controls the creation of an inter-process communications endpoint
+by the Exim daemon.
+It is only relevant when the &%-bd%& (start listening daemon) option is also
+given.
+Normally the daemon creates this socket, unless a &%-oX%& and &*no*& &%-oP%&
+option is also present.
+If this option is given then the socket will not be created. This could be
+required if the system is running multiple daemons.
+
+The socket is currently used for
+.ilist
+fast ramp-up of queue runner processes
+.next
+obtaining a current queue size
+.endlist
+
+.cmdopt -pd
.cindex "Perl" "starting the interpreter"
This option applies when an embedded Perl interpreter is linked with Exim (see
chapter &<<CHAPperl>>&). It overrides the setting of the &%perl_at_start%&
option, forcing the starting of the interpreter to be delayed until it is
needed.
-.vitem &%-ps%&
-.oindex "&%-ps%&"
+.cmdopt -ps
.cindex "Perl" "starting the interpreter"
This option applies when an embedded Perl interpreter is linked with Exim (see
chapter &<<CHAPperl>>&). It overrides the setting of the &%perl_at_start%&
or &`s`& using this option (but that does not seem a real limitation).
Repeated use of this option is not supported.
-.vitem &%-q%&
-.oindex "&%-q%&"
+.cmdopt -q
.cindex "queue runner" "starting manually"
This option is normally restricted to admin users. However, there is a
configuration option called &%prod_requires_admin%& which can be set false to
.cindex "queue" "double scanning"
.cindex "queue" "routing"
.cindex "routing" "whole queue before delivery"
+.cindex "first pass routing"
+.cindex "queue runner" "two phase"
An option starting with &%-qq%& requests a two-stage queue run. In the first
stage, the queue is scanned as if the &%queue_smtp_domains%& option matched
every domain. Addresses are routed, local deliveries happen, but no remote
transports are run.
+Performance will be best if the &%queue_run_in_order%& option is false.
+If that is so and the &%queue_fast_ramp%& option is true then
+in the first phase of the run,
+once a threshold number of messages are routed for a given host,
+a delivery process is forked in parallel with the rest of the scan.
+
.cindex "hints database" "remembering routing"
The hints database that remembers which messages are waiting for specific hosts
is updated, as if delivery to those hosts had been deferred. After this is
.cindex "queue" "initial delivery"
If the &'i'& flag is present, the queue runner runs delivery processes only for
those messages that haven't previously been tried. (&'i'& stands for &"initial
-delivery"&.) This can be helpful if you are putting messages on the queue using
+delivery"&.) This can be helpful if you are putting messages in the queue using
&%-odq%& and want a queue runner just to process the new messages.
.vitem &%-q[q][i]f...%&
.oindex "&%-ql%&"
.cindex "queue" "local deliveries only"
The &'l'& (the letter &"ell"&) flag specifies that only local deliveries are to
-be done. If a message requires any remote deliveries, it remains on the queue
+be done. If a message requires any remote deliveries, it remains in the queue
for later delivery.
.vitem &%-q[q][i][f[f]][l][G<name>[/<time>]]]%&
.oindex "&%-qG%&"
.cindex queue named
-.cindex "named queues"
+.cindex "named queues" "deliver from"
.cindex "queue" "delivering specific messages"
If the &'G'& flag and a name is present, the queue runner operates on the
queue with the given name rather than the default queue.
effect is to run Exim with the &%-R%& option, but it can be configured to run
an arbitrary command instead.
-.vitem &%-r%&
-.oindex "&%-r%&"
+.cmdopt -r
This is a documented (for Sendmail) obsolete alternative name for &%-f%&.
.vitem &%-S%&<&'rsflags'&>&~<&'string'&>
conditions must be met for a message to be selected. If either of the options
has &'f'& or &'ff'& in its flags, the associated action is taken.
-.vitem &%-Tqt%&&~<&'times'&>
-.oindex "&%-Tqt%&"
+.cmdopt -Tqt <&'times'&>
This is an option that is exclusively for use by the Exim testing suite. It is not
recognized when Exim is run normally. It allows for the setting up of explicit
&"queue times"& so that various warning/retry features can be tested.
-.vitem &%-t%&
-.oindex "&%-t%&"
+.cmdopt -t
.cindex "recipient" "extracting from header lines"
-.cindex "&'Bcc:'& header line"
-.cindex "&'Cc:'& header line"
-.cindex "&'To:'& header line"
+.chindex Bcc:
+.chindex Cc:
+.chindex To:
When Exim is receiving a locally-generated, non-SMTP message on its standard
input, the &%-t%& option causes the recipients of the message to be obtained
from the &'To:'&, &'Cc:'&, and &'Bcc:'& header lines in the message instead of
once, it is common for the original set of &%Resent-%& headers to be renamed as
&%X-Resent-%& when a new set is added. This removes any possible ambiguity.
-.vitem &%-ti%&
-.oindex "&%-ti%&"
+.cmdopt -ti
This option is exactly equivalent to &%-t%& &%-i%&. It is provided for
compatibility with Sendmail.
-.vitem &%-tls-on-connect%&
-.oindex "&%-tls-on-connect%&"
+.cmdopt -tls-on-connect
.cindex "TLS" "use without STARTTLS"
.cindex "TLS" "automatic start"
This option is available when Exim is compiled with TLS support. It forces all
&<<CHAPTLS>>& for further details.
-.vitem &%-U%&
-.oindex "&%-U%&"
+.cmdopt -U
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "&%-U%& option ignored"
Sendmail uses this option for &"initial message submission"&, and its
documentation states that in future releases, it may complain about
syntactically invalid messages rather than fixing them when this flag is not
set. Exim ignores this option.
-.vitem &%-v%&
-.oindex "&%-v%&"
+.cmdopt -v
This option causes Exim to write information to the standard error stream,
describing what it is doing. In particular, it shows the log lines for
receiving and delivering a message, and if an SMTP connection is made, the SMTP
selectors are shown with each log line. If none are shown, the logging is
unconditional.
-.vitem &%-x%&
-.oindex "&%-x%&"
+.cmdopt -x
AIX uses &%-x%& for a private purpose (&"mail from a local mail program has
National Language Support extended characters in the body of the mail item"&).
It sets &%-x%& when calling the MTA from its &%mail%& command. Exim ignores
this option.
-.vitem &%-X%&&~<&'logfile'&>
-.oindex "&%-X%&"
+.cmdopt -X <&'logfile'&>
This option is interpreted by Sendmail to cause debug information to be sent
to the named file. It is ignored by Exim.
-.vitem &%-z%&&~<&'log-line'&>
-.oindex "&%-z%&"
+.cmdopt -z <&'log-line'&>
This option writes its argument to Exim's logfile.
Use is restricted to administrators; the intent is for operational notes.
Quotes should be used to maintain a multi-word item as a single argument,
. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-.chapter "The Exim run time configuration file" "CHAPconf" &&&
+.chapter "The Exim runtime configuration file" "CHAPconf" &&&
"The runtime configuration file"
-.cindex "run time configuration"
+.cindex "runtime configuration"
.cindex "configuration file" "general description"
.cindex "CONFIGURE_FILE"
.cindex "configuration file" "errors in"
.cindex "error" "in configuration file"
.cindex "return code" "for bad configuration"
-Exim uses a single run time configuration file that is read whenever an Exim
+Exim uses a single runtime configuration file that is read whenever an Exim
binary is executed. Note that in normal operation, this happens frequently,
because Exim is designed to operate in a distributed manner, without central
control.
The name of the configuration file is compiled into the binary for security
reasons, and is specified by the CONFIGURE_FILE compilation option. In
most configurations, this specifies a single file. However, it is permitted to
-give a colon-separated list of file names, in which case Exim uses the first
+give a colon-separated list of filenames, in which case Exim uses the first
existing file in the list.
.cindex "EXIM_USER"
.cindex "CONFIGURE_GROUP"
.cindex "configuration file" "ownership"
.cindex "ownership" "configuration file"
-The run time configuration file must be owned by root or by the user that is
+The runtime configuration file must be owned by root or by the user that is
specified at compile time by the CONFIGURE_OWNER option (if set). The
configuration file must not be world-writeable, or group-writeable unless its
group is the root group or the one specified at compile time by the
CONFIGURE_GROUP option.
&*Warning*&: In a conventional configuration, where the Exim binary is setuid
-to root, anybody who is able to edit the run time configuration file has an
+to root, anybody who is able to edit the runtime configuration file has an
easy way to run commands as root. If you specify a user or group in the
CONFIGURE_OWNER or CONFIGURE_GROUP options, then that user and/or any users
who are members of that group will trivially be able to obtain root privileges.
-Up to Exim version 4.72, the run time configuration file was also permitted to
+Up to Exim version 4.72, the runtime configuration file was also permitted to
be writeable by the Exim user and/or group. That has been changed in Exim 4.73
since it offered a simple privilege escalation for any attacker who managed to
compromise the Exim user account.
A default configuration file, which will work correctly in simple situations,
is provided in the file &_src/configure.default_&. If CONFIGURE_FILE
-defines just one file name, the installation process copies the default
+defines just one filename, the installation process copies the default
configuration to a new file of that name if it did not previously exist. If
CONFIGURE_FILE is a list, no default is automatically installed. Chapter
&<<CHAPdefconfil>>& is a &"walk-through"& discussion of the default
Exim is running as the Exim user, so when it re-execs to regain privilege for
the delivery, the use of &%-C%& causes privilege to be lost. However, root
can test reception and delivery using two separate commands (one to put a
-message on the queue, using &%-odq%&, and another to do the delivery, using
+message in the queue, using &%-odq%&, and another to do the delivery, using
&%-M%&).
If ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX is defined &_in Local/Makefile_&, it specifies a
prefix string with which any file named in a &%-C%& command line option must
-start. In addition, the file name must not contain the sequence &"&`/../`&"&.
-There is no default setting for ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX; when it is unset, any file
-name can be used with &%-C%&.
+start. In addition, the filename must not contain the sequence &"&`/../`&"&.
+There is no default setting for ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX; when it is unset, any
+filename can be used with &%-C%&.
One-off changes to a configuration can be specified by the &%-D%& command line
option, which defines and overrides values for macros used inside the
Some sites may wish to use the same Exim binary on different machines that
share a file system, but to use different configuration files on each machine.
If CONFIGURE_FILE_USE_NODE is defined in &_Local/Makefile_&, Exim first
-looks for a file whose name is the configuration file name followed by a dot
+looks for a file whose name is the configuration filename followed by a dot
and the machine's node name, as obtained from the &[uname()]& function. If this
file does not exist, the standard name is tried. This processing occurs for
-each file name in the list given by CONFIGURE_FILE or &%-C%&.
+each filename in the list given by CONFIGURE_FILE or &%-C%&.
In some esoteric situations different versions of Exim may be run under
different effective uids and the CONFIGURE_FILE_USE_EUID is defined to
.cindex "configuration file" "including other files"
.cindex "&`.include`& in configuration file"
.cindex "&`.include_if_exists`& in configuration file"
-You can include other files inside Exim's run time configuration file by
+You can include other files inside Exim's runtime configuration file by
using this syntax:
.display
-&`.include`& <&'file name'&>
-&`.include_if_exists`& <&'file name'&>
+&`.include`& <&'filename'&>
+&`.include_if_exists`& <&'filename'&>
.endd
-on a line by itself. Double quotes round the file name are optional. If you use
+on a line by itself. Double quotes round the filename are optional. If you use
the first form, a configuration error occurs if the file does not exist; the
second form does nothing for non-existent files.
The first form allows a relative name. It is resolved relative to
-the directory of the including file. For the second form an absolute file
-name is required.
+the directory of the including file. For the second form an absolute filename
+is required.
Includes may be nested to any depth, but remember that Exim reads its
configuration file often, so it is a good idea to keep them to a minimum.
.section "Macro substitution" "SECID42"
Once a macro is defined, all subsequent lines in the file (and any included
files) are scanned for the macro name; if there are several macros, the line is
-scanned for each in turn, in the order in which the macros are defined. The
+scanned for each, in turn, in the order in which the macros are defined. The
replacement text is not re-scanned for the current macro, though it is scanned
for subsequently defined macros. For this reason, a macro name may not contain
the name of a previously defined macro as a substring. You could, for example,
&` _DRIVER_ROUTER_* `& router drivers
&` _DRIVER_TRANSPORT_* `& transport drivers
&` _DRIVER_AUTHENTICATOR_* `& authenticator drivers
+&` _EXP_COND_* `& expansion conditions
+&` _EXP_ITEM_* `& expansion items
+&` _EXP_OP_* `& expansion operators
+&` _EXP_VAR_* `& expansion variables
&` _LOG_* `& log_selector values
&` _OPT_MAIN_* `& main config options
&` _OPT_ROUTERS_* `& generic router options
contains two IP addresses, the IPv4 address 127.0.0.1 and the IPv6 address ::1.
&*Note*&: Although leading and trailing white space is ignored in individual
-list items, it is not ignored when parsing the list. The space after the first
-colon in the example above is necessary. If it were not there, the list would
+list items, it is not ignored when parsing the list. The spaces around the first
+colon in the example above are necessary. If they were not there, the list would
be interpreted as the two items 127.0.0.1:: and 1.
.section "Changing list separators" "SECTlistsepchange"
+.section "Macros" "SECTdefconfmacros"
+All macros should be defined before any options.
+
+One macro is specified, but commented out, in the default configuration:
+.code
+# ROUTER_SMARTHOST=MAIL.HOSTNAME.FOR.CENTRAL.SERVER.EXAMPLE
+.endd
+If all off-site mail is expected to be delivered to a "smarthost", then set the
+hostname here and uncomment the macro. This will affect which router is used
+later on. If this is left commented out, then Exim will perform direct-to-MX
+deliveries using a &(dnslookup)& router.
+
+In addition to macros defined here, Exim includes a number of built-in macros
+to enable configuration to be guarded by a binary built with support for a
+given feature. See section &<<SECTbuiltinmacros>>& for more details.
+
+
.section "Main configuration settings" "SECTdefconfmain"
-The main (global) configuration option settings must always come first in the
-file. The first thing you'll see in the file, after some initial comments, is
-the line
+The main (global) configuration option settings section must always come first
+in the file, after the macros.
+The first thing you'll see in the file, after some initial comments, is the line
.code
# primary_hostname =
.endd
These are example settings that can be used when Exim is compiled with
support for TLS (aka SSL) as described in section &<<SECTinctlsssl>>&. The
first one specifies the list of clients that are allowed to use TLS when
-connecting to this server; in this case the wildcard means all clients. The
+connecting to this server; in this case, the wildcard means all clients. The
other options specify where Exim should find its TLS certificate and private
key, which together prove the server's identity to any clients that connect.
More details are given in chapter &<<CHAPTLS>>&.
timeout_frozen_after = 7d
.endd
The first of these options specifies that failing bounce messages are to be
-discarded after 2 days on the queue. The second specifies that any frozen
+discarded after 2 days in the queue. The second specifies that any frozen
message (whether a bounce message or not) is to be timed out (and discarded)
after a week. In this configuration, the first setting ensures that no failing
bounce message ever lasts a week.
imposes a security risk (e.g. PATH). There are two lists:
&%keep_environment%& for the variables to import as they are, and
&%add_environment%& for variables we want to set to a fixed value.
-Note that TZ is handled separately, by the $%timezone%$ runtime
+Note that TZ is handled separately, by the &%timezone%& runtime
option and by the TIMEZONE_DEFAULT buildtime option.
.code
# keep_environment = ^LDAP
input and output (that is, not using TCP/IP). A number of MUAs operate in this
manner.
.code
-deny message = Restricted characters in address
- domains = +local_domains
+deny domains = +local_domains
local_parts = ^[.] : ^.*[@%!/|]
+ message = Restricted characters in address
-deny message = Restricted characters in address
- domains = !+local_domains
+deny domains = !+local_domains
local_parts = ^[./|] : ^.*[@%!] : ^.*/\\.\\./
+ message = Restricted characters in address
.endd
These statements are concerned with local parts that contain any of the
characters &"@"&, &"%"&, &"!"&, &"/"&, &"|"&, or dots in unusual places.
&"&'first-initial.second-initial.family-name'&"& when applied to someone like
the author of Exim, who has no second initial.) However, a local part starting
with a dot or containing &"/../"& can cause trouble if it is used as part of a
-file name (for example, for a mailing list). This is also true for local parts
+filename (for example, for a mailing list). This is also true for local parts
that contain slashes. A pipe symbol can also be troublesome if the local part
is incorporated unthinkingly into a shell command line.
This statement requires the recipient address to be verified; if verification
fails, the address is rejected.
.code
-# deny message = rejected because $sender_host_address \
+# deny dnslists = black.list.example
+# message = rejected because $sender_host_address \
# is in a black list at $dnslist_domain\n\
# $dnslist_text
-# dnslists = black.list.example
#
# warn dnslists = black.list.example
# add_header = X-Warning: $sender_host_address is in \
begin routers
.endd
Routers are the modules in Exim that make decisions about where to send
-messages. An address is passed to each router in turn, until it is either
+messages. An address is passed to each router, in turn, until it is either
accepted, or failed. This means that the order in which you define the routers
matters. Each router is fully described in its own chapter later in this
manual. Here we give only brief overviews.
support domain literal addresses (those of the form &'user@[10.9.8.7]'&). If
you uncomment this router, you also need to uncomment the setting of
&%allow_domain_literals%& in the main part of the configuration.
+
+Which router is used next depends upon whether or not the ROUTER_SMARTHOST
+macro has been defined, per
.code
+.ifdef ROUTER_SMARTHOST
+smarthost:
+#...
+.else
dnslookup:
- driver = dnslookup
+#...
+.endif
+.endd
+
+If ROUTER_SMARTHOST has been defined, either at the top of the file or on the
+command-line, then we route all non-local mail to that smarthost; otherwise, we'll
+perform DNS lookups for direct-to-MX lookup. Any mail which is to a local domain will
+skip these routers because of the &%domains%& option.
+
+.code
+smarthost:
+ driver = manualroute
domains = ! +local_domains
- transport = remote_smtp
- ignore_target_hosts = 0.0.0.0 : 127.0.0.0/8
+ transport = smarthost_smtp
+ route_data = ROUTER_SMARTHOST
+ ignore_target_hosts = <; 0.0.0.0 ; 127.0.0.0/8 ; ::1
no_more
.endd
-The first uncommented router handles addresses that do not involve any local
-domains. This is specified by the line
+This router only handles mail which is not to any local domains; this is
+specified by the line
.code
domains = ! +local_domains
.endd
indicates that it is referring to a named list. Addresses in other domains are
passed on to the following routers.
+The name of the router driver is &(manualroute)& because we are manually
+specifying how mail should be routed onwards, instead of using DNS MX.
+While the name of this router instance is arbitrary, the &%driver%& option must
+be one of the driver modules that is in the Exim binary.
+
+With no pre-conditions other than &%domains%&, all mail for non-local domains
+will be handled by this router, and the &%no_more%& setting will ensure that no
+other routers will be used for messages matching the pre-conditions. See
+&<<SECTrouprecon>>& for more on how the pre-conditions apply. For messages which
+are handled by this router, we provide a hostname to deliver to in &%route_data%&
+and the macro supplies the value; the address is then queued for the
+&(smarthost_smtp)& transport.
+
+.code
+dnslookup:
+ driver = dnslookup
+ domains = ! +local_domains
+ transport = remote_smtp
+ ignore_target_hosts = 0.0.0.0 : 127.0.0.0/8
+ no_more
+.endd
+The &%domains%& option behaves as per smarthost, above.
+
The name of the router driver is &(dnslookup)&,
and is specified by the &%driver%& option. Do not be confused by the fact that
the name of this router instance is the same as the name of the driver. The
.code
begin transports
.endd
-One remote transport and four local transports are defined.
+Two remote transports and four local transports are defined.
.code
remote_smtp:
driver = smtp
+ message_size_limit = ${if > {$max_received_linelength}{998} {1}{0}}
+.ifdef _HAVE_PRDR
hosts_try_prdr = *
+.endif
.endd
This transport is used for delivering messages over SMTP connections.
The list of remote hosts comes from the router.
-The &%hosts_try_prdr%& option enables an efficiency SMTP option.
-It is negotiated between client and server
-and not expected to cause problems but can be disabled if needed.
+The &%message_size_limit%& usage is a hack to avoid sending on messages
+with over-long lines.
+
+The &%hosts_try_prdr%& option enables an efficiency SMTP option. It is
+negotiated between client and server and not expected to cause problems
+but can be disabled if needed. The built-in macro _HAVE_PRDR guards the
+use of the &%hosts_try_prdr%& configuration option.
+
+The other remote transport is used when delivering to a specific smarthost
+with whom there must be some kind of existing relationship, instead of the
+usual federated system.
+
+.code
+smarthost_smtp:
+ driver = smtp
+ message_size_limit = ${if > {$max_received_linelength}{998} {1}{0}}
+ multi_domain
+ #
+.ifdef _HAVE_TLS
+ # Comment out any of these which you have to, then file a Support
+ # request with your smarthost provider to get things fixed:
+ hosts_require_tls = *
+ tls_verify_hosts = *
+ # As long as tls_verify_hosts is enabled, this this will have no effect,
+ # but if you have to comment it out then this will at least log whether
+ # you succeed or not:
+ tls_try_verify_hosts = *
+ #
+ # The SNI name should match the name which we'll expect to verify;
+ # many mail systems don't use SNI and this doesn't matter, but if it does,
+ # we need to send a name which the remote site will recognize.
+ # This _should_ be the name which the smarthost operators specified as
+ # the hostname for sending your mail to.
+ tls_sni = ROUTER_SMARTHOST
+ #
+.ifdef _HAVE_OPENSSL
+ tls_require_ciphers = HIGH:!aNULL:@STRENGTH
+.endif
+.ifdef _HAVE_GNUTLS
+ tls_require_ciphers = SECURE192:-VERS-SSL3.0:-VERS-TLS1.0:-VERS-TLS1.1
+.endif
+.endif
+.ifdef _HAVE_PRDR
+ hosts_try_prdr = *
+.endif
+.endd
+After the same &%message_size_limit%& hack, we then specify that this Transport
+can handle messages to multiple domains in one run. The assumption here is
+that you're routing all non-local mail to the same place and that place is
+happy to take all messages from you as quickly as possible.
+All other options depend upon built-in macros; if Exim was built without TLS support
+then no other options are defined.
+If TLS is available, then we configure "stronger than default" TLS ciphersuites
+and versions using the &%tls_require_ciphers%& option, where the value to be
+used depends upon the library providing TLS.
+Beyond that, the options adopt the stance that you should have TLS support available
+from your smarthost on today's Internet, so we turn on requiring TLS for the
+mail to be delivered, and requiring that the certificate be valid, and match
+the expected hostname. The &%tls_sni%& option can be used by service providers
+to select an appropriate certificate to present to you and here we re-use the
+ROUTER_SMARTHOST macro, because that is unaffected by CNAMEs present in DNS.
+You want to specify the hostname which you'll expect to validate for, and that
+should not be subject to insecure tampering via DNS results.
+
+For the &%hosts_try_prdr%& option see the previous transport.
+
All other options are defaulted.
.code
local_delivery:
driver = appendfile
- file = /var/mail/$local_part
+ file = /var/mail/$local_part_data
delivery_date_add
envelope_to_add
return_path_add
# mode = 0660
.endd
This &(appendfile)& transport is used for local delivery to user mailboxes in
-traditional BSD mailbox format. By default it runs under the uid and gid of the
+traditional BSD mailbox format.
+
+We prefer to avoid using &$local_part$& directly to define the mailbox filename,
+as it is provided by a potential bad actor.
+Instead we use &$local_part_data$&,
+the result of looking up &$local_part$& in the user database
+(done by using &%check_local_user%& in the the router).
+
+By default &(appendfile)& runs under the uid and gid of the
local user, which requires the sticky bit to be set on the &_/var/mail_&
directory. Some systems use the alternative approach of running mail deliveries
under a particular group instead of using the sticky bit. The commented options
.chapter "Regular expressions" "CHAPregexp"
.cindex "regular expressions" "library"
-.cindex "PCRE"
+.cindex "PCRE2"
Exim supports the use of regular expressions in many of its options. It
-uses the PCRE regular expression library; this provides regular expression
+uses the PCRE2 regular expression library; this provides regular expression
matching that is compatible with Perl 5. The syntax and semantics of
regular expressions is discussed in
online Perl manpages, in
. --- to the old URL for now. 2018-09-07.
The documentation for the syntax and semantics of the regular expressions that
-are supported by PCRE is included in the PCRE distribution, and no further
-description is included here. The PCRE functions are called from Exim using
-the default option settings (that is, with no PCRE options set), except that
-the PCRE_CASELESS option is set when the matching is required to be
+are supported by PCRE2 is included in the PCRE2 distribution, and no further
+description is included here. The PCRE2 functions are called from Exim using
+the default option settings (that is, with no PCRE2 options set), except that
+the PCRE2_CASELESS option is set when the matching is required to be
case-insensitive.
In most cases, when a regular expression is required in an Exim configuration,
lookup. Lookups of this type are conditional expansion items. Different results
can be defined for the cases of lookup success and failure. See chapter
&<<CHAPexpand>>&, where string expansions are described in detail.
-The key for the lookup is specified as part of the string expansion.
+The key for the lookup is &*specified*& as part of the string to be expanded.
.next
Lists of domains, hosts, and email addresses can contain lookup requests as a
way of avoiding excessively long linear lists. In this case, the data that is
returned by the lookup is often (but not always) discarded; whether the lookup
succeeds or fails is what really counts. These kinds of list are described in
chapter &<<CHAPdomhosaddlists>>&.
-The key for the lookup is given by the context in which the list is expanded.
+Depending on the lookup type (see below)
+the key for the lookup may need to be &*specified*& as above
+or may be &*implicit*&,
+given by the context in which the list is being checked.
.endlist
String expansions, lists, and lookups interact with each other in such a way
domains = ${lookup{$sender_host_address}lsearch{/some/file}}
domains = lsearch;/some/file
.endd
+.ilist
The first uses a string expansion, the result of which must be a domain list.
+The key for an expansion-style lookup must be given explicitly.
No strings have been specified for a successful or a failing lookup; the
defaults in this case are the looked-up data and an empty string, respectively.
The expansion takes place before the string is processed as a list, and the
.endd
When the lookup succeeds, the result of the expansion is a list of domains (and
possibly other types of item that are allowed in domain lists).
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using a lookup expansion"
+The result of the expansion is not tainted.
+.next
In the second example, the lookup is a single item in a domain list. It causes
Exim to use a lookup to see if the domain that is being processed can be found
-in the file. The file could contains lines like this:
+in the file.
+The file could contains lines like this:
.code
domain1:
domain2:
Any data that follows the keys is not relevant when checking that the domain
matches the list item.
+The key for a list-style lookup is implicit, from the lookup context, if
+the lookup is a single-key type (see below).
+For query-style lookup types the query must be given explicitly.
+.endlist
+
It is possible, though no doubt confusing, to use both kinds of lookup at once.
Consider a file containing lines like this:
.code
first &%domains%& setting above generates the second setting, which therefore
causes a second lookup to occur.
+The lookup type may optionally be followed by a comma
+and a comma-separated list of options.
+Each option is a &"name=value"& pair.
+Whether an option is meaningful depends on the lookup type.
+
+All lookups support the option &"cache=no_rd"&.
+If this is given then the cache that Exim manages for lookup results
+is not checked before doing the lookup.
+The result of the lookup is still written to the cache.
+
The rest of this chapter describes the different lookup types that are
available. Any of them can be used in any part of the configuration where a
lookup is permitted.
The &'single-key'& type requires the specification of a file in which to look,
and a single key to search for. The key must be a non-empty string for the
lookup to succeed. The lookup type determines how the file is searched.
+.cindex "tainted data" "single-key lookups"
+The file string may not be tainted.
+
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using a single-key lookup"
+All single-key lookups support the option &"ret=key"&.
+If this is given and the lookup
+(either underlying implementation or cached value)
+returns data, the result is replaced with a non-tainted
+version of the lookup key.
+
.next
.cindex "query-style lookup" "definition of"
The &'query-style'& type accepts a generalized database query. No particular
key value is assumed by Exim for query-style lookups. You can use whichever
Exim variables you need to construct the database query.
+.cindex "tainted data" "quoting for lookups"
+If tainted data is used in the query then it should be quuted by
+using the &*${quote_*&<&'lookup-type'&>&*:*&<&'string'&>&*}*& expansion operator
+appropriate for the lookup.
.endlist
The code for each lookup type is in a separate source file that is included in
.cindex "single-key lookup" "list of types"
The following single-key lookup types are implemented:
-.ilist
+.subsection cdb
.cindex "cdb" "description of"
.cindex "lookup" "cdb"
.cindex "binary zero" "in lookup key"
-&(cdb)&: The given file is searched as a Constant DataBase file, using the key
+The given file is searched as a Constant DataBase file, using the key
string without a terminating binary zero. The cdb format is designed for
indexed files that are read frequently and never updated, except by total
re-creation. As such, it is particularly suitable for large files containing
tools for building the files can be found in several places:
.display
&url(https://cr.yp.to/cdb.html)
-&url(http://www.corpit.ru/mjt/tinycdb.html)
+&url(https://www.corpit.ru/mjt/tinycdb.html)
&url(https://packages.debian.org/stable/utils/freecdb)
&url(https://github.com/philpennock/cdbtools) (in Go)
.endd
-. --- 2018-09-07: corpit.ru http:-only
A cdb distribution is not needed in order to build Exim with cdb support,
because the code for reading cdb files is included directly in Exim itself.
However, no means of building or testing cdb files is provided with Exim, so
you need to obtain a cdb distribution in order to do this.
-.next
+
+.subsection dbm
.cindex "DBM" "lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "dbm"
.cindex "binary zero" "in lookup key"
-&(dbm)&: Calls to DBM library functions are used to extract data from the given
+Calls to DBM library functions are used to extract data from the given
DBM file by looking up the record with the given key. A terminating binary
zero is included in the key that is passed to the DBM library. See section
&<<SECTdb>>& for a discussion of DBM libraries.
the DB_UNKNOWN option. This enables it to handle any of the types of database
that the library supports, and can be useful for accessing DBM files created by
other applications. (For earlier DB versions, DB_HASH is always used.)
-.next
+
+.subsection dbmjz
.cindex "lookup" "dbmjz"
.cindex "lookup" "dbm &-- embedded NULs"
.cindex "sasldb2"
.cindex "dbmjz lookup type"
-&(dbmjz)&: This is the same as &(dbm)&, except that the lookup key is
+This is the same as &(dbm)&, except that the lookup key is
interpreted as an Exim list; the elements of the list are joined together with
ASCII NUL characters to form the lookup key. An example usage would be to
authenticate incoming SMTP calls using the passwords from Cyrus SASL's
&_/etc/sasldb2_& file with the &(gsasl)& authenticator or Exim's own
&(cram_md5)& authenticator.
-.next
+
+.subsection dbmnz
.cindex "lookup" "dbmnz"
.cindex "lookup" "dbm &-- terminating zero"
.cindex "binary zero" "in lookup key"
.cindex "Courier"
.cindex "&_/etc/userdbshadow.dat_&"
.cindex "dbmnz lookup type"
-&(dbmnz)&: This is the same as &(dbm)&, except that a terminating binary zero
+This is the same as &(dbm)&, except that a terminating binary zero
is not included in the key that is passed to the DBM library. You may need this
if you want to look up data in files that are created by or shared with some
other application that does not use terminating zeros. For example, you need to
calls using the passwords from Courier's &_/etc/userdbshadow.dat_& file. Exim's
utility program for creating DBM files (&'exim_dbmbuild'&) includes the zeros
by default, but has an option to omit them (see section &<<SECTdbmbuild>>&).
-.next
+
+.subsection dsearch
.cindex "lookup" "dsearch"
.cindex "dsearch lookup type"
-&(dsearch)&: The given file must be a directory; this is searched for an entry
-whose name is the key by calling the &[lstat()]& function. The key may not
-contain any forward slash characters. If &[lstat()]& succeeds, the result of
-the lookup is the name of the entry, which may be a file, directory,
-symbolic link, or any other kind of directory entry. An example of how this
+The given file must be an absolute directory path; this is searched for an entry
+whose name is the key by calling the &[lstat()]& function.
+The key may not contain any forward slash characters.
+If &[lstat()]& succeeds then so does the lookup.
+.cindex "tainted data" "dsearch result"
+The result is regarded as untainted.
+
+Options for the lookup can be given by appending them after the word "dsearch",
+separated by a comma. Options, if present, are a comma-separated list having
+each element starting with a tag name and an equals.
+
+Two options are supported, for the return value and for filtering match
+candidates.
+The "ret" option requests an alternate result value of
+the entire path for the entry. Example:
+.code
+${lookup {passwd} dsearch,ret=full {/etc}}
+.endd
+The default result is just the requested entry.
+The "filter" option requests that only directory entries of a given type
+are matched. The match value is one of "file", "dir" or "subdir" (the latter
+not matching "." or ".."). Example:
+.code
+${lookup {passwd} dsearch,filter=file {/etc}}
+.endd
+The default matching is for any entry type, including directories
+and symlinks.
+
+An example of how this
lookup can be used to support virtual domains is given in section
&<<SECTvirtualdomains>>&.
-.next
+
+.subsection iplsearch
.cindex "lookup" "iplsearch"
.cindex "iplsearch lookup type"
-&(iplsearch)&: The given file is a text file containing keys and data. A key is
+The given file is a text file containing keys and data. A key is
terminated by a colon or white space or the end of the line. The keys in the
file must be IP addresses, or IP addresses with CIDR masks. Keys that involve
IPv6 addresses must be enclosed in quotes to prevent the first internal colon
&*Warning 2*&: In a host list, you must always use &(net-iplsearch)& so that
the implicit key is the host's IP address rather than its name (see section
&<<SECThoslispatsikey>>&).
-.next
+
+&*Warning 3*&: Do not use an IPv4-mapped IPv6 address for a key; use the
+IPv4, in dotted-quad form. (Exim converts IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses to this
+notation before executing the lookup.)
+
+One option is supported, "ret=full", to request the return of the entire line
+rather than omitting the key portion.
+Note however that the key portion will have been de-quoted.
+
+.subsection json
+.cindex lookup json
+.cindex json "lookup type"
+.cindex JSON expansions
+The given file is a text file with a JSON structure.
+An element of the structure is extracted, defined by the search key.
+The key is a list of subelement selectors
+(colon-separated by default but changeable in the usual way)
+which are applied in turn to select smaller and smaller portions
+of the JSON structure.
+If a selector is numeric, it must apply to a JSON array; the (zero-based)
+nunbered array element is selected.
+Otherwise it must apply to a JSON object; the named element is selected.
+The final resulting element can be a simple JSON type or a JSON object
+or array; for the latter two a string-representation of the JSON
+is returned.
+For elements of type string, the returned value is de-quoted.
+
+
+.subsection lmdb
+.cindex LMDB
+.cindex lookup lmdb
+.cindex database lmdb
+The given file is an LMDB database.
+LMDB is a memory-mapped key-value store,
+with API modeled loosely on that of BerkeleyDB.
+See &url(https://symas.com/products/lightning-memory-mapped-database/)
+for the feature set and operation modes.
+
+Exim provides read-only access via the LMDB C library.
+The library can be obtained from &url(https://github.com/LMDB/lmdb)
+or your operating system package repository.
+To enable LMDB support in Exim set LOOKUP_LMDB=yes in &_Local/Makefile_&.
+
+You will need to separately create the LMDB database file,
+possibly using the &"mdb_load"& utility.
+
+
+.subsection lsearch
.cindex "linear search"
.cindex "lookup" "lsearch"
.cindex "lsearch lookup type"
.cindex "case sensitivity" "in lsearch lookup"
-&(lsearch)&: The given file is a text file that is searched linearly for a
+The given file is a text file that is searched linearly for a
line beginning with the search key, terminated by a colon or white space or the
end of the line. The search is case-insensitive; that is, upper and lower case
letters are treated as the same. The first occurrence of the key that is found
quoted keys (exactly as for unquoted keys). There is no special handling of
quotes for the data part of an &(lsearch)& line.
-.next
+.subsection nis
.cindex "NIS lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "NIS"
.cindex "binary zero" "in lookup key"
-&(nis)&: The given file is the name of a NIS map, and a NIS lookup is done with
+The given file is the name of a NIS map, and a NIS lookup is done with
the given key, without a terminating binary zero. There is a variant called
&(nis0)& which does include the terminating binary zero in the key. This is
reportedly needed for Sun-style alias files. Exim does not recognize NIS
aliases; the full map names must be used.
-.next
+.subsection (n)wildlsearch
.cindex "wildlsearch lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "wildlsearch"
.cindex "nwildlsearch lookup type"
file that are regular expressions can be made case-sensitive by the use of
&`(-i)`& within the pattern. The following forms of wildcard are recognized:
-. ==== As this is a nested list, any displays it contains must be indented
-. ==== as otherwise they are too far to the left.
-
.olist
The string may begin with an asterisk to mean &"ends with"&. For example:
.code
- *.a.b.c data for anything.a.b.c
- *fish data for anythingfish
+*.a.b.c data for anything.a.b.c
+*fish data for anythingfish
.endd
.next
The string may begin with a circumflex to indicate a regular expression. For
example, for &(wildlsearch)&:
.code
- ^\N\d+\.a\.b\N data for <digits>.a.b
+^\N\d+\.a\.b\N data for <digits>.a.b
.endd
Note the use of &`\N`& to disable expansion of the contents of the regular
expression. If you are using &(nwildlsearch)&, where the keys are not
string-expanded, the equivalent entry is:
.code
- ^\d+\.a\.b data for <digits>.a.b
+^\d+\.a\.b data for <digits>.a.b
.endd
The case-insensitive flag is set at the start of compiling the regular
expression, but it can be turned off by using &`(-i)`& at an appropriate point.
For example, to make the entire pattern case-sensitive:
.code
- ^(?-i)\d+\.a\.b data for <digits>.a.b
+^(?-i)\d+\.a\.b data for <digits>.a.b
.endd
If the regular expression contains white space or colon characters, you must
lookup name terminated by a semicolon, and followed by lookup data. For
example:
.code
- cdb;/some/file data for keys that match the file
+cdb;/some/file data for keys that match the file
.endd
The data that is obtained from the nested lookup is discarded.
.endlist olist
&*Warning*&: Unlike most other single-key lookup types, a file of data for
&((n)wildlsearch)& can &'not'& be turned into a DBM or cdb file, because those
lookup types support only literal keys.
-.endlist ilist
+
+.subsection spf
+.cindex "spf lookup type"
+.cindex "lookup" "spf"
+If Exim is built with SPF support, manual lookups can be done
+(as opposed to the standard ACL condition method).
+For details see section &<<SECSPF>>&.
.section "Query-style lookup types" "SECTquerystylelookups"
The supported query-style lookup types are listed below. Further details about
many of them are given in later sections.
-.ilist
+.subsection dnsdb
.cindex "DNS" "as a lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "DNS"
-&(dnsdb)&: This does a DNS search for one or more records whose domain names
+This does a DNS search for one or more records whose domain names
are given in the supplied query. The resulting data is the contents of the
records. See section &<<SECTdnsdb>>&.
-.next
+
+.subsection ibase
.cindex "InterBase lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "InterBase"
-&(ibase)&: This does a lookup in an InterBase database.
-.next
+This does a lookup in an InterBase database.
+
+.subsection ldap
.cindex "LDAP" "lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "LDAP"
-&(ldap)&: This does an LDAP lookup using a query in the form of a URL, and
+This does an LDAP lookup using a query in the form of a URL, and
returns attributes from a single entry. There is a variant called &(ldapm)&
that permits values from multiple entries to be returned. A third variant
called &(ldapdn)& returns the Distinguished Name of a single entry instead of
any attribute values. See section &<<SECTldap>>&.
-.next
+
+.subsection mysql
.cindex "MySQL" "lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "MySQL"
-&(mysql)&: The format of the query is an SQL statement that is passed to a
+The format of the query is an SQL statement that is passed to a
MySQL database. See section &<<SECTsql>>&.
-.next
+
+.subsection nisplus
.cindex "NIS+ lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "NIS+"
-&(nisplus)&: This does a NIS+ lookup using a query that can specify the name of
+This does a NIS+ lookup using a query that can specify the name of
the field to be returned. See section &<<SECTnisplus>>&.
-.next
+
+.subsection oracle
.cindex "Oracle" "lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "Oracle"
-&(oracle)&: The format of the query is an SQL statement that is passed to an
+The format of the query is an SQL statement that is passed to an
Oracle database. See section &<<SECTsql>>&.
-.next
+
+.subsection passwd
.cindex "lookup" "passwd"
.cindex "passwd lookup type"
.cindex "&_/etc/passwd_&"
-&(passwd)& is a query-style lookup with queries that are just user names. The
+This is a query-style lookup with queries that are just user names. The
lookup calls &[getpwnam()]& to interrogate the system password data, and on
success, the result string is the same as you would get from an &(lsearch)&
lookup on a traditional &_/etc/passwd file_&, though with &`*`& for the
.code
*:42:42:King Rat:/home/kr:/bin/bash
.endd
-.next
+
+.subsection pgsql
.cindex "PostgreSQL lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "PostgreSQL"
-&(pgsql)&: The format of the query is an SQL statement that is passed to a
+The format of the query is an SQL statement that is passed to a
PostgreSQL database. See section &<<SECTsql>>&.
-.next
+.subsection redis
.cindex "Redis lookup type"
.cindex lookup Redis
-&(redis)&: The format of the query is either a simple get or simple set,
+The format of the query is either a simple get or simple set,
passed to a Redis database. See section &<<SECTsql>>&.
-.next
+.subsection sqlite
.cindex "sqlite lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "sqlite"
-&(sqlite)&: The format of the query is a file name followed by an SQL statement
-that is passed to an SQLite database. See section &<<SECTsqlite>>&.
+The format of the query is
+an SQL statement that is passed to an SQLite database. See section &<<SECTsqlite>>&.
-.next
-&(testdb)&: This is a lookup type that is used for testing Exim. It is
+.subsection testdb
+This is a lookup type that is used for testing Exim. It is
not likely to be useful in normal operation.
-.next
+
+.subsection whoson
.cindex "whoson lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "whoson"
-. --- still http:-only, 2018-09-07
-&(whoson)&: &'Whoson'& (&url(http://whoson.sourceforge.net)) is a protocol that
+&'Whoson'& (&url(http://whoson.sourceforge.net)) is a protocol that
allows a server to check whether a particular (dynamically allocated) IP
address is currently allocated to a known (trusted) user and, optionally, to
obtain the identity of the said user. For SMTP servers, &'Whoson'& was popular
the authenticated user, which is stored in the variable &$value$&. However, in
this example, the data in &$value$& is not used; the result of the lookup is
one of the fixed strings &"yes"& or &"no"&.
-.endlist
of independent, short-lived processes, this caching applies only within a
single Exim process. There is no inter-process lookup caching facility.
+If an option &"cache=no_rd"& is used on the lookup then
+the cache is only written to, cached data is not used for the operation
+and a real lookup is done.
+
For single-key lookups, Exim keeps the relevant files open in case there is
another lookup that needs them. In some types of configuration this can lead to
many files being kept open for messages with many recipients. To avoid hitting
${lookup dnsdb{>:,; soa=a.b.example.com}}
.endd
-.section "Dnsdb lookup modifiers" "SECTdnsdb_mod"
+.subsection "Dnsdb lookup modifiers" SECTdnsdb_mod
.cindex "dnsdb modifiers"
.cindex "modifiers" "dnsdb"
.cindex "options" "dnsdb"
With &"strict"& a response from the DNS resolver that
is not labelled as authenticated data
is treated as equivalent to a temporary DNS error.
-The default is &"never"&.
+The default is &"lax"&.
See also the &$lookup_dnssec_authenticated$& variable.
value of the set of returned DNS records.
-.section "Pseudo dnsdb record types" "SECID66"
+.subsection "Pseudo dnsdb record types" SECID66
.cindex "MX record" "in &(dnsdb)& lookup"
By default, both the preference value and the host name are returned for
each MX record, separated by a space. If you want only host names, you can use
.endd
-.section "Multiple dnsdb lookups" "SECID67"
+.subsection "Multiple dnsdb lookups" SECID67
In the previous sections, &(dnsdb)& lookups for a single domain are described.
However, you can specify a list of domains or IP addresses in a single
&(dnsdb)& lookup. The list is specified in the normal Exim way, with colon as
First we explain how LDAP queries are coded.
-.section "Format of LDAP queries" "SECTforldaque"
+.subsection "Format of LDAP queries" SECTforldaque
.cindex "LDAP" "query format"
An LDAP query takes the form of a URL as defined in RFC 2255. For example, in
the configuration of a &(redirect)& router one might have this setting:
&_exim.conf_&.
-.section "LDAP quoting" "SECID68"
+.subsection "LDAP quoting" SECID68
.cindex "LDAP" "quoting"
Two levels of quoting are required in LDAP queries, the first for LDAP itself
and the second because the LDAP query is represented as a URL. Furthermore,
authentication below.
-.section "LDAP connections" "SECID69"
+.subsection "LDAP connections" SECID69
.cindex "LDAP" "connections"
The connection to an LDAP server may either be over TCP/IP, or, when OpenLDAP
is in use, via a Unix domain socket. The example given above does not specify
-.section "LDAP authentication and control information" "SECID70"
+.subsection "LDAP authentication and control information" SECID70
.cindex "LDAP" "authentication"
The LDAP URL syntax provides no way of passing authentication and other control
information to the server. To make this possible, the URL in an LDAP query may
spaces. If a value contains spaces it must be enclosed in double quotes, and
when double quotes are used, backslash is interpreted in the usual way inside
them. The following names are recognized:
-.display
-&`DEREFERENCE`& set the dereferencing parameter
-&`NETTIME `& set a timeout for a network operation
-&`USER `& set the DN, for authenticating the LDAP bind
-&`PASS `& set the password, likewise
-&`REFERRALS `& set the referrals parameter
-&`SERVERS `& set alternate server list for this query only
-&`SIZE `& set the limit for the number of entries returned
-&`TIME `& set the maximum waiting time for a query
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 20* left 80* left
+.irow DEREFERENCE "set the dereferencing parameter"
+.irow NETTIME "set a timeout for a network operation"
+.irow USER "set the DN, for authenticating the LDAP bind"
+.irow PASS "set the password, likewise"
+.irow REFERRALS "set the referrals parameter"
+.irow SERVERS "set alternate server list for this query only"
+.irow SIZE "set the limit for the number of entries returned"
+.irow TIME "set the maximum waiting time for a query"
+.endtable
The value of the DEREFERENCE parameter must be one of the words &"never"&,
&"searching"&, &"finding"&, or &"always"&. The value of the REFERRALS parameter
must be &"follow"& (the default) or &"nofollow"&. The latter stops the LDAP
-.section "Format of data returned by LDAP" "SECID71"
+.subsection "Format of data returned by LDAP" SECID71
.cindex "LDAP" "returned data formats"
The &(ldapdn)& lookup type returns the Distinguished Name from a single entry
as a sequence of values, for example
with a newline between the data for each row.
-.section "More about MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, InterBase, and Redis" "SECID72"
+.subsection "More about MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, InterBase, and Redis" SECID72
.cindex "MySQL" "lookup type"
.cindex "PostgreSQL lookup type"
.cindex "lookup" "MySQL"
or &%redis_servers%&
option (as appropriate) must be set to a colon-separated list of server
information.
+.oindex &%mysql_servers%&
+.oindex &%pgsql_servers%&
+.oindex &%oracle_servers%&
+.oindex &%ibase_servers%&
+.oindex &%redis_servers%&
(For MySQL and PostgreSQL, the global option need not be set if all
queries contain their own server information &-- see section
&<<SECTspeserque>>&.)
The &%quote_redis%& expansion operator
escapes whitespace and backslash characters with a backslash.
-.section "Specifying the server in the query" "SECTspeserque"
+.subsection "Specifying the server in the query" SECTspeserque
For MySQL, PostgreSQL and Redis lookups (but not currently for Oracle and InterBase),
it is possible to specify a list of servers with an individual query. This is
-done by starting the query with
+done by appending a comma-separated option to the query type:
.display
-&`servers=`&&'server1:server2:server3:...'&&`;`&
+&`,servers=`&&'server1:server2:server3:...'&
.endd
Each item in the list may take one of two forms:
.olist
.endd
In an updating lookup, you could then write:
.code
-${lookup mysql{servers=master; UPDATE ...} }
+${lookup mysql,servers=master {UPDATE ...} }
.endd
That query would then be sent only to the master server. If, on the other hand,
the master is not to be used for reading, and so is not present in the global
option, you can still update it by a query of this form:
.code
-${lookup pgsql{servers=master/db/name/pw; UPDATE ...} }
+${lookup pgsql,servers=master/db/name/pw {UPDATE ...} }
+.endd
+
+An older syntax places the servers specification before the query,
+semicolon separated:
+.code
+${lookup mysql{servers=master; UPDATE ...} }
.endd
+The new version avoids potential issues with tainted
+arguments in the query, for explicit expansion.
+&*Note*&: server specifications in list-style lookups are still problematic.
-.section "Special MySQL features" "SECID73"
+.subsection "Special MySQL features" SECID73
For MySQL, an empty host name or the use of &"localhost"& in &%mysql_servers%&
causes a connection to the server on the local host by means of a Unix domain
socket. An alternate socket can be specified in parentheses.
is zero because no rows are affected.
-.section "Special PostgreSQL features" "SECID74"
+.subsection "Special PostgreSQL features" SECID74
PostgreSQL lookups can also use Unix domain socket connections to the database.
This is usually faster and costs less CPU time than a TCP/IP connection.
However it can be used only if the mail server runs on the same machine as the
update, or delete command), the result of the lookup is the number of rows
affected.
-.section "More about SQLite" "SECTsqlite"
+.subsection "More about SQLite" SECTsqlite
.cindex "lookup" "SQLite"
.cindex "sqlite lookup type"
-SQLite is different to the other SQL lookups because a file name is required in
+SQLite is different to the other SQL lookups because a filename is required in
addition to the SQL query. An SQLite database is a single file, and there is no
-daemon as in the other SQL databases. The interface to Exim requires the name
-of the file, as an absolute path, to be given at the start of the query. It is
-separated from the query by white space. This means that the path name cannot
-contain white space. Here is a lookup expansion example:
-.code
-${lookup sqlite {/some/thing/sqlitedb \
- select name from aliases where id='userx';}}
+daemon as in the other SQL databases.
+
+.oindex &%sqlite_dbfile%&
+There are two ways of
+specifying the file.
+The first is is by using the &%sqlite_dbfile%& main option.
+The second, which allows separate files for each query,
+is to use an option appended, comma-separated, to the &"sqlite"&
+lookup type word. The option is the word &"file"&, then an equals,
+then the filename.
+The filename in this case cannot contain whitespace or open-brace charachters.
+
+A deprecated method is available, prefixing the query with the filename
+separated by white space.
+This means that
+.cindex "tainted data" "sqlite file"
+the query cannot use any tainted values, as that taints
+the entire query including the filename - resulting in a refusal to open
+the file.
+
+In all the above cases the filename must be an absolute path.
+
+Here is a lookup expansion example:
+.code
+sqlite_dbfile = /some/thing/sqlitedb
+...
+${lookup sqlite {select name from aliases where id='userx';}}
.endd
In a list, the syntax is similar. For example:
.code
-domainlist relay_to_domains = sqlite;/some/thing/sqlitedb \
+domainlist relay_to_domains = sqlite;\
select * from relays where ip='$sender_host_address';
.endd
The only character affected by the &%quote_sqlite%& operator is a single
to 5 seconds, but it can be changed by means of the &%sqlite_lock_timeout%&
option.
-.section "More about Redis" "SECTredis"
+.subsection "More about Redis" SECTredis
.cindex "lookup" "Redis"
.cindex "redis lookup type"
Redis is a non-SQL database. Commands are simple get and set.
+.section "Results of list checking" SECTlistresults
+The primary result of doing a list check is a truth value.
+In some contexts additional information is stored
+about the list element that matched:
+.vlist
+.vitem hosts
+A &%hosts%& ACL condition
+will store a result in the &$host_data$& variable.
+.vitem local_parts
+A &%local_parts%& router option or &%local_parts%& ACL condition
+will store a result in the &$local_part_data$& variable.
+.vitem domains
+A &%domains%& router option or &%domains%& ACL condition
+will store a result in the &$domain_data$& variable.
+.vitem senders
+A &%senders%& router option or &%senders%& ACL condition
+will store a result in the &$sender_data$& variable.
+.vitem recipients
+A &%recipients%& ACL condition
+will store a result in the &$recipient_data$& variable.
+.endlist
+
+The detail of the additional information depends on the
+type of match and is given below as the &*value*& information.
+
+
+
+
.section "Expansion of lists" "SECTlistexpand"
.cindex "expansion" "of lists"
Each list is expanded as a single string before it is used.
-.section "Negated items in lists" "SECID76"
+.subsection "Negated items in lists" SECID76
.cindex "list" "negation"
.cindex "negation" "in lists"
Items in a list may be positive or negative. Negative items are indicated by a
-.section "File names in lists" "SECTfilnamlis"
-.cindex "list" "file name in"
-If an item in a domain, host, address, or local part list is an absolute file
-name (beginning with a slash character), each line of the file is read and
+.subsection "File names in lists" SECTfilnamlis
+.cindex "list" "filename in"
+If an item in a domain, host, address, or local part list is an absolute
+filename (beginning with a slash character), each line of the file is read and
processed as if it were an independent item in the list, except that further
-file names are not allowed,
+filenames are not allowed,
and no expansion of the data from the file takes place.
Empty lines in the file are ignored, and the file may also contain comment
lines:
.endd
.endlist
-Putting a file name in a list has the same effect as inserting each line of the
+Putting a filename in a list has the same effect as inserting each line of the
file as an item in the list (blank lines and comments excepted). However, there
is one important difference: the file is read each time the list is processed,
so if its contents vary over time, Exim's behaviour changes.
-If a file name is preceded by an exclamation mark, the sense of any match
+If a filename is preceded by an exclamation mark, the sense of any match
within the file is inverted. For example, if
.code
hold_domains = !/etc/nohold-domains
-.section "An lsearch file is not an out-of-line list" "SECID77"
+.subsection "An lsearch file is not an out-of-line list" SECID77
As will be described in the sections that follow, lookups can be used in lists
to provide indexed methods of checking list membership. There has been some
confusion about the way &(lsearch)& lookups work in lists. Because
always fixed strings, just as for any other single-key lookup type.
If you want to use a file to contain wild-card patterns that form part of a
-list, just give the file name on its own, without a search type, as described
+list, just give the filename on its own, without a search type, as described
in the previous section. You could also use the &(wildlsearch)& or
&(nwildlsearch)&, but there is no advantage in doing this.
-.section "Named lists" "SECTnamedlists"
+.subsection "Named lists" SECTnamedlists
.cindex "named lists"
.cindex "list" "named"
A list of domains, hosts, email addresses, or local parts can be given a name
where &'x.y'& does not match. It's best to avoid negation altogether in
referenced lists if you can.
+.cindex "hiding named list values"
+.cindex "named lists" "hiding value of"
+Some named list definitions may contain sensitive data, for example, passwords for
+accessing databases. To stop non-admin users from using the &%-bP%& command
+line option to read these values, you can precede the definition with the
+word &"hide"&. For example:
+.code
+hide domainlist filter_for_domains = ldap;PASS=secret ldap::/// ...
+.endd
+
+
Named lists may have a performance advantage. When Exim is routing an
address or checking an incoming message, it caches the result of tests on named
lists. So, if you have a setting such as
-.section "Named lists compared with macros" "SECID78"
+.subsection "Named lists compared with macros" SECID78
.cindex "list" "named compared with macro"
.cindex "macro" "compared with named list"
At first sight, named lists might seem to be no different from macros in the
.endd
-.section "Named list caching" "SECID79"
+.subsection "Named list caching" SECID79
.cindex "list" "caching of named"
.cindex "caching" "named lists"
While processing a message, Exim caches the result of checking a named list if
as set by the &%primary_hostname%& option (or defaulted). This makes it
possible to use the same configuration file on several different hosts that
differ only in their names.
+
+The value for a match will be the primary host name.
+
+
.next
.cindex "@[] in a domain list"
.cindex "domain list" "matching local IP interfaces"
only if that IP address is recognized as local for email routing purposes. The
&%local_interfaces%& and &%extra_local_interfaces%& options can be used to
control which of a host's several IP addresses are treated as local.
-In today's Internet, the use of domain literals is controversial.
+In today's Internet, the use of domain literals is controversial;
+see the &%allow_domain_literals%& main option.
+
+The value for a match will be the string &`@[]`&.
+
+
.next
.cindex "@mx_any"
.cindex "@mx_primary"
domains = <? @mx_any/ignore=<;127.0.0.1;::1 ? \
an.other.domain ? ...
.endd
+The value for a match will be the list element string (starting &`@mx_`&).
+
+
.next
.cindex "asterisk" "in domain list"
.cindex "domain list" "asterisk in"
list item such as &`*key.ex`& matches &'donkey.ex'& as well as
&'cipher.key.ex'&.
+The value for a match will be the list element string (starting with the asterisk).
+Additionally, &$0$& will be set to the matched string
+and &$1$& to the variable portion which the asterisk matched.
+
.next
.cindex "regular expressions" "in domain list"
.cindex "domain list" "matching regular expression"
use the special &`\N`& sequence (see chapter &<<CHAPexpand>>&) to specify that
it is not to be expanded (unless you really do want to build a regular
expression by expansion, of course).
+
+The value for a match will be the list element string (starting with the circumflex).
+Additionally, &$0$& will be set to the string matching the regular expression,
+and &$1$& (onwards) to any submatches identified by parentheses.
+
+
+
.next
.cindex "lookup" "in domain list"
.cindex "domain list" "matching by lookup"
If a pattern starts with the name of a single-key lookup type followed by a
semicolon (for example, &"dbm;"& or &"lsearch;"&), the remainder of the pattern
-must be a file name in a suitable format for the lookup type. For example, for
+must be a filename in a suitable format for the lookup type. For example, for
&"cdb;"& it must be an absolute path:
.code
domains = cdb;/etc/mail/local_domains.cdb
.endd
The appropriate type of lookup is done on the file using the domain name as the
-key. In most cases, the data that is looked up is not used; Exim is interested
+key. In most cases, the value resulting from the lookup is not used; Exim is interested
only in whether or not the key is present in the file. However, when a lookup
is used for the &%domains%& option on a router
-or a &%domains%& condition in an ACL statement, the data is preserved in the
+or a &%domains%& condition in an ACL statement, the value is preserved in the
&$domain_data$& variable and can be referred to in other router options or
other statements in the same ACL.
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using ACL domains condition"
+The value will be untainted.
+
+&*Note*&: If the data result of the lookup (as opposed to the key)
+is empty, then this empty value is stored in &$domain_data$&.
+The option to return the key for the lookup, as the value,
+may be what is wanted.
+
.next
Any of the single-key lookup type names may be preceded by
select particular domains (because any domain would match), but it might have
value if the result of the lookup is being used via the &$domain_data$&
expansion variable.
+
.next
If the pattern starts with the name of a query-style lookup type followed by a
semicolon (for example, &"nisplus;"& or &"ldap;"&), the remainder of the
hold_domains = mysql;select domain from holdlist \
where domain = '${quote_mysql:$domain}';
.endd
-In most cases, the data that is looked up is not used (so for an SQL query, for
+In most cases, the value resulting from the lookup is not used (so for an SQL query, for
example, it doesn't matter what field you select). Exim is interested only in
whether or not the query succeeds. However, when a lookup is used for the
-&%domains%& option on a router, the data is preserved in the &$domain_data$&
+&%domains%& option on a router, the value is preserved in the &$domain_data$&
variable and can be referred to in other options.
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using router domains option"
+The value will be untainted.
+
+.next
+If the pattern starts with the name of a lookup type
+of either kind (single-key or query-style) it may be
+followed by a comma and options,
+The options are lookup-type specific and consist of a comma-separated list.
+Each item starts with a tag and and equals "=" sign.
+
.next
.cindex "domain list" "matching literal domain name"
If none of the above cases apply, a caseless textual comparison is made
between the pattern and the domain.
+
+The value for a match will be the list element string.
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+Note that this is commonly untainted
+(depending on the way the list was created).
+Specifically, explicit text in the configuration file in not tainted.
+This is a useful way of obtaining an untainted equivalent to
+the domain, for later operations.
+
+However if the list (including one-element lists)
+is created by expanding a variable containing tainted data,
+it is tainted and so will the match value be.
.endlist
+
Here is an example that uses several different kinds of pattern:
.code
domainlist funny_domains = \
involved, to ensure that the right value is being used as the key.
-.section "Special host list patterns" "SECID80"
+.subsection "Special host list patterns" SECID80
.cindex "empty item in hosts list"
.cindex "host list" "empty string in"
If a host list item is the empty string, it matches only when no remote host is
-.section "Host list patterns that match by IP address" "SECThoslispatip"
+.subsection "Host list patterns that match by IP address" SECThoslispatip
.cindex "host list" "matching IP addresses"
If an IPv4 host calls an IPv6 host and the call is accepted on an IPv6 socket,
the incoming address actually appears in the IPv6 host as
.endd
.next
.cindex "CIDR notation"
-If the pattern is an IP address followed by a slash and a mask length (for
-example 10.11.42.0/24), it is matched against the IP address of the subject
-host under the given mask. This allows, an entire network of hosts to be
+If the pattern is an IP address followed by a slash and a mask length, for
+example
+.code
+10.11.42.0/24
+.endd
+, it is matched against the IP address of the subject
+host under the given mask. This allows an entire network of hosts to be
included (or excluded) by a single item. The mask uses CIDR notation; it
specifies the number of address bits that must match, starting from the most
significant end of the address.
-.section "Host list patterns for single-key lookups by host address" &&&
- "SECThoslispatsikey"
+.subsection "Host list patterns for single-key lookups by host address" &&&
+ SECThoslispatsikey
.cindex "host list" "lookup of IP address"
When a host is to be identified by a single-key lookup of its complete IP
address, the pattern takes this form:
recently implemented &(iplsearch)& files do require colons in IPv6 keys
(notated using the quoting facility) so as to distinguish them from IPv4 keys.
For this reason, when the lookup type is &(iplsearch)&, IPv6 addresses are
-converted using colons and not dots. In all cases, full, unabbreviated IPv6
+converted using colons and not dots.
+In all cases except IPv4-mapped IPv6, full, unabbreviated IPv6
addresses are always used.
+The latter are converted to IPv4 addresses, in dotted-quad form.
Ideally, it would be nice to tidy up this anomalous situation by changing to
colons in all cases, given that quoting is now available for &(lsearch)&.
-.section "Host list patterns that match by host name" "SECThoslispatnam"
+.subsection "Host list patterns that match by host name" SECThoslispatnam
.cindex "host" "lookup failures"
.cindex "unknown host name"
.cindex "host list" "matching host name"
-.section "Behaviour when an IP address or name cannot be found" "SECTbehipnot"
+.subsection "Behaviour when an IP address or name cannot be found" SECTbehipnot
.cindex "host" "lookup failures, permanent"
While processing a host list, Exim may need to look up an IP address from a
name (see section &<<SECThoslispatip>>&), or it may need to look up a host name
list. The effect of each one lasts until the next, or until the end of the
list.
-.section "Mixing wildcarded host names and addresses in host lists" &&&
- "SECTmixwilhos"
+.subsection "Mixing wildcarded host names and addresses in host lists" &&&
+ SECTmixwilhos
.cindex "host list" "mixing names and addresses in"
This section explains the host/ip processing logic with the same concepts
.endlist
-.section "Temporary DNS errors when looking up host information" &&&
- "SECTtemdnserr"
+.subsection "Temporary DNS errors when looking up host information" &&&
+ SECTtemdnserr
.cindex "host" "lookup failures, temporary"
.cindex "&`+include_defer`&"
.cindex "&`+ignore_defer`&"
-.section "Host list patterns for single-key lookups by host name" &&&
- "SECThoslispatnamsk"
+.subsection "Host list patterns for single-key lookups by host name" &&&
+ SECThoslispatnamsk
.cindex "unknown host name"
.cindex "host list" "matching host name"
If a pattern is of the form
-.section "Host list patterns for query-style lookups" "SECID81"
+.subsection "Host list patterns for query-style lookups" SECID81
If a pattern is of the form
.display
<&'query-style-search-type'&>;<&'query'&>
-.section "Case of letters in address lists" "SECTcasletadd"
+.subsection "Case of letters in address lists" SECTcasletadd
.cindex "case of local parts"
.cindex "address list" "case forcing"
.cindex "case forcing in address lists"
The domain portion of an address is always lowercased before matching it to an
address list. The local part is lowercased by default, and any string
comparisons that take place are done caselessly. This means that the data in
-the address list itself, in files included as plain file names, and in any file
+the address list itself, in files included as plain filenames, and in any file
that is looked up using the &"@@"& mechanism, can be in any case. However, the
keys in files that are looked up by a search type other than &(lsearch)& (which
works caselessly) must be in lower case, because these lookups are not
.section "Local part lists" "SECTlocparlis"
.cindex "list" "local part list"
.cindex "local part" "list"
+These behave in the same way as domain and host lists, with the following
+changes:
+
Case-sensitivity in local part lists is handled in the same way as for address
lists, as just described. The &"+caseful"& item can be used if required. In a
setting of the &%local_parts%& option in a router with &%caseful_local_part%&
.chapter "String expansions" "CHAPexpand"
.scindex IIDstrexp "expansion" "of strings"
-Many strings in Exim's run time configuration are expanded before use. Some of
+Many strings in Exim's runtime configuration are expanded before use. Some of
them are expanded every time they are used; others are expanded only once.
When a string is being expanded it is copied verbatim from left to right except
+.cindex expansion "string concatenation"
when a dollar or backslash character is encountered. A dollar specifies the
start of a portion of the string that is interpreted and replaced as described
below in section &<<SECTexpansionitems>>& onwards. Backslash is used as an
options for which string expansion is performed are marked with † after
the data type. ACL rules always expand strings. A couple of expansion
conditions do not expand some of the brace-delimited branches, for security
-reasons.
+reasons,
+.cindex "tainted data" expansion
+.cindex "tainted data" definition
+.cindex expansion "tainted data"
+and expansion of data deriving from the sender (&"tainted data"&)
+is not permitted (including acessing a file using a tainted name).
+
+Common ways of obtaining untainted equivalents of variables with
+tainted values
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+come down to using the tainted value as a lookup key in a trusted database.
+This database could be the filesystem structure,
+or the password file,
+or accessed via a DBMS.
+Specific methods are indexed under &"de-tainting"&.
database lookups, and the use of expansion operators such as &%sg%&, &%substr%&
and &%nhash%&.
+.new
+When reading lines from the standard input,
+macros can be defined and ACL variables can be set.
+For example:
+.code
+MY_MACRO = foo
+set acl_m_myvar = bar
+.endd
+Such macros and variables can then be used in later input lines.
+.wen
+
Exim gives up its root privilege when it is called with the &%-be%& option, and
instead runs under the uid and gid it was called with, to prevent users from
using &%-be%& for reading files to which they do not have access.
.oindex "&%-bem%&"
If you want to test expansions that include variables whose values are taken
from a message, there are two other options that can be used. The &%-bem%&
-option is like &%-be%& except that it is followed by a file name. The file is
+option is like &%-be%& except that it is followed by a filename. The file is
read as a message before doing the test expansions. For example:
.code
exim -bem /tmp/test.message '$h_subject:'
.vitem "&*${authresults{*&<&'authserv-id'&>&*}}*&"
.cindex authentication "results header"
-.cindex headers "authentication-results:"
+.chindex Authentication-Results:
.cindex authentication "expansion item"
This item returns a string suitable for insertion as an
-&'Authentication-Results"'&
+&'Authentication-Results:'&
header line.
The given <&'authserv-id'&> is included in the result; typically this
will be a domain name identifying the system performing the authentications.
object so that it doesn't reload the same object file in the same Exim process
(but of course Exim does start new processes frequently).
-There may be from zero to eight arguments to the function. When compiling
-a local function that is to be called in this way, &_local_scan.h_& should be
-included. The Exim variables and functions that are defined by that API
+There may be from zero to eight arguments to the function.
+
+When compiling
+a local function that is to be called in this way,
+first &_DLFUNC_IMPL_& should be defined,
+and second &_local_scan.h_& should be included.
+The Exim variables and functions that are defined by that API
are also available for dynamically loaded functions. The function itself
must have the following type:
.code
This forces an expansion failure (see section &<<SECTforexpfai>>&);
{<&'string2'&>} must be present for &"fail"& to be recognized.
+.vitem "&*${extract json{*&<&'key'&>&*}{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}&&&
+ {*&<&'string3'&>&*}}*&" &&&
+ "&*${extract jsons{*&<&'key'&>&*}{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}&&&
+ {*&<&'string3'&>&*}}*&"
+.cindex "expansion" "extracting from JSON object"
+.cindex JSON expansions
+The key and <&'string1'&> are first expanded separately. Leading and trailing
+white space is removed from the key (but not from any of the strings). The key
+must not be empty and must not consist entirely of digits.
+The expanded <&'string1'&> must be of the form:
+.display
+{ <&'"key1"'&> : <&'value1'&> , <&'"key2"'&> , <&'value2'&> ... }
+.endd
+.vindex "&$value$&"
+The braces, commas and colons, and the quoting of the member name are required;
+the spaces are optional.
+Matching of the key against the member names is done case-sensitively.
+For the &"json"& variant,
+if a returned value is a JSON string, it retains its leading and
+trailing quotes.
+For the &"jsons"& variant, which is intended for use with JSON strings, the
+leading and trailing quotes are removed from the returned value.
+. XXX should be a UTF-8 compare
+
+The results of matching are handled as above.
+
.vitem "&*${extract{*&<&'number'&>&*}{*&<&'separators'&>&*}&&&
{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}{*&<&'string3'&>&*}}*&"
empty (for example, the fifth field above).
+.vitem "&*${extract json {*&<&'number'&>&*}}&&&
+ {*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}{*&<&'string3'&>&*}}*&" &&&
+ "&*${extract jsons{*&<&'number'&>&*}}&&&
+ {*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}{*&<&'string3'&>&*}}*&"
+.cindex "expansion" "extracting from JSON array"
+.cindex JSON expansions
+The <&'number'&> argument must consist entirely of decimal digits,
+apart from leading and trailing white space, which is ignored.
+
+Field selection and result handling is as above;
+there is no choice of field separator.
+For the &"json"& variant,
+if a returned value is a JSON string, it retains its leading and
+trailing quotes.
+For the &"jsons"& variant, which is intended for use with JSON strings, the
+leading and trailing quotes are removed from the returned value.
+
+
.vitem &*${filter{*&<&'string'&>&*}{*&<&'condition'&>&*}}*&
.cindex "list" "selecting by condition"
.cindex "expansion" "selecting from list by condition"
.vindex "&$item$&"
After expansion, <&'string'&> is interpreted as a list, colon-separated by
-default, but the separator can be changed in the usual way. For each item
+default, but the separator can be changed in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
+For each item
in this list, its value is place in &$item$&, and then the condition is
-evaluated. If the condition is true, &$item$& is added to the output as an
+evaluated.
+.new
+Any modification of &$value$& by this evaluation is discarded.
+.wen
+If the condition is true, &$item$& is added to the output as an
item in a new list; if the condition is false, the item is discarded. The
separator used for the output list is the same as the one used for the
input, but a separator setting is not included in the output. For example:
${filter{a:b:c}{!eq{$item}{b}}}
.endd
yields &`a:c`&. At the end of the expansion, the value of &$item$& is restored
-to what it was before. See also the &*map*& and &*reduce*& expansion items.
+to what it was before.
+See also the &%map%& and &%reduce%& expansion items.
.vitem &*${hash{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}{*&<&'string3'&>&*}}*&
"&*$bheader_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&&~or&~&&&
&*$bh_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&" &&&
"&*$lheader_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&&~or&~&&&
- &*$lh_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&"
+ &*$lh_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&" &&&
"&*$rheader_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&&~or&~&&&
&*$rh_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&"
.cindex "expansion" "header insertion"
Header lines that are added in a RCPT ACL (for example)
are saved until the message's incoming header lines are available, at which
point they are added.
-When any of the above ACLs ar
+When any of the above ACLs are
running, however, header lines added by earlier ACLs are visible.
Upper case and lower case letters are synonymous in header names. If the
those headers that contain lists of addresses, a comma is also inserted at the
junctions between headers. This does not happen for the &%rheader%& expansion.
+.cindex "tainted data" "message headers"
+When the headers are from an incoming message,
+the result of expanding any of these variables is tainted.
+
.vitem &*${hmac{*&<&'hashname'&>&*}{*&<&'secret'&>&*}{*&<&'string'&>&*}}*&
.cindex "expansion" "hmac hashing"
&'X-Spam-Scanned:'& header line. If you know the secret, you can check that
this header line is authentic by recomputing the authentication code from the
host name, message ID and the &'Message-id:'& header line. This can be done
-using Exim's &%-be%& option, or by other means, for example by using the
+using Exim's &%-be%& option, or by other means, for example, by using the
&'hmac_md5_hex()'& function in Perl.
and leading and trailing white space (which is ignored).
After expansion, <&'string1'&> is interpreted as a list, colon-separated by
-default, but the separator can be changed in the usual way.
+default, but the separator can be changed in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
The first field of the list is numbered one.
If the number is negative, the fields are
You can use &`fail`& instead of {<&'string3'&>} as in a string extract.
-.vitem "&*${lookup{*&<&'key'&>&*}&~*&<&'search&~type'&>&*&~&&&
- {*&<&'file'&>&*}&~{*&<&'string1'&>&*}&~{*&<&'string2'&>&*}}*&"
-This is the first of one of two different types of lookup item, which are both
-described in the next item.
+.vitem &*${listquote{*&<&'separator'&>&*}{*&<&'string'&>&*}}*&
+.cindex quoting "for list"
+.cindex list quoting
+This item doubles any occurrence of the separator character
+in the given string.
+An empty string is replaced with a single space.
+This converts the string into a safe form for use as a list element,
+in a list using the given separator.
+
-.vitem "&*${lookup&~*&<&'search&~type'&>&*&~{*&<&'query'&>&*}&~&&&
+.vitem "&*${lookup&~{*&<&'key'&>&*}&~*&<&'search&~type'&>&*&~&&&
+ {*&<&'file'&>&*}&~{*&<&'string1'&>&*}&~{*&<&'string2'&>&*}}*&" &&&
+ "&*${lookup&~*&<&'search&~type'&>&*&~{*&<&'query'&>&*}&~&&&
{*&<&'string1'&>&*}&~{*&<&'string2'&>&*}}*&"
.cindex "expansion" "lookup in"
.cindex "file" "lookups"
.cindex "expansion" "list creation"
.vindex "&$item$&"
After expansion, <&'string1'&> is interpreted as a list, colon-separated by
-default, but the separator can be changed in the usual way. For each item
+default, but the separator can be changed in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
+For each item
in this list, its value is place in &$item$&, and then <&'string2'&> is
expanded and added to the output as an item in a new list. The separator used
for the output list is the same as the one used for the input, but a separator
${map{a:b:c}{[$item]}} ${map{<- x-y-z}{($item)}}
.endd
expands to &`[a]:[b]:[c] (x)-(y)-(z)`&. At the end of the expansion, the
-value of &$item$& is restored to what it was before. See also the &*filter*&
-and &*reduce*& expansion items.
+value of &$item$& is restored to what it was before. See also the &%filter%&
+and &%reduce%& expansion items.
.vitem &*${nhash{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}{*&<&'string3'&>&*}}*&
.cindex "expansion" "numeric hash"
name of the subroutine, is nine.
The return value of the subroutine is inserted into the expanded string, unless
-the return value is &%undef%&. In that case, the expansion fails in the same
-way as an explicit &"fail"& on a lookup item. The return value is a scalar.
-Whatever you return is evaluated in a scalar context. For example, if you
-return the name of a Perl vector, the return value is the size of the vector,
+the return value is &%undef%&. In that case, the entire expansion is
+forced to fail, in the same way as an explicit &"fail"& on a lookup item
+does (see section &<<SECTforexpfai>>&). Whatever you return is evaluated
+in a scalar context, thus the return value is a scalar. For example, if you
+return a Perl vector, the return value is the size of the vector,
not its contents.
If the subroutine exits by calling Perl's &%die%& function, the expansion fails
.cindex "expansion" "inserting an entire file"
.cindex "file" "inserting into expansion"
.cindex "&%readfile%& expansion item"
-The file name and end-of-line string are first expanded separately. The file is
+The filename and end-of-line (eol) string are first expanded separately. The file is
then read, and its contents replace the entire item. All newline characters in
the file are replaced by the end-of-line string if it is present. Otherwise,
newlines are left in the string.
Only a single host name may be given, but if looking it up yields more than
one IP address, they are each tried in turn until a connection is made. For
both kinds of socket, Exim makes a connection, writes the request string
-unless it is an empty string; and no terminating NUL is ever sent)
+(unless it is an empty string; no terminating NUL is ever sent)
and reads from the socket until an end-of-file
is read. A timeout of 5 seconds is applied. Additional, optional arguments
extend what can be done. Firstly, you can vary the timeout. For example:
.endd
The third argument is a list of options, of which the first element is the timeout
-and must be present if the argument is given.
+and must be present if any options are given.
Further elements are options of form &'name=value'&.
-Two option types is currently recognised: shutdown and tls.
-The first defines whether (the default)
-or not a shutdown is done on the connection after sending the request.
-Example, to not do so (preferred, eg. by some webservers):
+Example:
.code
${readsocket{/socket/name}{request string}{3s:shutdown=no}}
.endd
-.new
-The second, tls, controls the use of TLS on the connection. Example:
-.code
-${readsocket{/socket/name}{request string}{3s:tls=yes}}
-.endd
-The default is to not use TLS.
-If it is enabled, a shutdown as descripbed above is never done.
-.wen
+
+The following option names are recognised:
+.ilist
+&*cache*&
+Defines if the result data can be cached for use by a later identical
+request in the same process.
+Values are &"yes"& or &"no"& (the default).
+If not, all cached results for this connection specification
+will be invalidated.
+
+.next
+&*shutdown*&
+Defines whether or not a write-shutdown is done on the connection after
+sending the request. Values are &"yes"& (the default) or &"no"&
+(preferred, eg. by some webservers).
+
+.next
+&*tls*&
+Controls the use of TLS on the connection.
+Values are &"yes"& or &"no"& (the default).
+If it is enabled, a shutdown as described above is never done.
+.endlist
+
A fourth argument allows you to change any newlines that are in the data
that is read, in the same way as for &%readfile%& (see above). This example
.vindex "&$item$&"
This operation reduces a list to a single, scalar string. After expansion,
<&'string1'&> is interpreted as a list, colon-separated by default, but the
-separator can be changed in the usual way. Then <&'string2'&> is expanded and
+separator can be changed in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
+Then <&'string2'&> is expanded and
assigned to the &$value$& variable. After this, each item in the <&'string1'&>
-list is assigned to &$item$& in turn, and <&'string3'&> is expanded for each of
+list is assigned to &$item$&, in turn, and <&'string3'&> is expanded for each of
them. The result of that expansion is assigned to &$value$& before the next
iteration. When the end of the list is reached, the final value of &$value$& is
-added to the expansion output. The &*reduce*& expansion item can be used in a
+added to the expansion output. The &%reduce%& expansion item can be used in a
number of ways. For example, to add up a list of numbers:
.code
${reduce {<, 1,2,3}{0}{${eval:$value+$item}}}
${reduce {3:0:9:4:6}{0}{${if >{$item}{$value}{$item}{$value}}}}
.endd
At the end of a &*reduce*& expansion, the values of &$item$& and &$value$& are
-restored to what they were before. See also the &*filter*& and &*map*&
+restored to what they were before. See also the &%filter%& and &%map%&
expansion items.
+. A bit of a special-case logic error in writing an expansion;
+. probably not worth including in the mainline of documentation.
+. If only we had footnotes (the html output variant is the problem).
+.
+. .new
+. &*Note*&: if an &'expansion condition'& is used in <&'string3'&>
+. and that condition modifies &$value$&,
+. then the string expansions dependent on the condition cannot use
+. the &$value$& of the reduce iteration.
+. .wen
+
.vitem &*$rheader_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&&~or&~&*$rh_*&<&'header&~name'&>&*:*&
This item inserts &"raw"& header lines. It is described with the &%header%&
-expansion item above.
+expansion item in section &<<SECTexpansionitems>>& above.
-.vitem "&*${run{*&<&'command'&>&*&~*&<&'args'&>&*}{*&<&'string1'&>&*}&&&
+.vitem "&*${run <&'options'&> {*&<&'command&~arg&~list'&>&*}{*&<&'string1'&>&*}&&&
{*&<&'string2'&>&*}}*&"
.cindex "expansion" "running a command"
.cindex "&%run%& expansion item"
-The command and its arguments are first expanded as one string. The string is
-split apart into individual arguments by spaces, and then the command is run
+This item runs an external command, as a subprocess.
+One option is supported after the word &'run'&, comma-separated.
+
+If the option &'preexpand'& is not used,
+the command string is split into individual arguments by spaces
+and then each argument is expanded.
+Then the command is run
in a separate process, but under the same uid and gid. As in other command
executions from Exim, a shell is not used by default. If the command requires
a shell, you must explicitly code it.
+The command name may not be tainted, but the remaining arguments can be.
+
+&*Note*&: if tainted arguments are used, they are supplied by a
+potential attacker;
+a careful assessment for security vulnerabilities should be done.
+If the option &'preexpand'& is used,
+the command and its arguments are first expanded as one string. The result is
+split apart into individual arguments by spaces, and then the command is run
+as above.
Since the arguments are split by spaces, when there is a variable expansion
which has an empty result, it will cause the situation that the argument will
simply be omitted when the program is actually executed by Exim. If the
around the command arguments. A possible guard against this is to wrap the
variable in the &%sg%& operator to change any quote marks to some other
character.
+Neither the command nor any argument may be tainted.
The standard input for the command exists, but is empty. The standard output
and standard error are set to the same file descriptor.
.cindex list sorting
.cindex expansion "list sorting"
After expansion, <&'string'&> is interpreted as a list, colon-separated by
-default, but the separator can be changed in the usual way.
+default, but the separator can be changed in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
The <&'comparator'&> argument is interpreted as the operator
of a two-argument expansion condition.
The numeric operators plus ge, gt, le, lt (and ~i variants) are supported.
will sort an MX lookup into priority order.
-.vitem &*${substr{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}{*&<&'string3'&>&*}}*&
+
+.vitem &*${srs_encode&~{*&<&'secret'&>&*}{*&<&'return&~path'&>&*}{*&<&'original&~domain'&>&*}}*&
+SRS encoding. See SECT &<<SECTSRS>>& for details.
+
+
+
+.vitem &*${substr{*&<&'start'&>&*}{*&<&'len'&>&*}{*&<&'subject'&>&*}}*&
.cindex "&%substr%& expansion item"
.cindex "substring extraction"
.cindex "expansion" "substring extraction"
The three strings are expanded; the first two must yield numbers. Call them
<&'n'&> and <&'m'&>. If you are using fixed values for these numbers, that is,
-if <&'string1'&> and <&'string2'&> do not change when they are expanded, you
+if <&'start'&> and <&'len'&> do not change when they are expanded, you
can use the simpler operator notation that avoids some of the braces:
.code
-${substr_<n>_<m>:<string>}
+${substr_<n>_<m>:<subject>}
.endd
The second number is optional (in both notations).
If it is absent in the simpler format, the preceding underscore must also be
${addresses:>:$h_from:}
.endd
-Compare the &*address*& (singular)
+Compare the &%address%& (singular)
expansion item, which extracts the working address from a single RFC2822
-address. See the &*filter*&, &*map*&, and &*reduce*& items for ways of
+address. See the &%filter%&, &%map%&, and &%reduce%& items for ways of
processing lists.
To clarify "list of addresses in RFC 2822 format" mentioned above, Exim follows
The string must consist entirely of decimal digits. The number is converted to
base 62 and output as a string of six characters, including leading zeros. In
the few operating environments where Exim uses base 36 instead of base 62 for
-its message identifiers (because those systems do not have case-sensitive file
-names), base 36 is used by this operator, despite its name. &*Note*&: Just to
-be absolutely clear: this is &'not'& base64 encoding.
+its message identifiers (because those systems do not have case-sensitive
+filenames), base 36 is used by this operator, despite its name. &*Note*&: Just
+to be absolutely clear: this is &'not'& base64 encoding.
.vitem &*${base62d:*&<&'base-62&~digits'&>&*}*&
.cindex "&%base62d%& expansion item"
.vitem &*${escape8bit:*&<&'string'&>&*}*&
.cindex "expansion" "escaping 8-bit characters"
.cindex "&%escape8bit%& expansion item"
-If the string contains and characters with the most significant bit set,
+If the string contains any characters with the most significant bit set,
they are converted to escape sequences starting with a backslash.
Backslashes and DEL characters are also converted.
As a more realistic example, in an ACL you might have
.code
-deny message = Too many bad recipients
- condition = \
+deny condition = \
${if and { \
{>{$rcpt_count}{10}} \
{ \
{${eval:$rcpt_count/2}} \
} \
}{yes}{no}}
+ message = Too many bad recipients
.endd
The condition is true if there have been more than 10 RCPT commands and
fewer than half of them have resulted in a valid recipient.
.cindex "&%hexquote%& expansion item"
This operator converts non-printable characters in a string into a hex
escape form. Byte values between 33 (!) and 126 (~) inclusive are left
-as is, and other byte values are converted to &`\xNN`&, for example a
+as is, and other byte values are converted to &`\xNN`&, for example, a
byte value 127 is converted to &`\x7f`&.
and selects address-, domain-, host- or localpart- lists to search among respectively.
Otherwise all types are searched in an undefined order and the first
matching list is returned.
+&*Note*&: Neither string-expansion of lists referenced by named-list syntax elements,
+nor expansion of lookup elements, is done by the &%listnamed%& operator.
.vitem &*${local_part:*&<&'string'&>&*}*&
The parsing correctly handles SMTPUTF8 Unicode in the string.
-.vitem &*${mask:*&<&'IP&~address'&>&*/*&<&'bit&~count'&>&*}*&
+.vitem &*${mask:*&<&'IP&~address'&>&*/*&<&'bit&~count'&>&*}*& &&&
+ &*${mask_n:*&<&'IP&~address'&>&*/*&<&'bit&~count'&>&*}*&
.cindex "masked IP address"
.cindex "IP address" "masking"
.cindex "CIDR notation"
.code
${mask:10.111.131.206/28}
.endd
-returns the string &"10.111.131.192/28"&. Since this operation is expected to
-be mostly used for looking up masked addresses in files, the result for an IPv6
+returns the string &"10.111.131.192/28"&.
+
+Since this operation is expected to
+be mostly used for looking up masked addresses in files, the
+normal
+result for an IPv6
address uses dots to separate components instead of colons, because colon
terminates a key string in lsearch files. So, for example,
.code
.code
3ffe.ffff.836f.0a00.000a.0800.2000.0000/99
.endd
+If the optional form &*mask_n*& is used, IPv6 address result are instead
+returned in normailsed form, using colons and with zero-compression.
Letters in IPv6 addresses are always output in lower case.
returns the SHA-1 hash fingerprint of the certificate.
-.vitem &*${sha256:*&<&'string'&>&*}*&
+.vitem &*${sha256:*&<&'string'&>&*}*& &&&
+ &*${sha2:*&<&'string'&>&*}*& &&&
+ &*${sha2_<n>:*&<&'string'&>&*}*&
.cindex "SHA-256 hash"
+.cindex "SHA-2 hash"
.cindex certificate fingerprint
.cindex "expansion" "SHA-256 hashing"
.cindex "&%sha256%& expansion item"
+.cindex "&%sha2%& expansion item"
The &%sha256%& operator computes the SHA-256 hash value of the string
and returns
it as a 64-digit hexadecimal number, in which any letters are in upper case.
If the string is a single variable of type certificate,
returns the SHA-256 hash fingerprint of the certificate.
+The operator can also be spelled &%sha2%& and does the same as &%sha256%&
+(except for certificates, which are not supported).
+Finally, if an underbar
+and a number is appended it specifies the output length, selecting a
+member of the SHA-2 family of hash functions.
+Values of 256, 384 and 512 are accepted, with 256 being the default.
+
.vitem &*${sha3:*&<&'string'&>&*}*& &&&
&*${sha3_<n>:*&<&'string'&>&*}*&
.cindex "expansion" "string length"
.cindex "string" "length in expansion"
.cindex "&%strlen%& expansion item"
-The item is replace by the length of the expanded string, expressed as a
+The item is replaced by the length of the expanded string, expressed as a
decimal number. &*Note*&: Do not confuse &%strlen%& with &%length%&.
All measurement is done in bytes and is not UTF-8 aware.
.cindex "expansion" "utf-8 forcing"
.cindex "&%utf8clean%& expansion item"
This replaces any invalid utf-8 sequence in the string by the character &`?`&.
-.new
In versions of Exim before 4.92, this did not correctly do so for a truncated
final codepoint's encoding, and the character would be silently dropped.
If you must handle detection of this scenario across both sets of Exim behavior,
.endd
(which will false-positive if the first character of the local part is a
literal question mark).
-.wen
.vitem "&*${utf8_domain_to_alabel:*&<&'string'&>&*}*&" &&&
"&*${utf8_domain_from_alabel:*&<&'string'&>&*}*&" &&&
.cindex "expansion" "numeric comparison"
There are a number of symbolic operators for doing numeric comparisons. They
are:
-.display
-&`= `& equal
-&`== `& equal
-&`> `& greater
-&`>= `& greater or equal
-&`< `& less
-&`<= `& less or equal
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 10* left 90* left
+.irow "= " "equal"
+.irow "== " "equal"
+.irow "> " "greater"
+.irow ">= " "greater or equal"
+.irow "< " "less"
+.irow "<= " "less or equal"
+.endtable
For example:
.code
${if >{$message_size}{10M} ...
is done by calling the &[stat()]& function. The use of the &%exists%& test in
users' filter files may be locked out by the system administrator.
+&*Note:*& Testing a path using this condition is not a sufficient way of
+de-tainting it.
+Consider using a dsearch lookup.
+
.vitem &*first_delivery*&
.cindex "delivery" "first"
.cindex "first delivery"
.cindex "expansion" "first delivery test"
.cindex "&%first_delivery%& expansion condition"
+.cindex retry condition
This condition, which has no data, is true during a message's first delivery
attempt. It is false during any subsequent delivery attempts.
.vindex "&$item$&"
These conditions iterate over a list. The first argument is expanded to form
the list. By default, the list separator is a colon, but it can be changed by
-the normal method. The second argument is interpreted as a condition that is to
+the normal method (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
+The second argument is interpreted as a condition that is to
be applied to each item in the list in turn. During the interpretation of the
condition, the current list item is placed in a variable called &$item$&.
.ilist
.code
${if forany{<, $recipients}{match{$item}{^user3@}}{yes}{no}}
.endd
-The value of &$item$& is saved and restored while &*forany*& or &*forall*& is
+The value of &$item$& is saved and restored while &%forany%& or &%forall%& is
being processed, to enable these expansion items to be nested.
To scan a named list, expand it with the &*listnamed*& operator.
+.vitem "&*forall_json{*&<&'a JSON array'&>&*}{*&<&'a condition'&>&*}*&" &&&
+ "&*forany_json{*&<&'a JSON array'&>&*}{*&<&'a condition'&>&*}*&" &&&
+ "&*forall_jsons{*&<&'a JSON array'&>&*}{*&<&'a condition'&>&*}*&" &&&
+ "&*forany_jsons{*&<&'a JSON array'&>&*}{*&<&'a condition'&>&*}*&"
+.cindex JSON "iterative conditions"
+.cindex JSON expansions
+.cindex expansion "&*forall_json*& condition"
+.cindex expansion "&*forany_json*& condition"
+.cindex expansion "&*forall_jsons*& condition"
+.cindex expansion "&*forany_jsons*& condition"
+As for the above, except that the first argument must, after expansion,
+be a JSON array.
+The array separator is not changeable.
+For the &"jsons"& variants the elements are expected to be JSON strings
+and have their quotes removed before the evaluation of the condition.
+
+
.vitem &*ge&~{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}*& &&&
&*gei&~{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}*&
case-independent.
Case and collation order are defined per the system C locale.
+
+.vitem &*inbound_srs&~{*&<&'local&~part'&>&*}{*&<&'secret'&>&*}*&
+SRS decode. See SECT &<<SECTSRS>>& for details.
+
+
.vitem &*inlist&~{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}*& &&&
&*inlisti&~{*&<&'string1'&>&*}{*&<&'string2'&>&*}*&
.cindex "string" "comparison"
${if forany{fOo:NeeDLE:bAr}{eqi{$item}{Needle}}}
.endd
+The variable &$value$& will be set for a successful match and can be
+used in the success clause of an &%if%& expansion item using the condition.
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using an inlist expansion condition"
+It will have the same taint status as the list; expansions such as
+.code
+${if inlist {$h_mycode:} {0 : 1 : 42} {$value}}
+.endd
+can be used for de-tainting.
+Any previous &$value$& is restored after the if.
+
+
.vitem &*isip&~{*&<&'string'&>&*}*& &&&
&*isip4&~{*&<&'string'&>&*}*& &&&
&*isip6&~{*&<&'string'&>&*}*&
have their local parts matched casefully. Domains are always matched
caselessly.
+The variable &$value$& will be set for a successful match and can be
+used in the success clause of an &%if%& expansion item using the condition.
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using a match_local_part expansion condition"
+It will have the same taint status as the list; expansions such as
+.code
+${if match_local_part {$local_part} {alice : bill : charlotte : dave} {$value}}
+.endd
+can be used for de-tainting.
+Any previous &$value$& is restored after the if.
+
Note that <&'string2'&> is not itself subject to string expansion, unless
Exim was built with the EXPAND_LISTMATCH_RHS option.
.cindex "&%pam%& expansion condition"
&'Pluggable Authentication Modules'&
(&url(https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/pam/)) are a facility that is
-available in the latest releases of Solaris and in some GNU/Linux
-distributions. The Exim support, which is intended for use in conjunction with
+available in Solaris
+and in some GNU/Linux distributions.
+The Exim support, which is intended for use in conjunction with
the SMTP AUTH command, is available only if Exim is compiled with
.code
SUPPORT_PAM=yes
There can be problems if any of the strings are permitted to contain colon
characters. In the usual way, these have to be doubled to avoid being taken as
-separators. If the data is being inserted from a variable, the &%sg%& expansion
-item can be used to double any existing colons. For example, the configuration
+separators.
+The &%listquote%& expansion item can be used for this.
+For example, the configuration
of a LOGIN authenticator might contain this setting:
.code
-server_condition = ${if pam{$auth1:${sg{$auth2}{:}{::}}}}
-.endd
-For a PLAIN authenticator you could use:
-.code
-server_condition = ${if pam{$auth2:${sg{$auth3}{:}{::}}}}
+server_condition = ${if pam{$auth1:${listquote{:}{$auth2}}}}
.endd
In some operating systems, PAM authentication can be done only from a process
running as root. Since Exim is running as the Exim user when receiving
This section contains an alphabetical list of all the expansion variables. Some
of them are available only when Exim is compiled with specific options such as
support for TLS or the content scanning extension.
+.cindex "tainted data"
+Variables marked as &'tainted'& are likely to carry data supplied by
+a potential attacker.
+Variables without such marking may also, depending on how their
+values are created.
+Such variables should not be further expanded,
+used as filenames
+or used as command-line arguments for external commands.
.vlist
.vitem "&$0$&, &$1$&, etc"
precedes the expansion of the string. For example, the commands available in
Exim filter files include an &%if%& command with its own regular expression
matching condition.
+If the subject string was tainted then any captured substring will also be.
.vitem "&$acl_arg1$&, &$acl_arg2$&, etc"
Within an acl condition, expansion condition or expansion item
.vitem &$acl_verify_message$&
.vindex "&$acl_verify_message$&"
After an address verification has failed, this variable contains the failure
-message. It retains its value for use in subsequent modifiers. The message can
-be preserved by coding like this:
+message. It retains its value for use in subsequent modifiers of the verb.
+The message can be preserved by coding like this:
.code
warn !verify = sender
set acl_m0 = $acl_verify_message
You can use &$acl_verify_message$& during the expansion of the &%message%& or
&%log_message%& modifiers, to include information about the verification
failure.
+&*Note*&: The variable is cleared at the end of processing the ACL verb.
.vitem &$address_data$&
.vindex "&$address_data$&"
When, as a result of aliasing or forwarding, a message is directed to a pipe,
this variable holds the pipe command when the transport is running.
-.vitem "&$auth1$& &-- &$auth3$&"
+.vitem "&$auth1$& &-- &$auth4$&"
.vindex "&$auth1$&, &$auth2$&, etc"
These variables are used in SMTP authenticators (see chapters
&<<CHAPplaintext>>&&--&<<CHAPtlsauth>>&). Elsewhere, they are empty.
the value of &$authenticated_id$& is normally the login name of the calling
process. However, a trusted user can override this by means of the &%-oMai%&
command line option.
-This second case also sets up inforamtion used by the
+This second case also sets up information used by the
&$authresults$& expansion item.
.vitem &$authenticated_fail_id$&
the ACL's as well.
-.vitem &$authenticated_sender$&
+.tvar &$authenticated_sender$&
.cindex "sender" "authenticated"
.cindex "authentication" "sender"
.cindex "AUTH" "on MAIL command"
-.vindex "&$authenticated_sender$&"
When acting as a server, Exim takes note of the AUTH= parameter on an incoming
SMTP MAIL command if it believes the sender is sufficiently trusted, as
described in section &<<SECTauthparamail>>&. Unless the data is the string
possible to distinguish between &"did not try to authenticate"&
(&$sender_host_authenticated$& is empty and &$authentication_failed$& is set to
&"0"&) and &"tried to authenticate but failed"& (&$sender_host_authenticated$&
-is empty and &$authentication_failed$& is set to &"1"&). Failure includes any
-negative response to an AUTH command, including (for example) an attempt to use
-an undefined mechanism.
+is empty and &$authentication_failed$& is set to &"1"&).
+Failure includes cancellation of a authentication attempt,
+and any negative response to an AUTH command,
+(including, for example, an attempt to use an undefined mechanism).
.vitem &$av_failed$&
.cindex "content scanning" "AV scanner failure"
.vindex "&$compile_number$&"
The building process for Exim keeps a count of the number
of times it has been compiled. This serves to distinguish different
-compilations of the same version of the program.
+compilations of the same version of Exim.
.vitem &$config_dir$&
.vindex "&$config_dir$&"
a colon-separated list of signer domains and identities for the message.
For details see section &<<SECDKIMVFY>>&.
+.vitem &$dmarc_domain_policy$& &&&
+ &$dmarc_status$& &&&
+ &$dmarc_status_text$& &&&
+ &$dmarc_used_domains$&
+Results of DMARC verification.
+For details see section &<<SECDMARC>>&.
+
.vitem &$dnslist_domain$& &&&
&$dnslist_matched$& &&&
&$dnslist_text$& &&&
looked up, the contents of any associated TXT record, and the value from the
main A record. See section &<<SECID204>>& for more details.
-.vitem &$domain$&
-.vindex "&$domain$&"
+.tvar &$domain$&
When an address is being routed, or delivered on its own, this variable
contains the domain. Uppercase letters in the domain are converted into lower
case for &$domain$&.
the complete argument of the ETRN command (see section &<<SECTETRN>>&).
.endlist
+.cindex "tainted data"
+If the origin of the data is an incoming message,
+the result of expanding this variable is tainted and may not
+be further expanded or used as a filename.
+When an untainted version is needed, one should be obtained from
+looking up the value in a local (therefore trusted) database.
+Often &$domain_data$& is usable in this role.
+
.vitem &$domain_data$&
.vindex "&$domain_data$&"
-When the &%domains%& option on a router matches a domain by
-means of a lookup, the data read by the lookup is available during the running
-of the router as &$domain_data$&. In addition, if the driver routes the
+When the &%domains%& condition on a router
+or an ACL
+matches a domain
+against a list, the match value is copied to &$domain_data$&.
+This is an enhancement over previous versions of Exim, when it only
+applied to the data read by a lookup.
+For details on match values see section &<<SECTlistresults>>& et. al.
+
+If the router routes the
address to a transport, the value is available in that transport. If the
transport is handling multiple addresses, the value from the first address is
used.
-&$domain_data$& is also set when the &%domains%& condition in an ACL matches a
-domain by means of a lookup. The data read by the lookup is available during
-the rest of the ACL statement. In all other situations, this variable expands
-to nothing.
+&$domain_data$& set in an ACL is available during
+the rest of the ACL statement.
.vitem &$exim_gid$&
.vindex "&$exim_gid$&"
The first character is a major version number, currently 4.
Then after a dot, the next group of digits is a minor version number.
There may be other characters following the minor version.
+This value may be overridden by the &%exim_version%& main config option.
.vitem &$header_$&<&'name'&>
+.tmark
This is not strictly an expansion variable. It is expansion syntax for
inserting the message header line with the given name. Note that the name must
be terminated by colon or white space, because it may contain a wide variety of
characters. Note also that braces must &'not'& be used.
+See the full description in section &<<SECTexpansionitems>>& above.
.vitem &$headers_added$&
.vindex "&$headers_added$&"
allows you, for example, to do things like this:
.code
deny hosts = net-lsearch;/some/file
-message = $host_data
+ message = $host_data
.endd
+
.vitem &$host_lookup_deferred$&
.cindex "host name" "lookup, failure of"
.vindex "&$host_lookup_deferred$&"
.cindex authentication "expansion item"
Performing these checks sets up information used by the
-&$authresults$& expansion item.
+&%authresults%& expansion item.
.vitem &$host_lookup_failed$&
of the temporary file which is about to be renamed. It can be used to construct
a unique name for the file.
-.vitem &$interface_address$&
+.vitem &$interface_address$& &&&
+ &$interface_port$&
.vindex "&$interface_address$&"
-This is an obsolete name for &$received_ip_address$&.
-
-.vitem &$interface_port$&
.vindex "&$interface_port$&"
-This is an obsolete name for &$received_port$&.
+These are obsolete names for &$received_ip_address$& and &$received_port$&.
.vitem &$item$&
.vindex "&$item$&"
is an integer. For example, if the load average is 0.21, the value of the
variable is 210. The value is recomputed every time the variable is referenced.
-.vitem &$local_part$&
-.vindex "&$local_part$&"
+.tvar &$local_part$&
When an address is being routed, or delivered on its own, this
variable contains the local part. When a number of addresses are being
delivered together (for example, multiple RCPT commands in an SMTP
because a message may have many recipients and the system filter is called just
once.
-.vindex "&$local_part_prefix$&"
-.vindex "&$local_part_suffix$&"
-.cindex affix variables
-If a local part prefix or suffix has been recognized, it is not included in the
-value of &$local_part$& during routing and subsequent delivery. The values of
-any prefix or suffix are in &$local_part_prefix$& and
-&$local_part_suffix$&, respectively.
+.cindex "tainted data"
+If the origin of the data is an incoming message,
+the result of expanding this variable is tainted and
+may not be further expanded or used as a filename.
+
+&*Warning*&: the content of this variable is usually provided by a potential
+attacker.
+Consider carefully the implications of using it unvalidated as a name
+for file access.
+This presents issues for users' &_.forward_& and filter files.
+For traditional full user accounts, use &%check_local_users%& and the
+&$local_part_data$& variable rather than this one.
+For virtual users, store a suitable pathname component in the database
+which is used for account name validation, and use that retrieved value
+rather than this variable.
+Often &$local_part_data$& is usable in this role.
+If needed, use a router &%address_data%& or &%set%& option for
+the retrieved data.
When a message is being delivered to a file, pipe, or autoreply transport as a
result of aliasing or forwarding, &$local_part$& is set to the local part of
-the parent address, not to the file name or command (see &$address_file$& and
+the parent address, not to the filename or command (see &$address_file$& and
&$address_pipe$&).
When an ACL is running for a RCPT command, &$local_part$& contains the
.vitem &$local_part_data$&
.vindex "&$local_part_data$&"
-When the &%local_parts%& option on a router matches a local part by means of a
-lookup, the data read by the lookup is available during the running of the
-router as &$local_part_data$&. In addition, if the driver routes the address
-to a transport, the value is available in that transport. If the transport is
-handling multiple addresses, the value from the first address is used.
-
-&$local_part_data$& is also set when the &%local_parts%& condition in an ACL
-matches a local part by means of a lookup. The data read by the lookup is
-available during the rest of the ACL statement. In all other situations, this
-variable expands to nothing.
-
-.vitem &$local_part_prefix$&
-.vindex "&$local_part_prefix$&"
+When the &%local_parts%& condition on a router or ACL
+matches a local part list
+the match value is copied to &$local_part_data$&.
+This is an enhancement over previous versions of Exim, when it only
+applied to the data read by a lookup.
+For details on match values see section &<<SECTlistresults>>& et. al.
+
+The &%check_local_user%& router option also sets this variable.
+
+.vindex &$local_part_prefix$& &&&
+ &$local_part_prefix_v$& &&&
+ &$local_part_suffix$& &&&
+ &$local_part_suffix_v$&
.cindex affix variables
-When an address is being routed or delivered, and a
-specific prefix for the local part was recognized, it is available in this
-variable, having been removed from &$local_part$&.
+If a local part prefix or suffix has been recognized, it is not included in the
+value of &$local_part$& during routing and subsequent delivery. The values of
+any prefix or suffix are in &$local_part_prefix$& and
+&$local_part_suffix$&, respectively.
+.cindex "tainted data"
+If the specification did not include a wildcard then
+the affix variable value is not tainted.
-.vitem &$local_part_suffix$&
-.vindex "&$local_part_suffix$&"
-When an address is being routed or delivered, and a
-specific suffix for the local part was recognized, it is available in this
-variable, having been removed from &$local_part$&.
+If the affix specification included a wildcard then the portion of
+the affix matched by the wildcard is in
+&$local_part_prefix_v$& or &$local_part_suffix_v$& as appropriate,
+and both the whole and varying values are tainted.
.vitem &$local_scan_data$&
.vindex "&$local_scan_data$&"
This variable contains the number of bytes in the longest line that was
received as part of the message, not counting the line termination
character(s).
-It is not valid if the &%spool_files_wireformat%& option is used.
+It is not valid if the &%spool_wireformat%& option is used.
.vitem &$message_age$&
.cindex "message" "age of"
of seconds since the message was received. It does not change during a single
delivery attempt.
-.vitem &$message_body$&
+.tvar &$message_body$&
.cindex "body of message" "expansion variable"
.cindex "message body" "in expansion"
.cindex "binary zero" "in message body"
-.vindex "&$message_body$&"
.oindex "&%message_body_visible%&"
This variable contains the initial portion of a message's body while it is
being delivered, and is intended mainly for use in filter files. The maximum
this can be disabled by setting &%message_body_newlines%& to be true. Binary
zeros are always converted into spaces.
-.vitem &$message_body_end$&
+.tvar &$message_body_end$&
.cindex "body of message" "expansion variable"
.cindex "message body" "in expansion"
-.vindex "&$message_body_end$&"
This variable contains the final portion of a message's
body while it is being delivered. The format and maximum size are as for
&$message_body$&.
also &$message_size$&, &$body_linecount$&, and &$body_zerocount$&.
If the spool file is wireformat
-(see the &%spool_files_wireformat%& main option)
+(see the &%spool_wireformat%& main option)
the CRLF line-terminators are included in the count.
.vitem &$message_exim_id$&
line; it is the local id that Exim assigns to the message, for example:
&`1BXTIK-0001yO-VA`&.
-.vitem &$message_headers$&
-.vindex &$message_headers$&
+.tvar &$message_headers$&
This variable contains a concatenation of all the header lines when a message
is being processed, except for lines added by routers or transports. The header
lines are separated by newline characters. Their contents are decoded in the
same way as a header line that is inserted by &%bheader%&.
-.vitem &$message_headers_raw$&
-.vindex &$message_headers_raw$&
+.tvar &$message_headers_raw$&
This variable is like &$message_headers$& except that no processing of the
contents of header lines is done.
Here is an example of the use of this variable in a DATA ACL:
.code
-deny message = Too many lines in message header
- condition = \
+deny condition = \
${if <{250}{${eval:$message_linecount - $body_linecount}}}
+ message = Too many lines in message header
.endd
In the MAIL and RCPT ACLs, the value is zero because at that stage the
message has not yet been received.
-This variable is not valid if the &%spool_files_wireformat%& option is used.
+This variable is not valid if the &%spool_wireformat%& option is used.
.vitem &$message_size$&
.cindex "size" "of message"
contains the size supplied on the MAIL command, or -1 if no size was given. The
value may not, of course, be truthful.
-.vitem &$mime_$&&'xxx'&
+.vitem &$mime_anomaly_level$& &&&
+ &$mime_anomaly_text$& &&&
+ &$mime_boundary$& &&&
+ &$mime_charset$& &&&
+ &$mime_content_description$& &&&
+ &$mime_content_disposition$& &&&
+ &$mime_content_id$& &&&
+ &$mime_content_size$& &&&
+ &$mime_content_transfer_encoding$& &&&
+ &$mime_content_type$& &&&
+ &$mime_decoded_filename$& &&&
+ &$mime_filename$& &&&
+ &$mime_is_coverletter$& &&&
+ &$mime_is_multipart$& &&&
+ &$mime_is_rfc822$& &&&
+ &$mime_part_count$&
A number of variables whose names start with &$mime$& are
available when Exim is compiled with the content-scanning extension. For
details, see section &<<SECTscanmimepart>>&.
These variables are counters that can be incremented by means
of the &%add%& command in filter files.
-.vitem &$original_domain$&
+.tvar &$original_domain$&
.vindex "&$domain$&"
-.vindex "&$original_domain$&"
When a top-level address is being processed for delivery, this contains the
same value as &$domain$&. However, if a &"child"& address (for example,
generated by an alias, forward, or filter file) is being processed, this
filter, it is set up with an artificial &"parent"& address. This has the local
part &'system-filter'& and the default qualify domain.
-.vitem &$original_local_part$&
+.tvar &$original_local_part$&
.vindex "&$local_part$&"
-.vindex "&$original_local_part$&"
When a top-level address is being processed for delivery, this contains the
same value as &$local_part$&, unless a prefix or suffix was removed from the
local part, because &$original_local_part$& always contains the full local
For messages received by SMTP over TCP/IP, this is normally the uid of the Exim
user.
-.vitem &$parent_domain$&
-.vindex "&$parent_domain$&"
+.tvar &$parent_domain$&
This variable is similar to &$original_domain$& (see
above), except that it refers to the immediately preceding parent address.
-.vitem &$parent_local_part$&
-.vindex "&$parent_local_part$&"
+.tvar &$parent_local_part$&
This variable is similar to &$original_local_part$&
(see above), except that it refers to the immediately preceding parent address.
(described under &%transport_filter%& in chapter &<<CHAPtransportgeneric>>&).
It cannot be used in general expansion strings, and provokes an &"unknown
variable"& error if encountered.
+&*Note*&: This value permits data supplied by a potential attacker to
+be used in the command for a &(pipe)& transport.
+Such configurations should be carefully assessed for security vulnerbilities.
.vitem &$primary_hostname$&
.vindex "&$primary_hostname$&"
This variable is set to &"yes"& if PRDR was requested by the client for the
current message, otherwise &"no"&.
-.vitem &$prvscheck_address$&
-This variable is used in conjunction with the &%prvscheck%& expansion item,
-which is described in sections &<<SECTexpansionitems>>& and
-&<<SECTverifyPRVS>>&.
-
-.vitem &$prvscheck_keynum$&
-This variable is used in conjunction with the &%prvscheck%& expansion item,
-which is described in sections &<<SECTexpansionitems>>& and
-&<<SECTverifyPRVS>>&.
-
-.vitem &$prvscheck_result$&
-This variable is used in conjunction with the &%prvscheck%& expansion item,
+.vitem &$prvscheck_address$& &&&
+ &$prvscheck_keynum$& &&&
+ &$prvscheck_result$&
+These variables are used in conjunction with the &%prvscheck%& expansion item,
which is described in sections &<<SECTexpansionitems>>& and
&<<SECTverifyPRVS>>&.
.vitem &$queue_name$&
.vindex &$queue_name$&
-.cindex "named queues"
+.cindex "named queues" variable
.cindex queues named
The name of the spool queue in use; empty for the default queue.
+.vitem &$queue_size$&
+.vindex "&$queue_size$&"
+.cindex "queue" "size of"
+.cindex "spool" "number of messages"
+This variable contains the number of messages queued.
+It is evaluated on demand, but no more often than once every minute.
+If there is no daemon notifier socket open, the value will be
+an empty string.
+
+.vitem &$r_...$&
+.vindex &$r_...$&
+.cindex router variables
+Values can be placed in these variables by the &%set%& option of a router.
+They can be given any name that starts with &$r_$&.
+The values persist for the address being handled through subsequent routers
+and the eventual transport.
+
.vitem &$rcpt_count$&
.vindex "&$rcpt_count$&"
When a message is being received by SMTP, this variable contains the number of
is available in the DATA ACL, the non-SMTP ACL, and while routing and
delivering.
-.vitem &$received_for$&
-.vindex "&$received_for$&"
+.tvar &$received_for$&
If there is only a single recipient address in an incoming message, this
variable contains that address when the &'Received:'& header line is being
built. The value is copied after recipient rewriting has happened, but before
the &[local_scan()]& function is run.
-.vitem &$received_ip_address$&
+.vitem &$received_ip_address$& &&&
+ &$received_port$&
.vindex "&$received_ip_address$&"
-As soon as an Exim server starts processing an incoming TCP/IP connection, this
-variable is set to the address of the local IP interface, and &$received_port$&
-is set to the local port number. (The remote IP address and port are in
+.vindex "&$received_port$&"
+As soon as an Exim server starts processing an incoming TCP/IP connection, these
+variables are set to the address and port on the local IP interface.
+(The remote IP address and port are in
&$sender_host_address$& and &$sender_host_port$&.) When testing with &%-bh%&,
the port value is -1 unless it has been set using the &%-oMi%& command line
option.
As well as being useful in ACLs (including the &"connect"& ACL), these variable
-could be used, for example, to make the file name for a TLS certificate depend
+could be used, for example, to make the filename for a TLS certificate depend
on which interface and/or port is being used for the incoming connection. The
values of &$received_ip_address$& and &$received_port$& are saved with any
messages that are received, thus making these variables available at delivery
time.
For outbound connections see &$sending_ip_address$&.
-.vitem &$received_port$&
-.vindex "&$received_port$&"
-See &$received_ip_address$&.
-
.vitem &$received_protocol$&
.vindex "&$received_protocol$&"
When a message is being processed, this variable contains the name of the
The main use of this variable is expected to be to distinguish between
rejections of MAIL and rejections of RCPT.
-.vitem &$recipients$&
-.vindex "&$recipients$&"
+.tvar &$recipients$&
This variable contains a list of envelope recipients for a message. A comma and
a space separate the addresses in the replacement text. However, the variable
is not generally available, to prevent exposure of Bcc recipients in
When a &%regex%& or &%mime_regex%& ACL condition succeeds,
these variables contain the
captured substrings identified by the regular expression.
+If the subject string was tainted then so will any captured substring.
-.vitem &$reply_address$&
-.vindex "&$reply_address$&"
+.tvar &$reply_address$&
When a message is being processed, this variable contains the contents of the
&'Reply-To:'& header line if one exists and it is not empty, or otherwise the
contents of the &'From:'& header line. Apart from the removal of leading
happens, &$self_hostname$& is set to the name of the local host that the
original router encountered. In other circumstances its contents are null.
-.vitem &$sender_address$&
-.vindex "&$sender_address$&"
+.tvar &$sender_address$&
When a message is being processed, this variable contains the sender's address
that was received in the message's envelope. The case of letters in the address
is retained, in both the local part and the domain. For bounce messages, the
after the end of the current ACL statement. If you want to preserve it for
longer, you can save it in an ACL variable.
-.vitem &$sender_address_domain$&
-.vindex "&$sender_address_domain$&"
+.tvar &$sender_address_domain$&
The domain portion of &$sender_address$&.
-.vitem &$sender_address_local_part$&
-.vindex "&$sender_address_local_part$&"
+.tvar &$sender_address_local_part$&
The local part portion of &$sender_address$&.
.vitem &$sender_data$&
.cindex "DNS" "DNSSEC"
done using DNS information the resolver library stated was authenticated data.
-.vitem &$sender_helo_name$&
-.vindex "&$sender_helo_name$&"
+.tvar &$sender_helo_name$&
When a message is received from a remote host that has issued a HELO or EHLO
command, the argument of that command is placed in this variable. It is also
set if HELO or EHLO is used when a message is received using SMTP locally via
dns_dnssec_ok = 1
.endd
+In addition, on Linux with glibc 2.31 or newer the resolver library will
+default to stripping out a successful validation status.
+This will break a previously working Exim installation.
+Provided that you do trust the resolver (ie, is on localhost) you can tell
+glibc to pass through any successful validation with a new option in
+&_/etc/resolv.conf_&:
+.code
+options trust-ad
+.endd
+
Exim does not perform DNSSEC validation itself, instead leaving that to a
validating resolver (e.g. unbound, or bind with suitable configuration).
is known to currently ignore EDNS0, documented in CAVEATS of asr_run(3).
-.vitem &$sender_host_name$&
-.vindex "&$sender_host_name$&"
+.tvar &$sender_host_name$&
When a message is received from a remote host, this variable contains the
host's name as obtained by looking up its IP address. For messages received by
other means, this variable is empty.
&$smtp_active_hostname$& is saved with any message that is received, so its
value can be consulted during routing and delivery.
-.vitem &$smtp_command$&
-.vindex "&$smtp_command$&"
+.tvar &$smtp_command$&
During the processing of an incoming SMTP command, this variable contains the
entire command. This makes it possible to distinguish between HELO and EHLO in
the HELO ACL, and also to distinguish between commands such as these:
rewriting, whereas the values in &$local_part$& and &$domain$& are taken from
the address after SMTP-time rewriting.
-.vitem &$smtp_command_argument$&
+.tvar &$smtp_command_argument$&
.cindex "SMTP" "command, argument for"
-.vindex "&$smtp_command_argument$&"
While an ACL is running to check an SMTP command, this variable contains the
argument, that is, the text that follows the command name, with leading white
space removed. Following the introduction of &$smtp_command$&, this variable is
example, a system filter could set a value indicating how likely it is that a
message is junk mail.
-.vitem &$spam_$&&'xxx'&
+.vitem &$spam_score$& &&&
+ &$spam_score_int$& &&&
+ &$spam_bar$& &&&
+ &$spam_report$& &&&
+ &$spam_action$&
A number of variables whose names start with &$spam$& are available when Exim
is compiled with the content-scanning extension. For details, see section
&<<SECTscanspamass>>&.
&*Note*&: Under versions of OpenSSL preceding 1.1.1,
when a list of more than one
file is used for &%tls_certificate%&, this variable is not reliable.
+The macro "_TLS_BAD_MULTICERT_IN_OURCERT" will be defined for those versions.
.vitem &$tls_in_peercert$&
.vindex "&$tls_in_peercert$&"
but in the context of an outward SMTP delivery taking place via the &(smtp)& transport
becomes the same as &$tls_out_cipher$&.
+.vitem &$tls_in_cipher_std$&
+.vindex "&$tls_in_cipher_std$&"
+As above, but returning the RFC standard name for the cipher suite.
+
.vitem &$tls_out_cipher$&
.vindex "&$tls_out_cipher$&"
This variable is
&<<CHAPTLS>>& for details of TLS support and chapter &<<CHAPsmtptrans>>& for
details of the &(smtp)& transport.
+.vitem &$tls_out_cipher_std$&
+.vindex "&$tls_out_cipher_std$&"
+As above, but returning the RFC standard name for the cipher suite.
+
.vitem &$tls_out_dane$&
.vindex &$tls_out_dane$&
DANE active status. See section &<<SECDANE>>&.
If certificate verification fails it may refer to a failing chain element
which is not the leaf.
-.vitem &$tls_in_sni$&
-.vindex "&$tls_in_sni$&"
+
+.vitem &$tls_in_resumption$& &&&
+ &$tls_out_resumption$&
+.vindex &$tls_in_resumption$&
+.vindex &$tls_out_resumption$&
+.cindex TLS resumption
+Observability for TLS session resumption. See &<<SECTresumption>>& for details.
+
+
+.tvar &$tls_in_sni$&
.vindex "&$tls_sni$&"
.cindex "TLS" "Server Name Indication"
+.cindex "TLS" SNI
+.cindex SNI "observability on server"
When a TLS session is being established, if the client sends the Server
Name Indication extension, the value will be placed in this variable.
If the variable appears in &%tls_certificate%& then this option and
.vitem &$tls_out_sni$&
.vindex "&$tls_out_sni$&"
.cindex "TLS" "Server Name Indication"
+.cindex "TLS" SNI
+.cindex SNI "observability in client"
During outbound
SMTP deliveries, this variable reflects the value of the &%tls_sni%& option on
the transport.
.vindex &$tls_out_tlsa_usage$&
Bitfield of TLSA record types found. See section &<<SECDANE>>&.
+.vitem &$tls_in_ver$&
+.vindex "&$tls_in_ver$&"
+When a message is received from a remote host over an encrypted SMTP connection
+this variable is set to the protocol version, eg &'TLS1.2'&.
+
+.vitem &$tls_out_ver$&
+.vindex "&$tls_out_ver$&"
+When a message is being delivered to a remote host over an encrypted SMTP connection
+this variable is set to the protocol version.
+
+
.vitem &$tod_bsdinbox$&
.vindex "&$tod_bsdinbox$&"
The time of day and the date, in the format required for BSD-style mailbox
.vitem &$version_number$&
.vindex "&$version_number$&"
-The version number of Exim.
+The version number of Exim. Same as &$exim_version$&, may be overridden
+by the &%exim_version%& main config option.
.vitem &$warn_message_delay$&
.vindex "&$warn_message_delay$&"
option to a true value. To avoid breaking existing installations, it
defaults to false.
+&*Note*&: This is entirely separate from Exim's tainted-data tracking.
+
.section "Calling Perl subroutines" "SECID86"
When the configuration file includes a &%perl_startup%& option you can make use
.endlist
The default list separator in both cases is a colon, but this can be changed as
-described in section &<<SECTlistconstruct>>&. When IPv6 addresses are involved,
+described in section &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&. When IPv6 addresses are involved,
it is usually best to change the separator to avoid having to double all the
colons. For example:
.code
exim.
The value of &%-oX%& is a list of items. The default colon separator can be
-changed in the usual way if required. If there are any items that do not
+changed in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&) if required.
+If there are any items that do not
contain dots or colons (that is, are not IP addresses), the value of
&%daemon_smtp_ports%& is replaced by the list of those items. If there are any
items that do contain dots or colons, the value of &%local_interfaces%& is
.chapter "Main configuration" "CHAPmainconfig"
.scindex IIDconfima "configuration file" "main section"
.scindex IIDmaiconf "main configuration"
-The first part of the run time configuration file contains three types of item:
+The first part of the runtime configuration file contains three types of item:
.ilist
Macro definitions: These lines start with an upper case letter. See section
.section "Miscellaneous" "SECID96"
.table2
+.row &%add_environment%& "environment variables"
.row &%bi_command%& "to run for &%-bi%& command line option"
.row &%debug_store%& "do extra internal checks"
.row &%disable_ipv6%& "do no IPv6 processing"
+.row &%keep_environment%& "environment variables"
.row &%keep_malformed%& "for broken files &-- should not happen"
.row &%localhost_number%& "for unique message ids in clusters"
.row &%message_body_newlines%& "retain newlines in &$message_body$&"
.row &%log_timezone%& "add timezone to log lines"
.row &%message_logs%& "create per-message logs"
.row &%preserve_message_logs%& "after message completion"
+.row &%panic_coredump%& "request coredump on fatal errors"
.row &%process_log_path%& "for SIGUSR1 and &'exiwhat'&"
.row &%slow_lookup_log%& "control logging of slow DNS lookups"
.row &%syslog_duplication%& "controls duplicate log lines on syslog"
.row &%daemon_startup_sleep%& "time to sleep between tries"
.row &%extra_local_interfaces%& "not necessarily listened on"
.row &%local_interfaces%& "on which to listen, with optional ports"
+.row &%notifier_socket%& "override compiled-in value"
.row &%pid_file_path%& "override compiled-in value"
.row &%queue_run_max%& "maximum simultaneous queue runners"
+.row &%smtp_backlog_monitor%& "level to log listen backlog"
.endtable
.row &%local_scan_timeout%& "timeout for &[local_scan()]&"
.row &%message_size_limit%& "for all messages"
.row &%percent_hack_domains%& "recognize %-hack for these domains"
+.row &%proxy_protocol_timeout%& "timeout for proxy protocol negotiation"
.row &%spamd_address%& "set interface to SpamAssassin"
.row &%strict_acl_vars%& "object to unset ACL variables"
+.row &%spf_smtp_comment_template%& "template for &$spf_smtp_comment$&"
.endtable
.table2
.row &%gnutls_compat_mode%& "use GnuTLS compatibility mode"
.row &%gnutls_allow_auto_pkcs11%& "allow GnuTLS to autoload PKCS11 modules"
+.row &%hosts_require_alpn%& "mandatory ALPN"
+.row &%hosts_require_helo%& "mandatory HELO/EHLO"
.row &%openssl_options%& "adjust OpenSSL compatibility options"
.row &%tls_advertise_hosts%& "advertise TLS to these hosts"
+.row &%tls_alpn%& "acceptable protocol names"
.row &%tls_certificate%& "location of server certificate"
.row &%tls_crl%& "certificate revocation list"
.row &%tls_dh_max_bits%& "clamp D-H bit count suggestion"
See also the &'Policy controls'& section above.
.table2
-.row &%dkim_verify_signers%& "DKIM domain for which DKIM ACL is run"
+.row &%dkim_verify_hashes%& "DKIM hash methods accepted for signatures"
+.row &%dkim_verify_keytypes%& "DKIM key types accepted for signatures"
+.row &%dkim_verify_min_keysizes%& "DKIM key sizes accepted for signatures"
+.row &%dkim_verify_signers%& "DKIM domains for which DKIM ACL is run"
+.row &%dmarc_forensic_sender%& "DMARC sender for report messages"
+.row &%dmarc_history_file%& "DMARC results log"
+.row &%dmarc_tld_file%& "DMARC toplevel domains file"
.row &%host_lookup%& "host name looked up for these hosts"
.row &%host_lookup_order%& "order of DNS and local name lookups"
.row &%recipient_unqualified_hosts%& "may send unqualified recipients"
.row &%ignore_fromline_hosts%& "allow &""From ""& from these hosts"
.row &%ignore_fromline_local%& "allow &""From ""& from local SMTP"
.row &%pipelining_advertise_hosts%& "advertise pipelining to these hosts"
+.row &%pipelining_connect_advertise_hosts%& "advertise pipelining to these hosts"
.row &%prdr_enable%& "advertise PRDR to all hosts"
.row &%smtputf8_advertise_hosts%& "advertise SMTPUTF8 to these hosts"
.row &%tls_advertise_hosts%& "advertise TLS to these hosts"
.row &%hold_domains%& "hold delivery for these domains"
.row &%local_interfaces%& "for routing checks"
.row &%queue_domains%& "no immediate delivery for these"
+.row &%queue_fast_ramp%& "parallel delivery with 2-phase queue run"
.row &%queue_only%& "no immediate delivery at all"
.row &%queue_only_file%& "no immediate delivery if file exists"
.row &%queue_only_load%& "no immediate delivery if load is high"
.cindex "8-bit characters"
.cindex "log" "selectors"
.cindex "log" "8BITMIME"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" 8BITMIME
This option causes Exim to send 8BITMIME in its response to an SMTP
EHLO command, and to accept the BODY= parameter on MAIL commands.
However, though Exim is 8-bit clean, it is not a protocol converter, and it
.option add_environment main "string list" empty
.cindex "environment" "set values"
-This option allows to set individual environment variables that the
-currently linked libraries and programs in child processes use.
+This option adds individual environment variables that the
+currently linked libraries and programs in child processes may use.
+Each list element should be of the form &"name=value"&.
+
See &<<SECTpipeenv>>& for the environment of &(pipe)& transports.
.option admin_groups main "string list&!!" unset
configuration). This &"magic string"& matches the domain literal form of all
the local host's IP addresses.
-
.option allow_mx_to_ip main boolean false
.cindex "MX record" "pointing to IP address"
It appears that more and more DNS zone administrators are breaking the rules
.cindex "UTF-8" "in domain name"
Lots of discussion is going on about internationalized domain names. One
camp is strongly in favour of just using UTF-8 characters, and it seems
-that at least two other MTAs permit this. This option allows Exim users to
-experiment if they wish.
+that at least two other MTAs permit this.
+This option allows Exim users to experiment if they wish.
If it is set true, Exim's domain parsing function allows valid
UTF-8 multicharacters to appear in domain name components, in addition to
-letters, digits, and hyphens. However, just setting this option is not
-enough; if you want to look up these domain names in the DNS, you must also
+letters, digits, and hyphens.
+
+If Exim is built with internationalization support
+and the SMTPUTF8 ESMTP option is in use (see chapter &<<CHAPi18n>>&)
+this option can be left as default.
+Without that,
+if you want to look up such domain names in the DNS, you must also
adjust the value of &%dns_check_names_pattern%& to match the extended form. A
suitable setting is:
.code
.option auth_advertise_hosts main "host list&!!" *
.cindex "authentication" "advertising"
.cindex "AUTH" "advertising"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" AUTH
If any server authentication mechanisms are configured, Exim advertises them in
response to an EHLO command only if the calling host matches this list.
Otherwise, Exim does not advertise AUTH.
required, it must come from the &%-oA%& command line option.
-.option bounce_message_file main string unset
+.option bounce_message_file main string&!! unset
.cindex "bounce message" "customizing"
.cindex "customizing" "bounce message"
This option defines a template file containing paragraphs of text to be used
for constructing bounce messages. Details of the file's contents are given in
-chapter &<<CHAPemsgcust>>&. See also &%warn_message_file%&.
+chapter &<<CHAPemsgcust>>&.
+.cindex bounce_message_file "tainted data"
+The option is expanded to give the file path, which must be
+absolute and untainted.
+See also &%warn_message_file%&.
.option bounce_message_text main string unset
.option chunking_advertise_hosts main "host list&!!" *
.cindex CHUNKING advertisement
.cindex "RFC 3030" "CHUNKING"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" CHUNKING
The CHUNKING extension (RFC3030) will be advertised in the EHLO message to
these hosts.
Hosts may use the BDAT command as an alternate to DATA.
intervals specified by this option. The data is a colon-separated list of times
after which to send warning messages. If the value of the option is an empty
string or a zero time, no warnings are sent. Up to 10 times may be given. If a
-message has been on the queue for longer than the last time, the last interval
+message has been in the queue for longer than the last time, the last interval
between the times is used to compute subsequent warning times. For example,
with
.code
to handle IPv6 literal addresses.
+.option dkim_verify_hashes main "string list" "sha256 : sha512"
+.cindex DKIM "selecting signature algorithms"
+This option gives a list of hash types which are acceptable in signatures,
+and an order of processing.
+Signatures with algorithms not in the list will be ignored.
+
+Acceptable values include:
+.code
+sha1
+sha256
+sha512
+.endd
+
+Note that the acceptance of sha1 violates RFC 8301.
+
+.option dkim_verify_keytypes main "string list" "ed25519 : rsa"
+This option gives a list of key types which are acceptable in signatures,
+and an order of processing.
+Signatures with algorithms not in the list will be ignored.
+
+
+.option dkim_verify_min_keysizes main "string list" "rsa=1024 ed25519=250"
+This option gives a list of key sizes which are acceptable in signatures.
+The list is keyed by the algorithm type for the key; the values are in bits.
+Signatures with keys smaller than given by this option will fail verification.
+
+The default enforces the RFC 8301 minimum key size for RSA signatures.
+
+.option dkim_verify_minimal main boolean false
+If set to true, verification of signatures will terminate after the
+first success.
+
.option dkim_verify_signers main "domain list&!!" $dkim_signers
.cindex DKIM "controlling calls to the ACL"
This option gives a list of DKIM domains for which the DKIM ACL is run.
See section &<<SECDKIMVFY>>&.
+.option dmarc_forensic_sender main string&!! unset
+.option dmarc_history_file main string unset
+.option dmarc_tld_file main string unset
+.cindex DMARC "main section options"
+These options control DMARC processing.
+See section &<<SECDMARC>>& for details.
+
+
.option dns_again_means_nonexist main "domain list&!!" unset
.cindex "DNS" "&""try again""& response; overriding"
DNS lookups give a &"try again"& response for the DNS errors
reversed and looked up in the reverse DNS, as described in more detail in
section &<<SECTverifyCSA>>&.
-.new
.option dns_cname_loops main integer 1
.cindex DNS "CNAME following"
This option controls the following of CNAME chains, needed if the resolver does
The default value of one CNAME-follow is needed
thanks to the observed return for an MX request,
given no MX presence but a CNAME to an A, of the CNAME.
-.wen
.option dns_dnssec_ok main integer -1
If the resolver library does not support DNSSEC then this option has no effect.
+On Linux with glibc 2.31 or newer this is insufficient, the resolver library
+will default to stripping out a successful validation status.
+This will break a previously working Exim installation.
+Provided that you do trust the resolver (ie, is on localhost) you can tell
+glibc to pass through any successful validation with a new option in
+&_/etc/resolv.conf_&:
+.code
+options trust-ad
+.endd
+
.option dns_ipv4_lookup main "domain list&!!" unset
.cindex "IPv6" "DNS lookup for AAAA records"
This is a fudge to help with name servers that give big delays or otherwise do
not work for the AAAA record type. In due course, when the world's name
servers have all been upgraded, there should be no need for this option.
+Note that all lookups, including those done for verification, are affected;
+this will result in verify failure for IPv6 connections or ones using names
+only valid for IPv6 addresses.
.option dns_retrans main time 0s
.cindex "bounce messages" "success"
.cindex "DSN" "success"
.cindex "Delivery Status Notification" "success"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" DSN
DSN extensions (RFC3461) will be advertised in the EHLO message to,
and accepted from, these hosts.
-Hosts may use the NOTIFY and ENVID options on RCPT TO commands,
-and RET and ORCPT options on MAIL FROM commands.
+Hosts may use the NOTIFY and ORCPT options on RCPT TO commands,
+and RET and ENVID options on MAIL FROM commands.
A NOTIFY=SUCCESS option requests success-DSN messages.
A NOTIFY= option with no argument requests that no delay or failure DSNs
are sent.
+&*Note*&: Supplying success-DSN messages has been criticised
+on privacy grounds; it can leak details of internal forwarding.
.option dsn_from main "string&!!" "see below"
.cindex "&'From:'& header line" "in bounces"
used. See chapter &<<CHAPsecurity>>& for a discussion of security issues.
+.option exim_version main string "current version"
+.cindex "Exim version"
+.cindex customizing "version number"
+.cindex "version number of Exim" override
+This option overrides the &$version_number$&/&$exim_version$& that Exim reports in
+various places. Use with care; this may fool stupid security scanners.
+
+
.option extra_local_interfaces main "string list" unset
This option defines network interfaces that are to be considered local when
routing, but which are not used for listening by the daemon. See section
.option hold_domains main "domain list&!!" unset
.cindex "domain" "delaying delivery"
.cindex "delivery" "delaying certain domains"
-This option allows mail for particular domains to be held on the queue
+This option allows mail for particular domains to be held in the queue
manually. The option is overridden if a message delivery is forced with the
&%-M%&, &%-qf%&, &%-Rf%& or &%-Sf%& options, and also while testing or
verifying addresses using &%-bt%& or &%-bv%&. Otherwise, if a domain matches an
nowadays the ACL specified by &%acl_smtp_connect%& can also reject incoming
connections immediately.
+.new
+If the connection is on a TLS-on-connect port then the TCP connection is
+just dropped. Otherwise, an SMTP error is sent first.
+.wen
+
The ability to give an immediate rejection (either by this option or using an
ACL) is provided for use in unusual cases. Many hosts will just try again,
sometimes without much delay. Normally, it is better to use an ACL to reject
.code
hosts_connection_nolog = :
.endd
-If the &%smtp_connection%& log selector is not set, this option has no effect.
+.new
+The hosts affected by this option also do not log "no MAIL in SMTP connection"
+lines, as may commonly be produced by a monitoring system.
+.wen
+
+
+.option hosts_require_alpn main "host list&!!" unset
+.cindex ALPN "require negotiation in server"
+.cindex TLS ALPN
+.cindex TLS "Application Layer Protocol Names"
+If the TLS library supports ALPN
+then a successful negotiation of ALPN will be required for any client
+matching the list, for TLS to be used.
+See also the &%tls_alpn%& option.
+&*Note*&: prevention of fallback to in-clear connection is not
+managed by this option, and should be done separately.
+
+
+.option hosts_require_helo main "host list&!!" *
+.cindex "HELO/EHLO" requiring
+Exim will require an accepted HELO or EHLO command from a host matching
+this list, before accepting a MAIL command.
.option hosts_proxy main "host list&!!" unset
After a permanent delivery failure, bounce messages are frozen,
because there is no sender to whom they can be returned. When a frozen bounce
-message has been on the queue for more than the given time, it is unfrozen at
+message has been in the queue for more than the given time, it is unfrozen at
the next queue run, and a further delivery is attempted. If delivery fails
again, the bounce message is discarded. This makes it possible to keep failed
bounce messages around for a shorter time than the normal maximum retry time
&'Sender:'& header lines supplied by untrusted users, you must also set
&%local_sender_retain%& to be true.
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
These options affect only the header lines in the message. The envelope sender
is still forced to be the login id at the qualify domain unless
This option sets the path which is used to determine the names of Exim's log
files, or indicates that logging is to be to syslog, or both. It is expanded
when Exim is entered, so it can, for example, contain a reference to the host
-name. If no specific path is set for the log files at compile or run time,
-or if the option is unset at run time (i.e. &`log_file_path = `&)
+name. If no specific path is set for the log files at compile or runtime,
+or if the option is unset at runtime (i.e. &`log_file_path = `&)
they are written in a sub-directory called &_log_& in Exim's spool directory.
+A path must start with a slash.
+To send to syslog, use the word &"syslog"&.
Chapter &<<CHAPlog>>& contains further details about Exim's logging, and
section &<<SECTwhelogwri>>& describes how the contents of &%log_file_path%& are
used. If this string is fixed at your installation (contains no expansion
TCP/IP. After expansion, the value must be a sequence of decimal digits,
optionally followed by K or M.
+.cindex "SIZE" "ESMTP extension, advertising"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" SIZE
+If nonzero the value will be advertised as a parameter to the ESMTP SIZE
+service extension keyword.
+
&*Note*&: This limit cannot be made to depend on a message's sender or any
other properties of an individual message, because it has to be advertised in
the server's response to EHLO. String expansion failure causes a temporary
transport driver.
-.option openssl_options main "string list" "+no_sslv2 +single_dh_use +no_ticket"
+.option notifier_socket main string "$spool_directory/exim_daemon_notify"
+This option gives the name for a unix-domain socket on which the daemon
+listens for work and information-requests.
+Only installations running multiple daemons sharing a spool directory
+should need to modify the default.
+
+The option is expanded before use.
+If the platform supports Linux-style abstract socket names, the result
+is used with a nul byte prefixed.
+Otherwise,
+it should be a full path name and use a directory accessible
+to Exim.
+
+If this option is set as empty,
+or the command line &%-oY%& option is used, or
+the command line uses a &%-oX%& option and does not use &%-oP%&,
+then a notifier socket is not created.
+
+
+.option openssl_options main "string list" "+no_sslv2 +no_sslv3 +single_dh_use +no_ticket +no_renegotiation"
.cindex "OpenSSL "compatibility options"
This option allows an administrator to adjust the SSL options applied
by OpenSSL to connections. It is given as a space-separated list of items,
The option is available only if Exim has been built with Oracle support.
+.new
+.option panic_coredump main boolean false
+This option is rarely needed but can help for some debugging investigations.
+If set, when an internal error is detected by Exim which is sufficient
+to terminate the process
+(all such are logged in the paniclog)
+then a coredump is requested.
+
+Note that most systems require additional administrative configuration
+to permit write a core file for a setuid program, which is Exim's
+common installed configuration.
+.wen
+
.option percent_hack_domains main "domain list&!!" unset
.cindex "&""percent hack""&"
.cindex "source routing" "in email address"
This option is available only when Exim is built with an embedded Perl
interpreter. See chapter &<<CHAPperl>>& for details of its use.
-.option perl_startup main boolean false
+.option perl_taintmode main boolean false
.cindex "Perl"
-This Option enables the taint mode of the embedded Perl interpreter.
+This option enables the taint mode of the embedded Perl interpreter.
.option pgsql_servers main "string list" unset
.option pipelining_advertise_hosts main "host list&!!" *
.cindex "PIPELINING" "suppressing advertising"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" PIPELINING
This option can be used to suppress the advertisement of the SMTP
PIPELINING extension to specific hosts. See also the &*no_pipelining*&
control in section &<<SECTcontrols>>&. When PIPELINING is not advertised and
that clients will use it; &"out of order"& commands that are &"expected"& do
not count as protocol errors (see &%smtp_max_synprot_errors%&).
+.option pipelining_connect_advertise_hosts main "host list&!!" *
+.cindex "pipelining" "early connection"
+.cindex "pipelining" PIPECONNECT
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" PIPECONNECT
+If Exim is built without the DISABLE_PIPE_CONNECT build option
+this option controls which hosts the facility is advertised to
+and from which pipeline early-connection (before MAIL) SMTP
+commands are acceptable.
+When used, the pipelining saves on roundtrip times.
+
+See also the &%hosts_pipe_connect%& smtp transport option.
+
+The SMTP service extension keyword advertised is &"PIPECONNECT"&;
+it permits the client to pipeline
+TCP connection and hello command (inclear phase),
+or TLS-establishment and hello command (encrypted phase),
+on later connections to the same host.
+
.option prdr_enable main boolean false
.cindex "PRDR" "enabling on server"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" PRDR
This option can be used to enable the Per-Recipient Data Response extension
to SMTP, defined by Eric Hall.
If the option is set, PRDR is advertised by Exim when operating as a server.
&%queue_list_requires_admin%& and &%commandline_checks_require_admin%&.
+.option proxy_protocol_timeout main time 3s
+.cindex proxy "proxy protocol"
+This option sets the timeout for proxy protocol negotiation.
+For details see section &<<SECTproxyInbound>>&.
+
+
.option qualify_domain main string "see below"
.cindex "domain" "for qualifying addresses"
.cindex "address" "qualification"
next queue run. See also &%hold_domains%& and &%queue_smtp_domains%&.
+.option queue_fast_ramp main boolean true
+.cindex "queue runner" "two phase"
+.cindex "queue" "double scanning"
+If set to true, two-phase queue runs, initiated using &%-qq%& on the
+command line, may start parallel delivery processes during their first
+phase. This will be done when a threshold number of messages have been
+routed for a single host.
+
+
.option queue_list_requires_admin main boolean true
.cindex "restricting access to features"
.oindex "&%-bp%&"
.cindex "queueing incoming messages"
.cindex "message" "queueing unconditionally"
If &%queue_only%& is set, a delivery process is not automatically started
-whenever a message is received. Instead, the message waits on the queue for the
+whenever a message is received. Instead, the message waits in the queue for the
next queue run. Even if &%queue_only%& is false, incoming messages may not get
delivered immediately when certain conditions (such as heavy load) occur.
the daemon's command line.
.cindex queues named
-.cindex "named queues"
+.cindex "named queues" "resource limit"
To set limits for different named queues use
an expansion depending on the &$queue_name$& variable.
.option queue_smtp_domains main "domain list&!!" unset
.cindex "queueing incoming messages"
.cindex "message" "queueing remote deliveries"
+.cindex "first pass routing"
When this option is set, a delivery process is started whenever a message is
received, routing is performed, and local deliveries take place.
However, if any SMTP deliveries are required for domains that match
&%queue_smtp_domains%&, they are not immediately delivered, but instead the
-message waits on the queue for the next queue run. Since routing of the message
+message waits in the queue for the next queue run. Since routing of the message
has taken place, Exim knows to which remote hosts it must be delivered, and so
when the queue run happens, multiple messages for the same host are delivered
over a single SMTP connection. The &%-odqs%& command line option causes all
.cindex "timeout" "for non-SMTP input"
This option sets the timeout for accepting a non-SMTP message, that is, the
maximum time that Exim waits when reading a message on the standard input. If
-the value is zero, it will wait for ever. This setting is overridden by the
+the value is zero, it will wait forever. This setting is overridden by the
&%-or%& command line option. The timeout for incoming SMTP messages is
controlled by &%smtp_receive_timeout%&.
used. If the expansion yields an empty string, no &'Received:'& header line is
added to the message. Otherwise, the string should start with the text
&"Received:"& and conform to the RFC 2822 specification for &'Received:'&
-header lines. The default setting is:
+header lines.
+The default setting is:
.code
received_header_text = Received: \
${if def:sender_rcvhost {from $sender_rcvhost\n\t}\
- {${if def:sender_ident \
- {from ${quote_local_part:$sender_ident} }}\
- ${if def:sender_helo_name {(helo=$sender_helo_name)\n\t}}}}\
+ {${if def:sender_ident \
+ {from ${quote_local_part:$sender_ident} }}\
+ ${if def:sender_helo_name {(helo=$sender_helo_name)\n\t}}}}\
by $primary_hostname \
- ${if def:received_protocol {with $received_protocol}} \
- ${if def:tls_in_cipher {($tls_in_cipher)\n\t}}\
+ ${if def:received_protocol {with $received_protocol }}\
+ ${if def:tls_in_ver { ($tls_in_ver)}}\
+ ${if def:tls_in_cipher_std { tls $tls_in_cipher_std\n\t}}\
(Exim $version_number)\n\t\
${if def:sender_address \
{(envelope-from <$sender_address>)\n\t}}\
${if def:received_for {\n\tfor $received_for}}
.endd
-The reference to the TLS cipher is omitted when Exim is built without TLS
+The references to the TLS version and cipher are
+omitted when Exim is built without TLS
support. The use of conditional expansions ensures that this works for both
locally generated messages and messages received from remote hosts, giving
header lines such as the following:
option was not set.
-.option recipients_max main integer 0
+.option recipients_max main integer 50000
.cindex "limit" "number of recipients"
.cindex "recipient" "maximum number"
If this option is set greater than zero, it specifies the maximum number of
for the remaining recipients at a later time.
-.option remote_max_parallel main integer 2
+.option remote_max_parallel main integer 4
.cindex "delivery" "parallelism for remote"
This option controls parallel delivery of one message to a number of remote
hosts. If the value is less than 2, parallel delivery is disabled, and Exim
deliveries if the configuration allows a delivery attempt as soon as a message
is received.
+See also the &%max_parallel%& generic transport option,
+and the &%serialize_hosts%& smtp transport option.
+
.cindex "number of deliveries"
.cindex "delivery" "maximum number of"
If you want to control the total number of deliveries on the system, you
&%sender_unqualified_hosts%&, or if the message was submitted locally (not
using TCP/IP), and the &%-bnq%& option was not set.
-.option set_environment main "string list" empty
-.cindex "environment"
-This option allows to set individual environment variables that the
-currently linked libraries and programs in child processes use. The
-default list is empty,
-
.option slow_lookup_log main integer 0
.cindex "logging" "slow lookups"
. searchable. NM changed this occurrence for bug 1197 to no longer allow
. the option name to split.
-.option "smtp_accept_max_per_connection" main integer 1000 &&&
+.option "smtp_accept_max_per_connection" main integer&!! 1000 &&&
smtp_accept_max_per_connection
.cindex "SMTP" "limiting incoming message count"
.cindex "limit" "messages per SMTP connection"
response is given to subsequent MAIL commands. This limit is a safety
precaution against a client that goes mad (incidents of this type have been
seen).
+The option is expanded after the HELO or EHLO is received
+and may depend on values available at that time.
+An empty or zero value after expansion removes the limit.
.option smtp_accept_max_per_host main string&!! unset
.cindex "message" "queueing by SMTP connection count"
If the number of simultaneous incoming SMTP connections being handled via the
listening daemon exceeds this value, messages received by SMTP are just placed
-on the queue; no delivery processes are started automatically. The count is
+in the queue; no delivery processes are started automatically. The count is
fixed at the start of an SMTP connection. It cannot be updated in the
subprocess that receives messages, and so the queueing or not queueing applies
to all messages received in the same connection.
automatically when receiving messages via SMTP, whether via the daemon or by
the use of &%-bs%& or &%-bS%&. If the value of the option is greater than zero,
and the number of messages received in a single SMTP session exceeds this
-number, subsequent messages are placed on the queue, but no delivery processes
+number, subsequent messages are placed in the queue, but no delivery processes
are started. This helps to limit the number of Exim processes when a server
restarts after downtime and there is a lot of mail waiting for it on other
systems. On large systems, the default should probably be increased, and on
verification if there is no remote transport from which to obtain a
&%helo_data%& value.
+.option smtp_backlog_monitor main integer 0
+.cindex "connection backlog" monitoring
+If this option is set to greater than zero, and the backlog of available
+TCP connections on a socket listening for SMTP is larger than it, a line
+is logged giving the value and the socket address and port.
+The value is retrived jsut before an accept call.
+This facility is only available on Linux.
+
.option smtp_banner main string&!! "see below"
.cindex "SMTP" "welcome banner"
.cindex "banner for SMTP"
.cindex "welcome banner for SMTP"
.cindex "customizing" "SMTP banner"
-This string, which is expanded every time it is used, is output as the initial
+If a connect ACL does not supply a message,
+this string (which is expanded every time it is used) is output as the initial
positive response to an SMTP connection. The default setting is:
.code
smtp_banner = $smtp_active_hostname ESMTP Exim \
$version_number $tod_full
.endd
-Failure to expand the string causes a panic error. If you want to create a
+.new
+Failure to expand the string causes a panic error;
+a forced fail just closes the connection.
+.wen
+If you want to create a
multiline response to the initial SMTP connection, use &"\n"& in the string at
appropriate points, but not at the end. Note that the 220 code is not included
in this string. Exim adds it automatically (several times in the case of a
.option smtp_connect_backlog main integer 20
-.cindex "connection backlog"
+.cindex "connection backlog" "set maximum"
.cindex "SMTP" "connection backlog"
.cindex "backlog of connections"
This option specifies a maximum number of waiting SMTP connections. Exim passes
.option smtp_etrn_command main string&!! unset
.cindex "ETRN" "command to be run"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" ETRN
.vindex "&$domain$&"
If this option is set, the given command is run whenever an SMTP ETRN
command is received from a host that is permitted to issue such commands (see
smtp_etrn_command = /etc/etrn_command $domain \
$sender_host_address
.endd
+If the option is not set, the argument for the ETRN command must
+be a &'#'& followed by an address string.
+In this case an &'exim -R <string>'& command is used;
+if the ETRN ACL has set up a named-queue then &'-MCG <queue>'& is appended.
+
A new process is created to run the command, but Exim does not wait for it to
complete. Consequently, its status cannot be checked. If the command cannot be
run, a line is written to the panic log, but the ETRN caller still receives
.option smtputf8_advertise_hosts main "host list&!!" *
-.cindex "SMTPUTF8" "advertising"
+.cindex "SMTPUTF8" "ESMTP extension, advertising"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" SMTPUTF8
When Exim is built with support for internationalised mail names,
the availability thereof is advertised in
response to EHLO only to those client hosts that match this option. See
This option is available when Exim is compiled with SPF support.
See section &<<SECSPF>>& for more details.
+.option spf_smtp_comment_template main string&!! "Please%_see%_http://www.open-spf.org/Why"
+This option is available when Exim is compiled with SPF support. It
+allows the customisation of the SMTP comment that the SPF library
+generates. You are strongly encouraged to link to your own explanative
+site. The template must not contain spaces. If you need spaces in the
+output, use the proper placeholder. If libspf2 can not parse the
+template, it uses a built-in default broken link. The following placeholders
+(along with Exim variables (but see below)) are allowed in the template:
+.ilist
+&*%_*&: A space.
+.next
+&*%{L}*&: Envelope sender's local part.
+.next
+&*%{S}*&: Envelope sender.
+.next
+&*%{O}*&: Envelope sender's domain.
+.next
+&*%{D}*&: Current(?) domain.
+.next
+&*%{I}*&: SMTP client Ip.
+.next
+&*%{C}*&: SMTP client pretty IP.
+.next
+&*%{T}*&: Epoch time (UTC).
+.next
+&*%{P}*&: SMTP client domain name.
+.next
+&*%{V}*&: IP version.
+.next
+&*%{H}*&: EHLO/HELO domain.
+.next
+&*%{R}*&: Receiving domain.
+.endlist
+The capitalized placeholders do proper URL encoding, if you use them
+lowercased, no encoding takes place. This list was compiled from the
+libspf2 sources.
+
+A note on using Exim variables: As
+currently the SPF library is initialized before the SMTP EHLO phase,
+the variables useful for expansion are quite limited.
.option split_spool_directory main boolean false
When &%split_spool_directory%& is set, the behaviour of queue runner processes
changes. Instead of creating a list of all messages in the queue, and then
-trying to deliver each one in turn, it constructs a list of those in one
+trying to deliver each one, in turn, it constructs a list of those in one
sub-directory and tries to deliver them, before moving on to the next
sub-directory. The sub-directories are processed in a random order. This
spreads out the scanning of the input directories, and uses less memory. It is
-particularly beneficial when there are lots of messages on the queue. However,
+particularly beneficial when there are lots of messages in the queue. However,
if &%queue_run_in_order%& is set, none of this new processing happens. The
entire queue has to be scanned and sorted before any deliveries can start.
.option syslog_timestamp main boolean true
.cindex "syslog" "timestamps"
+.cindex timestamps syslog
If &%syslog_timestamp%& is set false, the timestamps on Exim's log lines are
omitted when these lines are sent to syslog. See chapter &<<CHAPlog>>& for
details of Exim's logging.
.cindex "frozen messages" "timing out"
.cindex "timeout" "frozen messages"
If &%timeout_frozen_after%& is set to a time greater than zero, a frozen
-message of any kind that has been on the queue for longer than the given time
+message of any kind that has been in the queue for longer than the given time
is automatically cancelled at the next queue run. If the frozen message is a
bounce message, it is just discarded; otherwise, a bounce is sent to the
sender, in a similar manner to cancellation by the &%-Mg%& command line option.
frozen message, see &%ignore_bounce_errors_after%&.
&*Note:*& the default value of zero means no timeouts; with this setting,
-frozen messages remain on the queue forever (except for any frozen bounce
+frozen messages remain in the queue forever (except for any frozen bounce
messages that are released by &%ignore_bounce_errors_after%&).
.cindex "TLS" "advertising"
.cindex "encryption" "on SMTP connection"
.cindex "SMTP" "encrypted connection"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" STARTTLS
When Exim is built with support for TLS encrypted connections, the availability
of the STARTTLS command to set up an encrypted session is advertised in
response to EHLO only to those client hosts that match this option. See
is not required the &%tls_advertise_hosts%& option should be set empty.
-.option tls_certificate main string list&!! unset
+.option tls_alpn main "string list&!!" "smtp : esmtp"
+.cindex TLS "Application Layer Protocol Names"
+.cindex TLS ALPN
+.cindex ALPN "set acceptable names for server"
+If this option is set,
+the TLS library supports ALPN,
+and the client offers either more than
+ALPN name or a name which does not match the list,
+the TLS connection is declined.
+
+
+.option tls_certificate main "string list&!!" unset
.cindex "TLS" "server certificate; location of"
.cindex "certificate" "server, location of"
The value of this option is expanded, and must then be a list of absolute paths to
-files which contains the server's certificates. Commonly only one file is
-needed.
+files which contain the server's certificates (in PEM format).
+Commonly only one file is needed.
The server's private key is also
assumed to be in this file if &%tls_privatekey%& is unset. See chapter
&<<CHAPTLS>>& for further details.
option in the relevant &(smtp)& transport.
&*Note*&: If you use filenames based on IP addresses, change the list
-separator in the usual way to avoid confusion under IPv6.
+separator in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&) to avoid confusion under IPv6.
&*Note*&: Under versions of OpenSSL preceding 1.1.1,
when a list of more than one
file is used, the &$tls_in_ourcert$& variable is unreliable.
+The macro "_TLS_BAD_MULTICERT_IN_OURCERT" will be defined for those versions.
-&*Note*&: OCSP stapling is not usable under OpenSSL
-when a list of more than one file is used.
-
+.cindex SNI "selecting server certificate based on"
If the option contains &$tls_out_sni$& and Exim is built against OpenSSL, then
if the OpenSSL build supports TLS extensions and the TLS client sends the
Server Name Indication extension, then this option and others documented in
&<<SECTtlssni>>& will be re-expanded.
-If this option is unset or empty a fresh self-signed certificate will be
-generated for every connection.
+If this option is unset or empty a self-signed certificate will be
+used.
+Under Linux this is generated at daemon startup; on other platforms it will be
+generated fresh for every connection.
.option tls_crl main string&!! unset
.cindex "TLS" "server certificate revocation list"
(the "ffdhe" identifiers).
At this point, all of the "ike" values should be considered obsolete;
-they're still in Exim to avoid breaking unusual configurations, but are
+they are still in Exim to avoid breaking unusual configurations, but are
candidates for removal the next time we have backwards-incompatible changes.
+Two of them in particular (&`ike1`& and &`ike22`&) are called out by RFC 8247
+as MUST NOT use for IPSEC, and two more (&`ike23`& and &`ike24`&) as
+SHOULD NOT.
+Because of this, Exim regards them as deprecated; if either of the first pair
+are used, warnings will be logged in the paniclog, and if any are used then
+warnings will be logged in the mainlog.
+All four will be removed in a future Exim release.
The TLS protocol does not negotiate an acceptable size for this; clients tend
to hard-drop connections if what is offered by the server is unacceptable,
Certificate Authority.
Usable for GnuTLS 3.4.4 or 3.3.17 or OpenSSL 1.1.0 (or later).
+The macro "_HAVE_TLS_OCSP" will be defined for those versions.
-For GnuTLS 3.5.6 or later the expanded value of this option can be a list
+For OpenSSL 1.1.0 or later, and
+for GnuTLS 3.5.6 or later the expanded value of this option can be a list
of files, to match a list given for the &%tls_certificate%& option.
The ordering of the two lists must match.
-
+The macro "_HAVE_TLS_OCSP_LIST" will be defined for those versions.
+
+The file(s) should be in DER format,
+except for GnuTLS 3.6.3 or later
+or for OpenSSL,
+when an optional filetype prefix can be used.
+The prefix must be one of "DER" or "PEM", followed by
+a single space. If one is used it sets the format for subsequent
+files in the list; the initial format is DER.
+If multiple proofs are wanted, for multiple chain elements
+(this only works under TLS1.3)
+they must be coded as a combined OCSP response.
+
+Although GnuTLS will accept PEM files with multiple separate
+PEM blobs (ie. separate OCSP responses), it sends them in the
+TLS Certificate record interleaved with the certificates of the chain;
+although a GnuTLS client is happy with that, an OpenSSL client is not.
.option tls_on_connect_ports main "string list" unset
.cindex SSMTP
-.option tls_privatekey main string list&!! unset
+.option tls_privatekey main "string list&!!" unset
.cindex "TLS" "server private key; location of"
The value of this option is expanded, and must then be a list of absolute paths to
files which contains the server's private keys.
&<<SECTreqciphssl>>& and &<<SECTreqciphgnu>>&.
+.option tls_resumption_hosts main "host list&!!" unset
+.cindex TLS resumption
+This option controls which connections to offer the TLS resumption feature.
+See &<<SECTresumption>>& for details.
+
+
.option tls_try_verify_hosts main "host list&!!" unset
.cindex "TLS" "client certificate verification"
.cindex "certificate" "verification of client"
the value is a file then the certificates are sent by Exim as a server to
connecting clients, defining the list of accepted certificate authorities.
Thus the values defined should be considered public data. To avoid this,
-use the explicit directory version.
+use the explicit directory version. (If your peer is Exim up to 4.85,
+using GnuTLS, you may need to send the CAs (thus using the file
+variant). Otherwise the peer doesn't send its certificate.)
See &<<SECTtlssni>>& for discussion of when this option might be re-expanded.
Any client that matches &%tls_verify_hosts%& is constrained by
&%tls_verify_certificates%&. When the client initiates a TLS session, it must
present one of the listed certificates. If it does not, the connection is
-aborted. &*Warning*&: Including a host in &%tls_verify_hosts%& does not require
+aborted.
+&*Warning*&: Including a host in &%tls_verify_hosts%& does not require
the host to use TLS. It can still send SMTP commands through unencrypted
connections. Forcing a client to use TLS has to be done separately using an
ACL to reject inappropriate commands when the connection is not encrypted.
.cindex "sender" "setting by untrusted user"
.cindex "untrusted user setting sender"
.cindex "user" "untrusted setting sender"
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
When an untrusted user submits a message to Exim using the standard input, Exim
normally creates an envelope sender address from the user's login and the
See &%uucp_from_pattern%& above.
-.option warn_message_file main string unset
+.option warn_message_file main string&!! unset
.cindex "warning of delay" "customizing the message"
.cindex "customizing" "warning message"
This option defines a template file containing paragraphs of text to be used
for constructing the warning message which is sent by Exim when a message has
-been on the queue for a specified amount of time, as specified by
+been in the queue for a specified amount of time, as specified by
&%delay_warning%&. Details of the file's contents are given in chapter
-&<<CHAPemsgcust>>&. See also &%bounce_message_file%&.
+&<<CHAPemsgcust>>&.
+.cindex warn_message_file "tainted data"
+The option is expanded to give the file path, which must be
+absolute and untainted.
+See also &%bounce_message_file%&.
.option write_rejectlog main boolean true
provide data for a transport is: &%errors_to%&, &%headers_add%&,
&%headers_remove%&, &%transport%&.
+The name of a router is limited to be &drivernamemax; ASCII characters long;
+prior to Exim 4.95 names would be silently truncated at this length, but now
+it is enforced.
.option address_data routers string&!! unset
This makes the configuration file less messy, and also reduces the number of
lookups (though Exim does cache lookups).
+See also the &%set%& option below.
+
.vindex "&$sender_address_data$&"
.vindex "&$address_data$&"
The &%address_data%& facility is also useful as a means of passing information
local system. The check is done by calling the &[getpwnam()]& function rather
than trying to read &_/etc/passwd_& directly. This means that other methods of
holding password data (such as NIS) are supported. If the local part is a local
-user, &$home$& is set from the password data, and can be tested in other
+user,
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using router check_local_user option"
+&$local_part_data$& is set to an untainted version of the local part and
+&$home$& is set from the password data. The latter can be tested in other
preconditions that are evaluated after this one (the order of evaluation is
given in section &<<SECTrouprecon>>&). However, the value of &$home$& can be
overridden by &%router_home_directory%&. If the local part is not a local user,
unless you really, really know what you are doing. See also the generic
transport option of the same name.
-.option dnssec_request_domains routers "domain list&!!" unset
+.option dnssec_request_domains routers "domain list&!!" *
.cindex "MX record" "security"
.cindex "DNSSEC" "MX lookup"
.cindex "security" "MX lookup"
.cindex "DNS" "DNSSEC"
DNS lookups for domains matching &%dnssec_request_domains%& will be done with
-the dnssec request bit set.
+the DNSSEC request bit set.
This applies to all of the SRV, MX, AAAA, A lookup sequence.
.option dnssec_require_domains routers "domain list&!!" unset
.cindex "security" "MX lookup"
.cindex "DNS" "DNSSEC"
DNS lookups for domains matching &%dnssec_require_domains%& will be done with
-the dnssec request bit set. Any returns not having the Authenticated Data bit
+the DNSSEC request bit set. Any returns not having the Authenticated Data bit
(AD bit) set will be ignored and logged as a host-lookup failure.
This applies to all of the SRV, MX, AAAA, A lookup sequence.
If this option is set, the router is skipped unless the current domain matches
the list. If the match is achieved by means of a file lookup, the data that the
lookup returned for the domain is placed in &$domain_data$& for use in string
-expansions of the driver's private options. See section &<<SECTrouprecon>>& for
+expansions of the driver's private options and in the transport.
+See section &<<SECTrouprecon>>& for
a list of the order in which preconditions are evaluated.
.option errors_to routers string&!! unset
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
.cindex "router" "changing address for errors"
If a router successfully handles an address, it may assign the address to a
.cindex "fallback" "hosts specified on router"
String expansion is not applied to this option. The argument must be a
colon-separated list of host names or IP addresses. The list separator can be
-changed (see section &<<SECTlistconstruct>>&), and a port can be specified with
+changed (see section &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&), and a port can be specified with
each name or address. In fact, the format of each item is exactly the same as
defined for the list of hosts in a &(manualroute)& router (see section
&<<SECTformatonehostitem>>&).
.cindex "header lines" "adding"
.cindex "router" "adding header lines"
This option specifies a list of text headers,
-newline-separated (by default, changeable in the usual way),
+newline-separated (by default, changeable in the usual way &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&),
that is associated with any addresses that are accepted by the router.
Each item is separately expanded, at routing time. However, this
option has no effect when an address is just being verified. The way in which
.cindex "header lines" "removing"
.cindex "router" "removing header lines"
This option specifies a list of text headers,
-colon-separated (by default, changeable in the usual way),
+colon-separated (by default, changeable in the usual way &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&),
that is associated with any addresses that are accepted by the router.
-Each item is separately expanded, at routing time. However, this
-option has no effect when an address is just being verified. The way in which
+However, the option has no effect when an address is just being verified.
+Each list item is separately expanded, at transport time.
+If an item ends in *, it will match any header with the given prefix.
+The way in which
the text is used to remove header lines at transport time is described in
section &<<SECTheadersaddrem>>&. Header lines are not actually removed until
the message is in the process of being transported. This means that references
to header lines in string expansions in the transport's configuration still
&"see"& the original header lines.
-The &%headers_remove%& option is expanded after &%errors_to%& and
+The &%headers_remove%& option is handled after &%errors_to%& and
&%headers_add%&, but before &%transport%&. If an item expansion is forced to fail,
the item has no effect. Other expansion failures are treated as configuration
errors.
This behaviour can be overridden by setting &%rcpt_include_affixes%& true on
the relevant transport.
+.vindex &$local_part_prefix_v$&
+If wildcarding (above) was used then the part of the prefix matching the
+wildcard is available in &$local_part_prefix_v$&.
+
When an address is being verified, &%local_part_prefix%& affects only the
behaviour of the router. If the callout feature of verification is in use, this
means that the full address, including the prefix, will be used during the
string is expanded, it is possible to make it depend on the domain, for
example:
.code
-local_parts = dbm;/usr/local/specials/$domain
+local_parts = dbm;/usr/local/specials/$domain_data
.endd
.vindex "&$local_part_data$&"
If the match is achieved by a lookup, the data that the lookup returned
for the local part is placed in the variable &$local_part_data$& for use in
-expansions of the router's private options. You might use this option, for
+expansions of the router's private options or in the transport.
+You might use this option, for
example, if you have a large number of local virtual domains, and you want to
send all postmaster mail to the same place without having to set up an alias in
each virtual domain:
through the &%require_files%& list, expanding each item separately.
Because the list is split before expansion, any colons in expansion items must
-be doubled, or the facility for using a different list separator must be used.
+be doubled, or the facility for using a different list separator must be used
+(&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
If any expansion is forced to fail, the item is ignored. Other expansion
failures cause routing of the address to be deferred.
these options are all expanded, you can use the &%exists%& expansion condition
to make such tests. The &%require_files%& option is intended for checking files
that the router may be going to use internally, or which are needed by a
-transport (for example &_.procmailrc_&).
+transport (e.g., &_.procmailrc_&).
During delivery, the &[stat()]& function is run as root, but there is a
facility for some checking of the accessibility of a file by another user.
used. For example:
.code
require_files = mail:/some/file
-require_files = $local_part:$home/.procmailrc
+require_files = $local_part_data:$home/.procmailrc
.endd
If a user or group name in a &%require_files%& list does not exist, the
&%require_files%& condition fails.
be caused by a configuration error, and routing is deferred because the
existence or non-existence of the file cannot be determined. However, in some
circumstances it may be desirable to treat this condition as if the file did
-not exist. If the file name (or the exclamation mark that precedes the file
-name for non-existence) is preceded by a plus sign, the EACCES error is treated
+not exist. If the filename (or the exclamation mark that precedes the filename
+for non-existence) is preceded by a plus sign, the EACCES error is treated
as if the file did not exist. For example:
.code
require_files = +/some/file
This option controls whether the local part is used to form the key for retry
hints for addresses that suffer temporary errors while being handled by this
-router. The default value is true for any router that has &%check_local_user%&
+router. The default value is true for any router that has any of
+&%check_local_user%&,
+&%local_parts%&,
+&%condition%&,
+&%local_part_prefix%&,
+&%local_part_suffix%&,
+&%senders%& or
+&%require_files%&
set, and false otherwise. Note that this option does not apply to hints keys
for transport delays; they are controlled by a generic transport option of the
same name.
+Failing to set this option when it is needed
+(because a remote router handles only some of the local-parts for a domain)
+can result in incorrect error messages being generated.
+
The setting of &%retry_use_local_part%& applies only to the router on which it
appears. If the router generates child addresses, they are routed
independently; this setting does not become attached to them.
matters.
+.option set routers "string list" unset
+.cindex router variables
+This option may be used multiple times on a router;
+because of this the list aspect is mostly irrelevant.
+The list separator is a semicolon but can be changed in the
+usual way.
+
+Each list-element given must be of the form &"name = value"&
+and the names used must start with the string &"r_"&.
+Values containing a list-separator should have them doubled.
+When a router runs, the strings are evaluated in order,
+to create variables which are added to the set associated with
+the address.
+This is done immediately after all the preconditions, before the
+evaluation of the &%address_data%& option.
+The variable is set with the expansion of the value.
+The variables can be used by the router options
+(not including any preconditions)
+and by the transport.
+Later definitions of a given named variable will override former ones.
+Variable use is via the usual &$r_...$& syntax.
+
+This is similar to the &%address_data%& option, except that
+many independent variables can be used, with choice of naming.
+
+
.option translate_ip_address routers string&!! unset
.cindex "IP address" "translating"
.cindex "packet radio"
A list of hosts, whether obtained via &%route_data%& or &%route_list%&, is
always separately expanded before use. If the expansion fails, the router
declines. The result of the expansion must be a colon-separated list of names
-and/or IP addresses, optionally also including ports. The format of each item
+and/or IP addresses, optionally also including ports.
+If the list is written with spaces, it must be protected with quotes.
+The format of each item
in the list is described in the next section. The list separator can be changed
-as described in section &<<SECTlistconstruct>>&.
+as described in section &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&.
If the list of hosts was obtained from a &%route_list%& item, the following
variables are set during its expansion:
.section "Format of one host item" "SECTformatonehostitem"
-Each item in the list of hosts is either a host name or an IP address,
-optionally with an attached port number. When no port is given, an IP address
+Each item in the list of hosts can be either a host name or an IP address,
+optionally with an attached port number, or it can be a single "+"
+(see &%hosts_randomize%&).
+When no port is given, an IP address
is not enclosed in brackets. When a port is specified, it overrides the port
specification on the transport. The port is separated from the name or address
by a colon. This leads to some complications:
yield empty addresses, for example, items containing only RFC 2822 address
comments.
+.cindex "tainted data" "in filenames"
+.cindex redirect "tainted data"
+Tainted data may not be used for a filename.
+
+&*Warning*&: It is unwise to use &$local_part$& or &$domain$&
+directly for redirection,
+as they are provided by a potential attacker.
+In the examples above, &$local_part$& is used for looking up data held locally
+on the system, and not used directly (the second example derives &$home$& via
+the passsword file or database, using &$local_part$&).
+
.section "Forward files and address verification" "SECID125"
described in the next section.
.endlist
-When a message is redirected to a file (a &"mail folder"&), the file name given
+When a message is redirected to a file (a &"mail folder"&), the filename given
in a non-filter redirection list must always be an absolute path. A filter may
generate a relative path &-- how this is handled depends on the transport's
configuration. See section &<<SECTfildiropt>>& for a discussion of this issue
.cindex "address redirection" "non-filter list items"
When the redirection data is not an Exim or Sieve filter, for example, if it
comes from a conventional alias or forward file, it consists of a list of
-addresses, file names, pipe commands, or certain special items (see section
+addresses, filenames, pipe commands, or certain special items (see section
&<<SECTspecitredli>>& below). The special items can be individually enabled or
disabled by means of options whose names begin with &%allow_%& or &%forbid_%&,
depending on their default values. The items in the list are separated by
.code
/home/world/minbari
.endd
-is treated as a file name, but
+is treated as a filename, but
.code
/s=molari/o=babylon/@x400gate.way
.endd
-is treated as an address. For a file name, a transport must be specified using
+is treated as an address. For a filename, a transport must be specified using
the &%file_transport%& option. However, if the generated path name ends with a
forward slash character, it is interpreted as a directory name rather than a
-file name, and &%directory_transport%& is used instead.
+filename, and &%directory_transport%& is used instead.
Normally, either the router or the transport specifies a user and a group under
which to run the delivery. The default is to use the Exim user and group.
.code
list1: :include:/opt/lists/list1
.endd
+.cindex "tainted data" "in filenames"
+.cindex redirect "tainted data"
+Tainted data may not be used for a filename.
.next
.cindex "address redirection" "to black hole"
.cindex "delivery" "discard"
the text is included in the error message that Exim generates.
.cindex "SMTP" "error codes"
-By default, Exim sends a 451 SMTP code for a &':defer:'&, and 550 for
+By default for verify, Exim sends a 451 SMTP code for a &':defer:'&, and 550 for
&':fail:'&. However, if the message starts with three digits followed by a
space, optionally followed by an extended code of the form &'n.n.n'&, also
followed by a space, and the very first digit is the same as the default error
During routing for message delivery (as opposed to verification), a redirection
containing &':fail:'& causes an immediate failure of the incoming address,
-whereas &':defer:'& causes the message to remain on the queue so that a
+whereas &':defer:'& causes the message to remain in the queue so that a
subsequent delivery attempt can happen at a later time. If an address is
deferred for too long, it will ultimately fail, because the normal retry
rules still apply.
ending in a slash is specified as a new &"address"&. The transport used is
specified by this option, which, after expansion, must be the name of a
configured transport. This should normally be an &(appendfile)& transport. When
-it is running, the file name is in &$address_file$&.
+it is running, the filename is in &$address_file$&.
.option filter_prepend_home redirect boolean true
# This transport overrides the group
group_delivery:
driver = appendfile
- file = /var/spool/mail/$local_part
+ file = /var/spool/mail/$local_part_data
group = mail
.endd
If &%user%& is set for a transport, its value overrides what is set in the
.scindex IIDgenoptra1 "generic options" "transport"
.scindex IIDgenoptra2 "options" "generic; for transports"
.scindex IIDgenoptra3 "transport" "generic options for"
+The name of a transport is limited to be &drivernamemax; ASCII characters long;
+prior to Exim 4.95 names would be silently truncated at this length, but now
+it is enforced.
+
The following generic options apply to all transports:
its removal from incoming messages, so that delivered messages can safely be
resent to other recipients.
+&*Note:*& If used on a transport handling multiple recipients
+(the smtp transport unless &%rcpt_max%& is 1, the appendfile, pipe or lmtp
+transport if &%batch_max%& is greater than 1)
+then information about Bcc recipients will be leaked.
+Doing so is generally not advised.
+
.option event_action transports string&!! unset
.cindex events
.cindex "header lines" "adding in transport"
.cindex "transport" "header lines; adding"
This option specifies a list of text headers,
-newline-separated (by default, changeable in the usual way),
+newline-separated (by default, changeable in the usual way &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&),
which are (separately) expanded and added to the header
portion of a message as it is transported, as described in section
&<<SECTheadersaddrem>>&. Additional header lines can also be specified by
.option headers_remove transports list&!! unset
.cindex "header lines" "removing"
.cindex "transport" "header lines; removing"
-This option specifies a list of header names,
-colon-separated (by default, changeable in the usual way);
-these headers are omitted from the message as it is transported, as described
-in section &<<SECTheadersaddrem>>&. Header removal can also be specified by
-routers.
+This option specifies a list of text headers,
+colon-separated (by default, changeable in the usual way &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&),
+to be removed from the message.
+However, the option has no effect when an address is just being verified.
Each list item is separately expanded.
If the result of the expansion is an empty string, or if the expansion
is forced to fail, no action is taken. Other expansion failures are treated as
errors and cause the delivery to be deferred.
+If an item ends in *, it will match any header with the given prefix.
+
+Matching headers are omitted from the message as it is transported, as described
+in section &<<SECTheadersaddrem>>&. Header removal can also be specified by
+routers.
Unlike most options, &%headers_remove%& can be specified multiple times
for a transport; all listed headers are removed.
.option return_path transports string&!! unset
.cindex "envelope sender"
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "transport" "return path; changing"
.cindex "return path" "changing in transport"
If this option is set, the string is expanded at transport time and replaces
.option return_path_add transports boolean false
-.cindex "&'Return-path:'& header line"
+.chindex Return-path:
If this option is true, a &'Return-path:'& header is added to the message.
Although the return path is normally available in the prefix line of BSD
mailboxes, this is commonly not displayed by MUAs, and so the user does not
a spam score. This could be interpreted by a filter in the user's MUA. It is
not possible to discard a message at this stage.
-.cindex "SMTP" "SIZE"
+.cindex "SIZE" "ESMTP extension"
A problem might arise if the filter increases the size of a message that is
being sent down an SMTP connection. If the receiving SMTP server has indicated
support for the SIZE parameter, Exim will have sent the size of the message
The expansion variables &$host$& and &$host_address$& are available when the
transport is a remote one. They contain the name and IP address of the host to
which the message is being sent. For example:
+. used to have $sender_address in this cmdline, but it's tainted
.code
transport_filter = /some/directory/transport-filter.pl \
- $host $host_address $sender_address $pipe_addresses
+ $host $host_address $pipe_addresses
.endd
Two problems arise if you want to use more complicated expansion items to
used to determine the file or directory name for the delivery. Normally, the
contents of &$address_file$& are used in some way in the string expansion.
.endlist
+If the &%create_file%& option is set to a path which
+matches (see the option definition below for details)
+a file or directory name
+for the delivery, that name becomes de-tainted.
+
+.cindex "tainted data" "in filenames"
+.cindex appendfile "tainted data"
+Tainted data may not be used for a file or directory name.
+This means that, for instance, &$local_part$& cannot be used directly
+as a component of a path. It can however be used as the key for a lookup
+which returns a path (or component).
.cindex "Sieve filter" "configuring &(appendfile)&"
fileinto "folder23";
.endd
In this situation, the expansion of &%file%& or &%directory%& in the transport
-must transform the relative path into an appropriate absolute file name. In the
+must transform the relative path into an appropriate absolute filename. In the
case of Sieve filters, the name &'inbox'& must be handled. It is the name that
is used as a result of a &"keep"& action in the filter. This example shows one
way of handling this requirement:
.code
file = ${if eq{$address_file}{inbox} \
- {/var/mail/$local_part} \
+ {/var/mail/$local_part_data} \
{${if eq{${substr_0_1:$address_file}}{/} \
{$address_file} \
{$home/mail/$address_file} \
beneath.
The option must be set to one of the words &"anywhere"&, &"inhome"&, or
-&"belowhome"&. In the second and third cases, a home directory must have been
-set for the transport. This option is not useful when an explicit file name is
-given for normal mailbox deliveries. It is intended for the case when file
-names are generated from users' &_.forward_& files. These are usually handled
+&"belowhome"&, or to an absolute path.
+
+In the second and third cases, a home directory must have been
+set for the transport, and the file or directory being created must
+reside within it.
+The "belowhome" checking additionally checks for attempts to use "../"
+to evade the testing.
+This option is not useful when an explicit filename is
+given for normal mailbox deliveries. It is intended for the case when filenames
+are generated from users' &_.forward_& files. These are usually handled
by an &(appendfile)& transport called &%address_file%&. See also
&%file_must_exist%&.
+In the fourth case,
+the value given for this option must be an absolute path for an
+existing directory.
+The value is used for checking instead of a home directory;
+checking is done in "belowhome" mode.
+
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using appendfile create_file option"
+If "belowhome" checking is used, the file or directory path
+becomes de-tainted.
+
.option directory appendfile string&!! unset
This option is mutually exclusive with the &%file%& option, but one of &%file%&
(see &%maildir_format%& and &%mailstore_format%&), and see section
&<<SECTopdir>>& for further details of this form of delivery.
+The result of expansion must not be tainted, unless the &%create_file%& option
+specifies a path.
+
.option directory_file appendfile string&!! "see below"
.cindex "base62"
&%use_fcntl_lock%&, &%use_flock_lock%&, or &%use_lockfile%& must be set with
&%file%&.
+The result of expansion must not be tainted, unless the &%create_file%& option
+specifies a path.
+
.cindex "NFS" "lock file"
.cindex "locking files"
.cindex "lock files"
path. The most common settings of this option are variations on one of these
examples:
.code
-file = /var/spool/mail/$local_part
-file = /home/$local_part/inbox
+file = /var/spool/mail/$local_part_data
+file = /home/$local_part_data/inbox
file = $home/inbox
.endd
.cindex "&""sticky""& bit"
This option applies when one of the delivery modes that writes a separate file
for each message is being used. When Exim wants to find the size of one of
these files in order to test the quota, it first checks &%quota_size_regex%&.
-If this is set to a regular expression that matches the file name, and it
+If this is set to a regular expression that matches the filename, and it
captures one string, that string is interpreted as a representation of the
file's size. The value of &%quota_size_regex%& is not expanded.
This feature is useful only when users have no shell access to their mailboxes
&-- otherwise they could defeat the quota simply by renaming the files. This
facility can be used with maildir deliveries, by setting &%maildir_tag%& to add
-the file length to the file name. For example:
+the file length to the filename. For example:
.code
maildir_tag = ,S=$message_size
quota_size_regex = ,S=(\d+)
number of lines in the message.
The regular expression should not assume that the length is at the end of the
-file name (even though &%maildir_tag%& puts it there) because maildir MUAs
-sometimes add other information onto the ends of message file names.
+filename (even though &%maildir_tag%& puts it there) because maildir MUAs
+sometimes add other information onto the ends of message filenames.
Section &<<SECID136>>& contains further information.
+This option should not be used when other message-handling software
+may duplicate messages by making hardlinks to the files. When that is done Exim
+will count the message size once for each filename, in contrast with the actual
+disk usage. When the option is not set, calculating total usage requires
+a system-call per file to get the size; the number of links is then available also
+as is used to adjust the effective size.
+
.option quota_warn_message appendfile string&!! "see below"
See below for the use of this option. If it is not set when
.option use_bsmtp appendfile boolean false
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
If this option is set true, &(appendfile)& writes messages in &"batch SMTP"&
format, with the envelope sender and recipient(s) included as SMTP commands. If
current time, primary host name, and process id added, by opening for writing
as a new file. If this fails with an access error, delivery is deferred.
.next
-Close the hitching post file, and hard link it to the lock file name.
+Close the hitching post file, and hard link it to the lock filename.
.next
If the call to &[link()]& succeeds, creation of the lock file has succeeded.
Unlink the hitching post name.
directory"&). If the delivery is successful, the file is renamed into the
&_new_& subdirectory.
-In the file name, <&'stime'&> is the current time of day in seconds, and
+In the filename, <&'stime'&> is the current time of day in seconds, and
<&'mtime'&> is the microsecond fraction of the time. After a maildir delivery,
Exim checks that the time-of-day clock has moved on by at least one microsecond
before terminating the delivery process. This guarantees uniqueness for the
-file name. However, as a precaution, Exim calls &[stat()]& for the file before
+filename. However, as a precaution, Exim calls &[stat()]& for the file before
opening it. If any response other than ENOENT (does not exist) is given,
Exim waits 2 seconds and tries again, up to &%maildir_retries%& times.
folders. Consider this example:
.code
maildir_format = true
-directory = /var/mail/$local_part\
+directory = /var/mail/$local_part_data\
${if eq{$local_part_suffix}{}{}\
{/.${substr_1:$local_part_suffix}}}
maildirfolder_create_regex = /\.[^/]+$
This does not apply to &'Cc:'& or &'Bcc:'& recipients.
If &%once%& is unset, or is set to an empty string, the message is always sent.
-By default, if &%once%& is set to a non-empty file name, the message
+By default, if &%once%& is set to a non-empty filename, the message
is not sent if a potential recipient is already listed in the database.
However, if the &%once_repeat%& option specifies a time greater than zero, the
message is sent if that much time has elapsed since a message was last sent to
details of the local delivery environment and chapter &<<CHAPbatching>>&
for a discussion of local delivery batching.
+.cindex "tainted data" "in pipe command"
+.cindex pipe "tainted data"
+Tainted data may not be used for the command name.
+
.section "Concurrent delivery" "SECID140"
If two messages arrive at almost the same time, and both are routed to a pipe
.cindex "filter" "transport filter"
.vindex "&$pipe_addresses$&"
Special handling takes place when an argument consists of precisely the text
-&`$pipe_addresses`&. This is not a general expansion variable; the only
+&`$pipe_addresses`& (no quotes).
+This is not a general expansion variable; the only
place this string is recognized is when it appears as an argument for a pipe or
transport filter command. It causes each address that is being handled to be
inserted in the argument list at that point &'as a separate argument'&. This
avoids any problems with spaces or shell metacharacters, and is of use when a
&(pipe)& transport is handling groups of addresses in a batch.
-If &%force_command%& is enabled on the transport, Special handling takes place
+If &%force_command%& is enabled on the transport, special handling takes place
for an argument that consists of precisely the text &`$address_pipe`&. It
is handled similarly to &$pipe_addresses$& above. It is expanded and each
argument is inserted in the argument list at that point
the &%environment%& option can be used to add additional variables to this
environment. The environment for the &(pipe)& transport is not subject
to the &%add_environment%& and &%keep_environment%& main config options.
+&*Note*&: Using enviroment variables loses track of tainted data.
+Writers of &(pipe)& transport commands should be wary of data supplied
+by potential attackers.
.display
&`DOMAIN `& the domain of the address
&`HOME `& the home directory, if set
Exim, and each argument is separately expanded, as described in section
&<<SECThowcommandrun>>& above.
+.cindex "tainted data"
+No part of the resulting command may be tainted.
+
.option environment pipe string&!! unset
.cindex "&(pipe)& transport" "environment for command"
# transport
procmail_pipe:
driver = pipe
- command = /usr/local/bin/procmail -d $local_part
+ command = /usr/local/bin/procmail -d $local_part_data
return_path_add
delivery_date_add
envelope_to_add
check_string = "From "
escape_string = ">From "
umask = 077
- user = $local_part
+ user = $local_part_data
group = mail
# router
.cindex "Cyrus"
The next example shows a transport and a router for a system where local
deliveries are handled by the Cyrus IMAP server.
+. Used to have R: local_part_suffix = .* + T: -m $local_part_suffix_v
+. but that suffix is tainted so cannot be used in a command arg
+. Really, you'd want to use a lookup for acceptable suffixes to do real detainting
.code
# transport
local_delivery_cyrus:
driver = pipe
command = /usr/cyrus/bin/deliver \
- -m ${substr_1:$local_part_suffix} -- $local_part
+ -- $local_part_data
user = cyrus
group = mail
return_output
local_user_cyrus:
driver = accept
check_local_user
- local_part_suffix = .*
transport = local_delivery_cyrus
.endd
Note the unsetting of &%message_prefix%& and &%message_suffix%&, and the use of
.option command_timeout smtp time 5m
+.cindex timeout "smtp transport command"
This sets a timeout for receiving a response to an SMTP command that has been
sent out. It is also used when waiting for the initial banner line from the
remote host. Its value must not be zero.
.option connect_timeout smtp time 5m
+.cindex timeout "smtp transport connect"
This sets a timeout for the &[connect()]& function, which sets up a TCP/IP call
to a remote host. A setting of zero allows the system timeout (typically
several minutes) to act. To have any effect, the value of this option must be
.option data_timeout smtp time 5m
+.cindex timeout "for transmitted SMTP data blocks"
This sets a timeout for the transmission of each block in the data portion of
the message. As a result, the overall timeout for a message depends on the size
of the message. Its value must not be zero. See also &%final_timeout%&.
.option dkim_canon smtp string&!! unset
-.option dkim_domain smtp string list&!! unset
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
+.option dkim_domain smtp "string list&!!" unset
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
.option dkim_hash smtp string&!! sha256
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
.option dkim_identity smtp string&!! unset
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
.option dkim_private_key smtp string&!! unset
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
.option dkim_selector smtp string&!! unset
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
.option dkim_strict smtp string&!! unset
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
.option dkim_sign_headers smtp string&!! "per RFC"
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
.option dkim_timestamps smtp string&!! unset
-DKIM signing options. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
+DKIM signing option. For details see section &<<SECDKIMSIGN>>&.
.option delay_after_cutoff smtp boolean true
+.cindex "final cutoff" "retries, controlling"
+.cindex retry "final cutoff"
This option controls what happens when all remote IP addresses for a given
domain have been inaccessible for so long that they have passed their retry
cutoff times.
details.
-.option dnssec_request_domains smtp "domain list&!!" unset
+.option dnssec_request_domains smtp "domain list&!!" *
.cindex "MX record" "security"
.cindex "DNSSEC" "MX lookup"
.cindex "security" "MX lookup"
.cindex "DNS" "DNSSEC"
DNS lookups for domains matching &%dnssec_request_domains%& will be done with
-the dnssec request bit set.
-This applies to all of the SRV, MX, AAAA, A lookup sequence.
+the DNSSEC request bit set. Setting this transport option is only useful if the
+transport overrides or sets the host names. See the &%dnssec_request_domains%&
+router option.
.cindex "security" "MX lookup"
.cindex "DNS" "DNSSEC"
DNS lookups for domains matching &%dnssec_require_domains%& will be done with
-the dnssec request bit set. Any returns not having the Authenticated Data bit
-(AD bit) set will be ignored and logged as a host-lookup failure.
-This applies to all of the SRV, MX, AAAA, A lookup sequence.
+the DNSSEC request bit set. Setting this transport option is only
+useful if the transport overrides or sets the host names. See the
+&%dnssec_require_domains%& router option.
.option final_timeout smtp time 10m
+.cindex timeout "for transmitted SMTP data accept"
This is the timeout that applies while waiting for the response to the final
line containing just &"."& that terminates a message. Its value must not be
zero.
that is used for &%helo_data%& to be obtained by a DNS lookup of the outgoing
interface address, you could use this:
.code
-helo_data = ${lookup dnsdb{ptr=$sending_ip_address}{$value}\
+helo_data = ${lookup dnsdb{ptr=$sending_ip_address} \
+ {${listextract{1}{<\n $value}}} \
{$primary_hostname}}
.endd
The use of &%helo_data%& applies both to sending messages and when doing
callouts.
+.option host_name_extract smtp "string list&!!" "see below"
+.cindex "load balancer" "hosts behind"
+.cindex TLS resumption
+Some mail-accepting sites
+(notably Microsoft)
+operate many servers behind a network load-balancer. When this is done,
+with separated TLS session caches, TLS session resuption becomes problematic.
+It will only succeed when the same server happens to be selected by the
+load-balancer, matching the session stored in the client's cache.
+
+Exim can pull out a server name, if there is one, from the response to the
+client's SMTP EHLO command.
+The default value of this option:
+.code
+ ${if and { {match {$host} {.outlook.com\$}} \
+ {match {$item} {\N^250-([\w.]+)\s\N}} \
+ } {$1}}
+.endd
+suffices for one known case.
+During the expansion of this option the &$item$& variable will have the
+server's EHLO response.
+The result of the option expansion is included in the key used to store and
+retrieve the TLS session, for session resumption.
+
+Operators of high-load sites may wish to evaluate their logs for indications
+of other destination sites operating load-balancers, and develop a suitable
+expression for this option.
+The smtp:ehlo event and the &$tls_out_resumption$& variable
+will be useful for such work.
+
.option hosts smtp "string list&!!" unset
Hosts are associated with an address by a router such as &(dnslookup)&, which
finds the hosts by looking up the address domain in the DNS, or by
.option hosts_avoid_pipelining smtp "host list&!!" unset
.cindex "PIPELINING" "avoiding the use of"
-Exim will not use the SMTP PIPELINING extension when delivering to any host
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" PIPELINING
+Exim will not use the ESMTP PIPELINING extension when delivering to any host
that matches this list, even if the server host advertises PIPELINING support.
+.option hosts_pipe_connect smtp "host list&!!" unset
+.cindex "pipelining" "early connection"
+.cindex "pipelining" PIPECONNECT
+If Exim is built with the SUPPORT_PIPE_CONNECT build option
+this option controls which to hosts the facility watched for
+and recorded, and used for subsequent connections.
+
+The retry hints database is used for the record,
+and records are subject to the &%retry_data_expire%& option.
+When used, the pipelining saves on roundtrip times.
+It also turns SMTP into a client-first protocol
+so combines well with TCP Fast Open.
+
+See also the &%pipelining_connect_advertise_hosts%& main option.
+
+Note:
+When the facility is used, if the transport &%interface%& option is unset
+the &%helo_data%& option
+will be expanded before the &$sending_ip_address$& variable
+is filled in.
+A check is made for the use of that variable, without the
+presence of a &"def:"& test on it, but suitably complex coding
+can avoid the check and produce unexpected results.
+You have been warned.
+
.option hosts_avoid_tls smtp "host list&!!" unset
.cindex "TLS" "avoiding for certain hosts"
message on the same connection. See section &<<SECTmulmessam>>& for an
explanation of when this might be needed.
-.option hosts_noproxy_tls smtp "host list&!!" *
+.option hosts_noproxy_tls smtp "host list&!!" unset
.cindex "TLS" "passing connection"
.cindex "multiple SMTP deliveries"
.cindex "TLS" "multiple message deliveries"
&<<CHAPSMTPAUTH>>& for details of authentication.
-.option hosts_request_ocsp smtp "host list&!!" *
+.option hosts_request_ocsp smtp "host list&!!" "see below"
.cindex "TLS" "requiring for certain servers"
Exim will request a Certificate Status on a
TLS session for any host that matches this list.
&%tls_verify_certificates%& should also be set for the transport.
+.new
+The default is &"**"& if DANE is not in use for the connection,
+or if DANE-TA us used.
+It is empty if DANE-EE is used.
+.wen
+
+.option hosts_require_alpn smtp "host list&!!" unset
+.cindex ALPN "require negotiation in client"
+.cindex TLS ALPN
+.cindex TLS "Application Layer Protocol Names"
+If the TLS library supports ALPN
+then a successful negotiation of ALPN will be required for any host
+matching the list, for TLS to be used.
+See also the &%tls_alpn%& option.
+
+&*Note*&: prevention of fallback to in-clear connection is not
+managed by this option; see &%hosts_require_tls%&.
+
.option hosts_require_dane smtp "host list&!!" unset
.cindex DANE "transport options"
.cindex DANE "requiring for certain servers"
TLSA record is present for any host matching the list,
and that a DANE-verified TLS connection is made.
There will be no fallback to in-clear communication.
+See the &%dnssec_request_domains%& router and transport options.
See section &<<SECDANE>>&.
.option hosts_require_ocsp smtp "host list&!!" unset
.cindex "authentication" "optional in client"
This option provides a list of servers to which, provided they announce
authentication support, Exim will attempt to authenticate as a client when it
-connects. If authentication fails, Exim will try to transfer the message
-unauthenticated. See also &%hosts_require_auth%&, and chapter
-&<<CHAPSMTPAUTH>>& for details of authentication.
+connects. If authentication fails
+and &%hosts_require_auth%& permits,
+Exim will try to transfer the message unauthenticated.
+See also chapter &<<CHAPSMTPAUTH>>& for details of authentication.
.option hosts_try_chunking smtp "host list&!!" *
.cindex CHUNKING "enabling, in client"
.cindex "RFC 3030" "CHUNKING"
This option provides a list of servers to which, provided they announce
CHUNKING support, Exim will attempt to use BDAT commands rather than DATA.
+Unless DKIM signing is being done,
BDAT will not be used in conjunction with a transport filter.
-.option hosts_try_dane smtp "host list&!!" unset
+.option hosts_try_dane smtp "host list&!!" *
.cindex DANE "transport options"
.cindex DANE "attempting for certain servers"
-If built with DANE support, Exim will lookup a
-TLSA record for any host matching the list.
-If found and verified by DNSSEC,
-a DANE-verified TLS connection is made to that host;
+If built with DANE support, Exim will look up a
+TLSA record for any host matching the list,
+If one is found and that lookup was DNSSEC-validated,
+then Exim requires that a DANE-verified TLS connection is made for that host;
there will be no fallback to in-clear communication.
+See the &%dnssec_request_domains%& router and transport options.
See section &<<SECDANE>>&.
-.option hosts_try_fastopen smtp "host list&!!" unset
+.option hosts_try_fastopen smtp "host list&!!" *
.cindex "fast open, TCP" "enabling, in client"
.cindex "TCP Fast Open" "enabling, in client"
.cindex "RFC 7413" "TCP Fast Open"
.option hosts_try_prdr smtp "host list&!!" *
.cindex "PRDR" "enabling, optional in client"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" PRDR
This option provides a list of servers to which, provided they announce
PRDR support, Exim will attempt to negotiate PRDR
for multi-recipient messages.
during the expansion of the string. Forced expansion failure, or an empty
string result causes the option to be ignored. Otherwise, after expansion, the
string must be a list of IP addresses, colon-separated by default, but the
-separator can be changed in the usual way. For example:
+separator can be changed in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
+For example:
.code
interface = <; 192.168.123.123 ; 3ffe:ffff:836f::fe86:a061
.endd
This option limits the number of RCPT commands that are sent in a single
SMTP message transaction. Each set of addresses is treated independently, and
so can cause parallel connections to the same host if &%remote_max_parallel%&
-permits this.
+permits this. A value setting of zero disables the limit.
+
+
+.option message_linelength_limit smtp integer 998
+.cindex "line length" limit
+This option sets the maximum line length, in bytes, that the transport
+will send. Any messages with lines exceeding the given value
+will fail and a failure-DSN ("bounce") message will if possible be returned
+to the sender.
+The default value is that defined by the SMTP standards.
+
+It is generally wise to also check in the data ACL so that messages
+received via SMTP can be refused without producing a bounce.
.option multi_domain smtp boolean&!! true
&$address_data$&, &$domain_data$&, &$local_part_data$&,
&$host$&, &$host_address$& and &$host_port$&.
+If the connection is DANE-enabled then this option is ignored;
+only messages having the domain used for the DANE TLSA lookup are
+sent on the connection.
+
.option port smtp string&!! "see below"
.cindex "port" "sending TCP/IP"
.cindex "TCP/IP" "setting outgoing port"
If the value of this option begins with a digit it is taken as a port number;
otherwise it is looked up using &[getservbyname()]&. The default value is
-normally &"smtp"&, but if &%protocol%& is set to &"lmtp"&, the default is
-&"lmtp"&. If the expansion fails, or if a port number cannot be found, delivery
+normally &"smtp"&,
+but if &%protocol%& is set to &"lmtp"& the default is &"lmtp"&
+and if &%protocol%& is set to &"smtps"& the default is &"smtps"&.
+If the expansion fails, or if a port number cannot be found, delivery
is deferred.
+Note that at least one Linux distribution has been seen failing
+to put &"smtps"& in its &"/etc/services"& file, resulting is such deferrals.
+
.option protocol smtp string smtp
If this option is set to &"smtps"&, the default value for the &%port%& option
changes to &"smtps"&, and the transport initiates TLS immediately after
connecting, as an outbound SSL-on-connect, instead of using STARTTLS to upgrade.
-The Internet standards bodies strongly discourage use of this mode.
+The Internet standards bodies used to strongly discourage use of this mode,
+but as of RFC 8314 it is preferred over STARTTLS for message submission
+(as distinct from MTA-MTA communication).
.option retry_include_ip_address smtp boolean&!! true
.option size_addition smtp integer 1024
-.cindex "SMTP" "SIZE"
+.cindex "SIZE" "ESMTP extension"
.cindex "message" "size issue for transport filter"
.cindex "size" "of message"
.cindex "transport" "filter"
transport. For details see section &<<SECTproxySOCKS>>&.
+.option tls_alpn smtp string&!! unset
+.cindex TLS "Application Layer Protocol Names"
+.cindex TLS ALPN
+.cindex ALPN "set name in client"
+If this option is set
+and the TLS library supports ALPN,
+the value given is used.
+
+As of writing no value has been standardised for email use.
+The authors suggest using &"smtp"&.
+
+
+
.option tls_certificate smtp string&!! unset
.cindex "TLS" "client certificate, location of"
.cindex "certificate" "client, location of"
ciphers is a preference order.
+.option tls_resumption_hosts smtp "host list&!!" unset
+.cindex TLS resumption
+This option controls which connections to use the TLS resumption feature.
+See &<<SECTresumption>>& for details.
+
+
.option tls_sni smtp string&!! unset
.cindex "TLS" "Server Name Indication"
+.cindex "TLS" SNI
+.cindex SNI "setting in client"
.vindex "&$tls_sni$&"
-If this option is set then it sets the $tls_out_sni variable and causes any
+If this option is set
+and the connection is not DANE-validated
+then it sets the $tls_out_sni variable and causes any
TLS session to pass this value as the Server Name Indication extension to
the remote side, which can be used by the remote side to select an appropriate
certificate and private key for the session.
The &%tls_verify_certificates%& option must also be set.
If both this option and &%tls_try_verify_hosts%& are unset
operation is as if this option selected all hosts.
+&*Warning*&: Including a host in &%tls_verify_hosts%& does not require
+that connections use TLS.
+Fallback to in-clear communication will be done unless restricted by
+the &%hosts_require_tls%& option.
-.new
-.option utf8_downconvert smtp integer!! unset
+.option utf8_downconvert smtp integer&!! -1
.cindex utf8 "address downconversion"
.cindex i18n "utf8 address downconversion"
If built with internationalization support,
-this option controls conversion of UTF-8 in message addresses
+this option controls conversion of UTF-8 in message envelope addresses
to a-label form.
-For details see section &<<SECTi18nMTA>>&.
-.wen
+If, after expansion, the value is 1, 0, or -1 then this value overrides
+any value previously set for the message. Otherwise, any previously
+set value is used. To permit use of a previous value,
+set this option to an empty string.
+For details on the values see section &<<SECTi18nMTA>>&.
.vindex "&$sender_address$&"
At the start of an ACL for MAIL, the sender address may have been rewritten
-by a special SMTP-time rewrite rule (see section &<<SECTrewriteS>>&), but no
+by a special SMTP-time rewrite rule (see section &<<SSECTrewriteS>>&), but no
ordinary rewrite rules have yet been applied. If, however, the sender address
is verified in the ACL, it is rewritten before verification, and remains
rewritten thereafter. The subsequent value of &$sender_address$& is the
rewriting is applied immediately to child addresses that are generated by
redirection, unless &%no_rewrite%& is set on the router.
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender" "rewriting at transport time"
.cindex "rewriting" "at transport time"
.cindex "header lines" "rewriting at transport time"
.section "Testing the rewriting rules that apply on input" "SECID149"
.cindex "rewriting" "testing"
.cindex "testing" "rewriting"
-Exim's input rewriting configuration appears in a part of the run time
+Exim's input rewriting configuration appears in a part of the runtime
configuration file headed by &"begin rewrite"&. It can be tested by the
&%-brw%& command line option. This takes an address (which can be a full RFC
2822 address) as its argument. The output is a list of how the address would be
-.section "Rewriting flags" "SECID153"
+.subsection "Rewriting flags" "SSECID153"
There are three different kinds of flag that may appear on rewriting rules:
.ilist
-.section "Flags specifying which headers and envelope addresses to rewrite" &&&
- "SECID154"
-.cindex "rewriting" "flags"
+.subsection "Flags specifying which headers and envelope addresses to rewrite" &&&
+ "SSECID154"
+.cindex rewriting flags
If none of the following flag letters, nor the &"S"& flag (see section
-&<<SECTrewriteS>>&) are present, a main rewriting rule applies to all headers
+&<<SSECTrewriteS>>&) are present, a main rewriting rule applies to all headers
and to both the sender and recipient fields of the envelope, whereas a
transport-time rewriting rule just applies to all headers. Otherwise, the
rewriting rule is skipped unless the relevant addresses are being processed.
restrict this to special known cases in your own domains.
-.section "The SMTP-time rewriting flag" "SECTrewriteS"
-.cindex "SMTP" "rewriting malformed addresses"
-.cindex "RCPT" "rewriting argument of"
-.cindex "MAIL" "rewriting argument of"
+.subsection "The SMTP-time rewriting flag" SSECTrewriteS
+.cindex SMTP "rewriting malformed addresses"
+.cindex RCPT "rewriting argument of"
+.cindex MAIL "rewriting argument of"
The rewrite flag &"S"& specifies a rewrite of incoming envelope addresses at
SMTP time, as soon as an address is received in a MAIL or RCPT command, and
before any other processing; even before syntax checking. The pattern is
original address in the MAIL or RCPT command.
-.section "Flags controlling the rewriting process" "SECID155"
+.subsection "Flags controlling the rewriting process" SSECID155
There are four flags which control the way the rewriting process works. These
take effect only when a rule is invoked, that is, when the address is of the
correct type (matches the flags) and matches the pattern:
messages. If this delivery fails, the address fails immediately. The
post-cutoff retry time is not used.
+.cindex "final cutoff" "retries, controlling"
+.cindex retry "final cutoff"
If the delivery is remote, there are two possibilities, controlled by the
.oindex "&%delay_after_cutoff%&"
&%delay_after_cutoff%& option of the &(smtp)& transport. The option is true by
-default. Until the post-cutoff retry time for one of the IP addresses is
+default. Until the post-cutoff retry time for one of the IP addresses,
+as set by the &%retry_data_expire%& option, is
reached, the failing email address is bounced immediately, without a delivery
attempt taking place. After that time, one new delivery attempt is made to
those IP addresses that are past their retry times, and if that still fails,
its delivery when others to the same address get through. In this situation,
because some messages are successfully delivered, the &"retry clock"& for the
host or address keeps getting reset by the successful deliveries, and so
-failing messages remain on the queue for ever because the cutoff time is never
+failing messages remain in the queue for ever because the cutoff time is never
reached.
Two exceptional actions are applied to prevent this happening. The first
.chapter "SMTP authentication" "CHAPSMTPAUTH"
.scindex IIDauthconf1 "SMTP" "authentication configuration"
.scindex IIDauthconf2 "authentication"
-The &"authenticators"& section of Exim's run time configuration is concerned
+The &"authenticators"& section of Exim's runtime configuration is concerned
with SMTP authentication. This facility is an extension to the SMTP protocol,
described in RFC 2554, which allows a client SMTP host to authenticate itself
to a server. This is a common way for a server to recognize clients that are
transfer of mail between servers that have no managerial connection with each
other.
+The name of an authenticator is limited to be &drivernamemax; ASCII characters long;
+prior to Exim 4.95 names would be silently truncated at this length, but now
+it is enforced.
+
.cindex "AUTH" "description of"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" AUTH
Very briefly, the way SMTP authentication works is as follows:
-.ilist
+.olist
The server advertises a number of authentication &'mechanisms'& in response to
the client's EHLO command.
.next
AUTH_CRAM_MD5=yes
AUTH_CYRUS_SASL=yes
AUTH_DOVECOT=yes
+AUTH_EXTERNAL=yes
AUTH_GSASL=yes
AUTH_HEIMDAL_GSSAPI=yes
AUTH_PLAINTEXT=yes
the Cyrus SASL authentication library.
The third is an interface to Dovecot's authentication system, delegating the
work via a socket interface.
-The fourth provides an interface to the GNU SASL authentication library, which
+The fourth provides for negotiation of authentication done via non-SMTP means,
+as defined by RFC 4422 Appendix A.
+The fifth provides an interface to the GNU SASL authentication library, which
provides mechanisms but typically not data sources.
-The fifth provides direct access to Heimdal GSSAPI, geared for Kerberos, but
+The sixth provides direct access to Heimdal GSSAPI, geared for Kerberos, but
supporting setting a server keytab.
-The sixth can be configured to support
+The seventh can be configured to support
the PLAIN authentication mechanism (RFC 2595) or the LOGIN mechanism, which is
-not formally documented, but used by several MUAs. The seventh authenticator
+not formally documented, but used by several MUAs.
+The eighth authenticator
supports Microsoft's &'Secure Password Authentication'& mechanism.
-The eighth is an Exim authenticator but not an SMTP one;
+The last is an Exim authenticator but not an SMTP one;
instead it can use information from a TLS negotiation.
The authenticators are configured using the same syntax as other drivers (see
.option server_set_id authenticators string&!! unset
.vindex "&$authenticated_id$&"
+.vindex "&$authenticated_fail_id$&"
When an Exim server successfully authenticates a client, this string is
expanded using data from the authentication, and preserved for any incoming
messages in the variable &$authenticated_id$&. It is also included in the log
lines for incoming messages. For example, a user/password authenticator
configuration might preserve the user name that was used to authenticate, and
refer to it subsequently during delivery of the message.
+On a failing authentication the expansion result is instead saved in
+the &$authenticated_fail_id$& variable.
If expansion fails, the option is ignored.
.ilist
The client host must match &%auth_advertise_hosts%& (default *).
.next
-It the &%server_advertise_condition%& option is set, its expansion must not
+If the &%server_advertise_condition%& option is set, its expansion must not
yield the empty string, &"0"&, &"no"&, or &"false"&.
.endlist
.cindex authentication "expansion item"
Successful authentication sets up information used by the
-&$authresults$& expansion item.
-
+&%authresults%& expansion item.
+.new
+.cindex authentication "failure event, server"
+If an authenticator is run and does not succeed,
+an event (see &<<CHAPevents>>&) of type "auth:fail" is raised.
+While the event is being processed the variables
+&$sender_host_authenticated$& (with the authenticator name)
+and &$authenticated_fail_id$& (as set by the authenticator &%server_set_id%& option)
+will be valid.
+If the event is serviced and a string is returned then the string will be logged
+instead of the default log line.
+See <<CHAPevents>> for details on events.
+.wen
.section "Testing server authentication" "SECID169"
.endd
gives an incorrect answer because of the unescaped &"@"& and &"$"& characters.
-If you have the &%mimencode%& command installed, another way to do produce
+If you have the &%mimencode%& command installed, another way to produce
base64-encoded strings is to run the command
.code
echo -e -n `\0user\0password' | mimencode
Exim abandons trying to send the message to the host for the moment. It will
try again later. If there are any backup hosts available, they are tried in the
usual way.
+
+.new
+.next
+.cindex authentication "failure event, client"
+If the response to authentication is a permanent error (5&'xx'& code),
+an event (see &<<CHAPevents>>&) of type "auth:fail" is raised.
+While the event is being processed the variable
+&$sender_host_authenticated$& (with the authenticator name)
+will be valid.
+If the event is serviced and a string is returned then the string will be logged.
+See <<CHAPevents>> for details on events.
+.wen
+
.next
If the response to authentication is a permanent error (5&'xx'& code), Exim
carries on searching the list of authenticators and tries another one if
use unencrypted plain text, you should not use the same passwords for SMTP
connections as you do for login accounts.
-.section "Plaintext options" "SECID171"
+.section "Avoiding cleartext use" "SECTplain_TLS"
+The following generic option settings will disable &(plaintext)& authenticators when
+TLS is not being used:
+.code
+ server_advertise_condition = ${if def:tls_in_cipher }
+ client_condition = ${if def:tls_out_cipher}
+.endd
+
+&*Note*&: a plaintext SMTP AUTH done inside TLS is not vulnerable to casual snooping,
+but is still vulnerable to a Man In The Middle attack unless certificates
+(including their names) have been properly verified.
+
+.section "Plaintext server options" "SECID171"
.cindex "options" "&(plaintext)& authenticator (server)"
When configured as a server, &(plaintext)& uses the following options:
This is actually a global authentication option, but it must be set in order to
configure the &(plaintext)& driver as a server. Its use is described below.
-.option server_prompts plaintext string&!! unset
+.option server_prompts plaintext "string list&!!" unset
The contents of this option, after expansion, must be a colon-separated list of
prompt strings. If expansion fails, a temporary authentication rejection is
given.
expansion is &"1"&, &"yes"&, or &"true"&, authentication succeeds and the
generic &%server_set_id%& option is expanded and saved in &$authenticated_id$&.
For any other result, a temporary error code is returned, with the expanded
-string as the error text
+string as the error text.
&*Warning*&: If you use a lookup in the expansion to find the user's
password, be sure to make the authentication fail if the user is unknown.
.section "The PLAIN authentication mechanism" "SECID172"
.cindex "PLAIN authentication mechanism"
-.cindex "authentication" "PLAIN mechanism"
+.cindex authentication PLAIN
.cindex "binary zero" "in &(plaintext)& authenticator"
The PLAIN authentication mechanism (RFC 2595) specifies that three strings be
sent as one item of data (that is, one combined string containing two NUL
.section "The LOGIN authentication mechanism" "SECID173"
.cindex "LOGIN authentication mechanism"
-.cindex "authentication" "LOGIN mechanism"
+.cindex authentication LOGIN
The LOGIN authentication mechanism is not documented in any RFC, but is in use
in a number of programs. No data is sent with the AUTH command. Instead, a
user name and password are supplied separately, in response to prompts. The
client_send = ^username^mysecret
.endd
The lack of colons means that the entire text is sent with the AUTH
-command, with the circumflex characters converted to NULs. A similar example
+command, with the circumflex characters converted to NULs.
+Note that due to the ambiguity of parsing three consectutive circumflex characters
+there is no way to provide a password having a leading circumflex.
+
+
+A similar example
that uses the LOGIN mechanism is:
.code
fixed_login:
.scindex IIDcramauth1 "&(cram_md5)& authenticator"
.scindex IIDcramauth2 "authenticators" "&(cram_md5)&"
.cindex "CRAM-MD5 authentication mechanism"
-.cindex "authentication" "CRAM-MD5 mechanism"
+.cindex authentication CRAM-MD5
The CRAM-MD5 authentication mechanism is described in RFC 2195. The server
sends a challenge string to the client, and the response consists of a user
name and the CRAM-MD5 digest of the challenge string combined with a secret
then so can the &(cyrus_sasl)& authenticator. By default it uses the public
name of the driver to determine which mechanism to support.
-Where access to some kind of secret file is required, for example in GSSAPI
+Where access to some kind of secret file is required, for example, in GSSAPI
or CRAM-MD5, it is worth noting that the authenticator runs as the Exim
user, and that the Cyrus SASL library has no way of escalating privileges
by default. You may also find you need to set environment variables,
.scindex IIDdcotauth1 "&(dovecot)& authenticator"
.scindex IIDdcotauth2 "authenticators" "&(dovecot)&"
This authenticator is an interface to the authentication facility of the
-Dovecot POP/IMAP server, which can support a number of authentication methods.
+Dovecot 2 POP/IMAP server, which can support a number of authentication methods.
Note that Dovecot must be configured to use auth-client not auth-userdb.
If you are using Dovecot to authenticate POP/IMAP clients, it might be helpful
to use the same mechanisms for SMTP authentication. This is a server
connection, a client certificate has been verified, the &"valid-client-cert"&
option is passed. When authentication succeeds, the identity of the user
who authenticated is placed in &$auth1$&.
+
+The Dovecot configuration to match the above will look
+something like:
+.code
+conf.d/10-master.conf :-
+
+service auth {
+...
+#SASL
+ unix_listener auth-client {
+ mode = 0660
+ user = mail
+ }
+...
+}
+
+conf.d/10-auth.conf :-
+
+auth_mechanisms = plain login ntlm
+.endd
+
.ecindex IIDdcotauth1
.ecindex IIDdcotauth2
.cindex "authentication" "LOGIN"
.cindex "authentication" "DIGEST-MD5"
.cindex "authentication" "CRAM-MD5"
-.cindex "authentication" "SCRAM-SHA-1"
-The &(gsasl)& authenticator provides server integration for the GNU SASL
+.cindex "authentication" "SCRAM family"
+The &(gsasl)& authenticator provides integration for the GNU SASL
library and the mechanisms it provides. This is new as of the 4.80 release
and there are a few areas where the library does not let Exim smoothly
scale to handle future authentication mechanisms, so no guarantee can be
made that any particular new authentication mechanism will be supported
without code changes in Exim.
+The library is expected to add support in an upcoming
+realease for the SCRAM-SHA-256 method.
+The macro _HAVE_AUTH_GSASL_SCRAM_SHA_256 will be defined
+when this happens.
-.option server_channelbinding gsasl boolean false
-Do not set this true without consulting a cryptographic engineer.
+To see the list of mechanisms supported by the library run Exim with "auth" debug
+enabled and look for a line containing "GNU SASL supports".
+Note however that some may not have been tested from Exim.
+
+
+.option client_authz gsasl string&!! unset
+This option can be used to supply an &'authorization id'&
+which is different to the &'authentication_id'& provided
+by &%client_username%& option.
+If unset or (after expansion) empty it is not used,
+which is the common case.
+.option client_channelbinding gsasl boolean false
+See &%server_channelbinding%& below.
+
+.option client_password gsasl string&!! unset
+This option is exapanded before use, and should result in
+the password to be used, in clear.
+
+.option client_username gsasl string&!! unset
+This option is exapanded before use, and should result in
+the account name to be used.
+
+
+.option client_spassword gsasl string&!! unset
+This option is only supported for library versions 1.9.1 and greater.
+The macro _HAVE_AUTH_GSASL_SCRAM_S_KEY will be defined when this is so.
+
+If a SCRAM mechanism is being used and this option is set
+and correctly sized
+it is used in preference to &%client_password%&.
+The value after expansion should be
+a 40 (for SHA-1) or 64 (for SHA-256) character string
+with the PBKDF2-prepared password, hex-encoded.
+
+Note that this value will depend on the salt and iteration-count
+supplied by the server.
+The option is expanded before use.
+During the expansion &$auth1$& is set with the client username,
+&$auth2$& with the iteration count, and
+&$auth3$& with the salt.
+
+The intent of this option
+is to support clients that can cache thes salted password
+to save on recalculation costs.
+The cache lookup should return an unusable value
+(eg. an empty string)
+if the salt or iteration count has changed
+
+If the authentication succeeds then the above variables are set,
+.vindex "&$auth4$&"
+plus the calculated salted password value value in &$auth4$&,
+during the expansion of the &%client_set_id%& option.
+A side-effect of this expansion can be used to prime the cache.
+
+
+.option server_channelbinding gsasl boolean false
Some authentication mechanisms are able to use external context at both ends
of the session to bind the authentication to that context, and fail the
authentication process if that context differs. Specifically, some TLS
non-issue, as a man-in-the-middle attack will cause the correct client and
server to see different identifiers and authentication will fail.
-This is currently only supported when using the GnuTLS library. This is
+This is
only usable by mechanisms which support "channel binding"; at time of
writing, that's the SCRAM family.
+When using this feature the "-PLUS" variants of the method names need to be used.
This defaults off to ensure smooth upgrade across Exim releases, in case
this option causes some clients to start failing. Some future release
of Exim might have switched the default to be true.
-However, Channel Binding in TLS has proven to be broken in current versions.
-Do not plan to rely upon this feature for security, ever, without consulting
-with a subject matter expert (a cryptographic engineer).
+. However, Channel Binding in TLS has proven to be vulnerable in current versions.
+. Do not plan to rely upon this feature for security, ever, without consulting
+. with a subject matter expert (a cryptographic engineer).
+
+This option was deprecated in previous releases due to doubts over
+the "Triple Handshake" vulnerability.
+Exim takes suitable precausions (requiring Extended Master Secret if TLS
+Session Resumption was used) for safety.
.option server_hostname gsasl string&!! "see below"
Some mechanisms will use this data.
-.option server_scram_iter gsasl string&!! unset
+.option server_scram_iter gsasl string&!! 4096
This option provides data for the SCRAM family of mechanisms.
-&$auth1$& is not available at evaluation time.
-(This may change, as we receive feedback on use)
+The &$auth1$&, &$auth2$& and &$auth3$& variables are available
+when this option is expanded.
+The result of expansion should be a decimal number,
+and represents both a lower-bound on the security, and
+a compute cost factor imposed on the client
+(if it does not cache results, or the server changes
+either the iteration count or the salt).
+A minimum value of 4096 is required by the standards
+for all current SCRAM mechanism variants.
.option server_scram_salt gsasl string&!! unset
This option provides data for the SCRAM family of mechanisms.
-&$auth1$& is not available at evaluation time.
-(This may change, as we receive feedback on use)
+The &$auth1$&, &$auth2$& and &$auth3$& variables are available
+when this option is expanded.
+The value should be a base64-encoded string,
+of random data typically 4-to-16 bytes long.
+If unset or empty after expansion the library will provides a value for the
+protocol conversation.
+
+
+.option server_key gsasl string&!! unset
+.option server_skey gsasl string&!! unset
+These options can be used for the SCRAM family of mechanisms
+to provide stored information related to a password,
+the storage of which is preferable to plaintext.
+
+&%server_key%& is the value defined in the SCRAM standards as ServerKey;
+&%server_skey%& is StoredKey.
+
+They are only available for version 1.9.0 (or later) of the gsasl library.
+When this is so, the macros
+_OPT_AUTHENTICATOR_GSASL_SERVER_KEY
+and _HAVE_AUTH_GSASL_SCRAM_S_KEY
+will be defined.
+
+The &$authN$& variables are available when these options are expanded.
+
+If set, the results of expansion should for each
+should be a 28 (for SHA-1) or 44 (for SHA-256) character string
+of base64-coded data, and will be used in preference to the
+&%server_password%& option.
+If unset or not of the right length, &%server_password%& will be used.
+
+The libgsasl library release includes a utility &'gsasl'& which can be used
+to generate these values.
.option server_service gsasl string &`smtp`&
+. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+.chapter "The external authenticator" "CHAPexternauth"
+.scindex IIDexternauth1 "&(external)& authenticator"
+.scindex IIDexternauth2 "authenticators" "&(external)&"
+.cindex "authentication" "Client Certificate"
+.cindex "authentication" "X509"
+.cindex "Certificate-based authentication"
+The &(external)& authenticator provides support for
+authentication based on non-SMTP information.
+The specification is in RFC 4422 Appendix A
+(&url(https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4422)).
+It is only a transport and negotiation mechanism;
+the process of authentication is entirely controlled
+by the server configuration.
+
+The client presents an identity in-clear.
+It is probably wise for a server to only advertise,
+and for clients to only attempt,
+this authentication method on a secure (eg. under TLS) connection.
+
+One possible use, compatible with the
+K-9 Mail Android client (&url(https://k9mail.github.io/)),
+is for using X509 client certificates.
+
+It thus overlaps in function with the TLS authenticator
+(see &<<CHAPtlsauth>>&)
+but is a full SMTP SASL authenticator
+rather than being implicit for TLS-connection carried
+client certificates only.
+
+The examples and discussion in this chapter assume that
+client-certificate authentication is being done.
+
+The client must present a certificate,
+for which it must have been requested via the
+&%tls_verify_hosts%& or &%tls_try_verify_hosts%& main options
+(see &<<CHAPTLS>>&).
+For authentication to be effective the certificate should be
+verifiable against a trust-anchor certificate known to the server.
+
+.section "External options" "SECTexternsoptions"
+.cindex "options" "&(external)& authenticator (server)"
+The &(external)& authenticator has two server options:
+
+.option server_param2 external string&!! unset
+.option server_param3 external string&!! unset
+.cindex "variables (&$auth1$& &$auth2$& etc)" "in &(external)& authenticator"
+These options are expanded before the &%server_condition%& option
+and the result are placed in &$auth2$& and &$auth3$& resectively.
+If the expansion is forced to fail, authentication fails. Any other expansion
+failure causes a temporary error code to be returned.
+
+They can be used to clarify the coding of a complex &%server_condition%&.
+
+.section "Using external in a server" "SECTexternserver"
+.cindex "AUTH" "in &(external)& authenticator"
+.cindex "numerical variables (&$1$& &$2$& etc)" &&&
+ "in &(external)& authenticator"
+.vindex "&$auth1$&, &$auth2$&, etc"
+.cindex "base64 encoding" "in &(external)& authenticator"
+
+When running as a server, &(external)& performs the authentication test by
+expanding a string. The data sent by the client with the AUTH command, or in
+response to subsequent prompts, is base64 encoded, and so may contain any byte
+values when decoded. The decoded value is treated as
+an identity for authentication and
+placed in the expansion variable &$auth1$&.
+
+For compatibility with previous releases of Exim, the value is also placed in
+the expansion variable &$1$&. However, the use of this
+variable for this purpose is now deprecated, as it can lead to confusion in
+string expansions that also use them for other things.
+
+.vindex "&$authenticated_id$&"
+Once an identity has been received,
+&%server_condition%& is expanded. If the expansion is forced to fail,
+authentication fails. Any other expansion failure causes a temporary error code
+to be returned. If the result of a successful expansion is an empty string,
+&"0"&, &"no"&, or &"false"&, authentication fails. If the result of the
+expansion is &"1"&, &"yes"&, or &"true"&, authentication succeeds and the
+generic &%server_set_id%& option is expanded and saved in &$authenticated_id$&.
+For any other result, a temporary error code is returned, with the expanded
+string as the error text.
+
+Example:
+.code
+ext_ccert_san_mail:
+ driver = external
+ public_name = EXTERNAL
+
+ server_advertise_condition = $tls_in_certificate_verified
+ server_param2 = ${certextract {subj_altname,mail,>:} \
+ {$tls_in_peercert}}
+ server_condition = ${if forany {$auth2} \
+ {eq {$item}{$auth1}}}
+ server_set_id = $auth1
+.endd
+This accepts a client certificate that is verifiable against any
+of your configured trust-anchors
+(which usually means the full set of public CAs)
+and which has a mail-SAN matching the claimed identity sent by the client.
+
+&*Note*&: up to TLS1.2, the client cert is on the wire in-clear, including the SAN.
+The account name is therefore guessable by an opponent.
+TLS 1.3 protects both server and client certificates, and is not vulnerable
+in this way.
+
+
+.section "Using external in a client" "SECTexternclient"
+.cindex "options" "&(external)& authenticator (client)"
+The &(external)& authenticator has one client option:
+
+.option client_send external string&!! unset
+This option is expanded and sent with the AUTH command as the
+identity being asserted.
+
+Example:
+.code
+ext_ccert:
+ driver = external
+ public_name = EXTERNAL
+
+ client_condition = ${if !eq{$tls_out_cipher}{}}
+ client_send = myaccount@smarthost.example.net
+.endd
+
+
+.ecindex IIDexternauth1
+.ecindex IIDexternauth2
+
+
+
+
+
. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
driver = tls
server_param1 = ${certextract {subj_altname,mail,>:} \
{$tls_in_peercert}}
- server_condition = ${if forany {$auth1} \
+ server_condition = ${if and { {eq{$tls_in_certificate_verified}{1}} \
+ {forany {$auth1} \
{!= {0} \
{${lookup ldap{ldap:///\
mailname=${quote_ldap_dn:${lc:$item}},\
ou=users,LDAP_DC?mailid} {$value}{0} \
- } } } }
+ } } } }}}
server_set_id = ${if = {1}{${listcount:$auth1}} {$auth1}{}}
.endd
This accepts a client certificate that is verifiable against any
of your configured trust-anchors
(which usually means the full set of public CAs)
and which has a SAN with a good account name.
-Note that the client cert is on the wire in-clear, including the SAN,
-whereas a plaintext SMTP AUTH done inside TLS is not.
+
+Note that, up to TLS1.2, the client cert is on the wire in-clear, including the SAN,
+The account name is therefore guessable by an opponent.
+TLS 1.3 protects both server and client certificates, and is not vulnerable
+in this way.
+Likewise, a traditional plaintext SMTP AUTH done inside TLS is not.
. An alternative might use
. .code
.section "OpenSSL vs GnuTLS" "SECTopenvsgnu"
.cindex "TLS" "OpenSSL &'vs'& GnuTLS"
-The first TLS support in Exim was implemented using OpenSSL. Support for GnuTLS
-followed later, when the first versions of GnuTLS were released. To build Exim
-to use GnuTLS, you need to set
+TLS is supported in Exim using either the OpenSSL or GnuTLS library.
+To build Exim to use OpenSSL you need to set
.code
-USE_GNUTLS=yes
+USE_OPENSSL=yes
.endd
-in Local/Makefile, in addition to
+in Local/Makefile.
+
+To build Exim to use GnuTLS, you need to set
.code
-SUPPORT_TLS=yes
+USE_GNUTLS=yes
.endd
+in Local/Makefile.
+
You must also set TLS_LIBS and TLS_INCLUDE appropriately, so that the
include files and libraries for GnuTLS can be found.
This should be documented with the feature. If the documentation does not
explicitly state that the feature is infeasible in the other TLS
implementation, then patches are welcome.
+.next
+The output from "exim -bV" will show which (if any) support was included
+in the build.
+Also, the macro "_HAVE_OPENSSL" or "_HAVE_GNUTLS" will be defined.
.endlist
.oindex "&%tls_require_ciphers%&" "OpenSSL"
There is a function in the OpenSSL library that can be passed a list of cipher
suites before the cipher negotiation takes place. This specifies which ciphers
-.new
are acceptable for TLS versions prior to 1.3.
-.wen
The list is colon separated and may contain names like
DES-CBC3-SHA. Exim passes the expanded value of &%tls_require_ciphers%&
directly to this function call.
tls_require_ciphers = ECDSA:RSA:!COMPLEMENTOFDEFAULT
.endd
-.new
For TLS version 1.3 the control available is less fine-grained
and Exim does not provide access to it at present.
The value of the &%tls_require_ciphers%& option is ignored when
.code
TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256:TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
.endd
-.wen
.section "Requiring specific ciphers or other parameters in GnuTLS" &&&
.section "Configuring an Exim server to use TLS" "SECID182"
.cindex "TLS" "configuring an Exim server"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" STARTTLS
When Exim has been built with TLS support, it advertises the availability of
the STARTTLS command to client hosts that match &%tls_advertise_hosts%&,
but not to any others. The default value of this option is *, which means
(again depending on the &%tls_cipher%& log selector).
-.section "Requesting and verifying client certificates" "SECID183"
+.subsection "Requesting and verifying client certificates"
.cindex "certificate" "verification of client"
.cindex "TLS" "client certificate verification"
If you want an Exim server to request a certificate when negotiating a TLS
apply to all TLS connections. For any host that matches one of these options,
Exim requests a certificate as part of the setup of the TLS session. The
contents of the certificate are verified by comparing it with a list of
-expected certificates.
+expected trust-anchors or certificates.
These may be the system default set (depending on library version),
an explicit file or,
depending on library version, a directory, identified by
.endd
where &_/cert/file_& contains a single certificate.
+There is no checking of names of the client against the certificate
+Subject Name or Subject Alternate Names.
+
The difference between &%tls_verify_hosts%& and &%tls_try_verify_hosts%& is
what happens if the client does not supply a certificate, or if the certificate
does not match any of the certificates in the collection named by
certificate is supplied, &$tls_in_peerdn$& is empty.
-.section "Revoked certificates" "SECID184"
-.cindex "TLS" "revoked certificates"
-.cindex "revocation list"
-.cindex "certificate" "revocation list"
-.cindex "OCSP" "stapling"
-Certificate issuing authorities issue Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) when
-certificates are revoked. If you have such a list, you can pass it to an Exim
-server using the global option called &%tls_crl%& and to an Exim client using
-an identically named option for the &(smtp)& transport. In each case, the value
-of the option is expanded and must then be the name of a file that contains a
-CRL in PEM format.
-The downside is that clients have to periodically re-download a potentially huge
-file from every certificate authority they know of.
-
-The way with most moving parts at query time is Online Certificate
-Status Protocol (OCSP), where the client verifies the certificate
-against an OCSP server run by the CA. This lets the CA track all
-usage of the certs. It requires running software with access to the
-private key of the CA, to sign the responses to the OCSP queries. OCSP
-is based on HTTP and can be proxied accordingly.
-
-The only widespread OCSP server implementation (known to this writer)
-comes as part of OpenSSL and aborts on an invalid request, such as
-connecting to the port and then disconnecting. This requires
-re-entering the passphrase each time some random client does this.
-
-The third way is OCSP Stapling; in this, the server using a certificate
-issued by the CA periodically requests an OCSP proof of validity from
-the OCSP server, then serves it up inline as part of the TLS
-negotiation. This approach adds no extra round trips, does not let the
-CA track users, scales well with number of certs issued by the CA and is
-resilient to temporary OCSP server failures, as long as the server
-starts retrying to fetch an OCSP proof some time before its current
-proof expires. The downside is that it requires server support.
-
-Unless Exim is built with the support disabled,
-or with GnuTLS earlier than version 3.3.16 / 3.4.8
-support for OCSP stapling is included.
-
-There is a global option called &%tls_ocsp_file%&.
-The file specified therein is expected to be in DER format, and contain
-an OCSP proof. Exim will serve it as part of the TLS handshake. This
-option will be re-expanded for SNI, if the &%tls_certificate%& option
-contains &`tls_in_sni`&, as per other TLS options.
-
-Exim does not at this time implement any support for fetching a new OCSP
-proof. The burden is on the administrator to handle this, outside of
-Exim. The file specified should be replaced atomically, so that the
-contents are always valid. Exim will expand the &%tls_ocsp_file%& option
-on each connection, so a new file will be handled transparently on the
-next connection.
-
-When built with OpenSSL Exim will check for a valid next update timestamp
-in the OCSP proof; if not present, or if the proof has expired, it will be
-ignored.
-
-For the client to be able to verify the stapled OCSP the server must
-also supply, in its stapled information, any intermediate
-certificates for the chain leading to the OCSP proof from the signer
-of the server certificate. There may be zero or one such. These
-intermediate certificates should be added to the server OCSP stapling
-file named by &%tls_ocsp_file%&.
-
-Note that the proof only covers the terminal server certificate,
-not any of the chain from CA to it.
-
-There is no current way to staple a proof for a client certificate.
-
-.code
- A helper script "ocsp_fetch.pl" for fetching a proof from a CA
- OCSP server is supplied. The server URL may be included in the
- server certificate, if the CA is helpful.
-
- One failure mode seen was the OCSP Signer cert expiring before the end
- of validity of the OCSP proof. The checking done by Exim/OpenSSL
- noted this as invalid overall, but the re-fetch script did not.
-.endd
-
-
-
-
-.section "Configuring an Exim client to use TLS" "SECID185"
+.subsection "Caching of static server configuration items" "SSECTserverTLScache"
+.cindex certificate caching
+.cindex privatekey caching
+.cindex crl caching
+.cindex ocsp caching
+.cindex ciphers caching
+.cindex "CA bundle" caching
+.cindex "certificate authorities" caching
+.cindex tls_certificate caching
+.cindex tls_privatekey caching
+.cindex tls_crl caching
+.cindex tls_ocsp_file caching
+.cindex tls_require_ciphers caching
+.cindex tls_verify_certificate caching
+.cindex caching certificate
+.cindex caching privatekey
+.cindex caching crl
+.cindex caching ocsp
+.cindex caching ciphers
+.cindex caching "certificate authorities
+If any of the main configuration options &%tls_certificate%&, &%tls_privatekey%&,
+&%tls_crl%& and &%tls_ocsp_file%& have values with no
+expandable elements,
+then the associated information is loaded at daemon startup.
+It is made available
+to child processes forked for handling received SMTP connections.
+
+This caching is currently only supported under Linux and FreeBSD.
+
+If caching is not possible, for example if an item has to be dependent
+on the peer host so contains a &$sender_host_name$& expansion, the load
+of the associated information is done at the startup of the TLS connection.
+
+The cache is invalidated and reloaded after any changes to the directories
+containing files specified by these options.
+
+The information specified by the main option &%tls_verify_certificates%&
+is similarly cached so long as it specifies files explicitly
+or (under GnuTLS) is the string &"system,cache"&.
+The latter case is not automatically invalidated;
+it is the operator's responsibility to arrange for a daemon restart
+any time the system certificate authority bundle is updated.
+A HUP signal is sufficient for this.
+The value &"system"& results in no caching under GnuTLS.
+
+The macro _HAVE_TLS_CA_CACHE will be defined if the suffix for "system"
+is acceptable in configurations for the Exim executavble.
+
+Caching of the system Certificate Authorities bundle can
+save siginificant time and processing on every TLS connection
+accepted by Exim.
+
+
+
+
+.section "Configuring an Exim client to use TLS" "SECTclientTLS"
.cindex "cipher" "logging"
.cindex "log" "TLS cipher"
.cindex "log" "distinguished name"
server certificate's DN. The remaining client configuration for TLS is all
within the &(smtp)& transport.
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" STARTTLS
It is not necessary to set any options to have TLS work in the &(smtp)&
transport. If Exim is built with TLS support, and TLS is advertised by a
server, the &(smtp)& transport always tries to start a TLS session. However,
The &%tls_certificate%& and &%tls_privatekey%& options of the &(smtp)&
transport provide the client with a certificate, which is passed to the server
-if it requests it. If the server is Exim, it will request a certificate only if
+if it requests it.
+This is an optional thing for TLS connections, although either end
+may insist on it.
+If the server is Exim, it will request a certificate only if
&%tls_verify_hosts%& or &%tls_try_verify_hosts%& matches the client.
+&*Note*&: Do not use a certificate which has the OCSP-must-staple extension,
+for client use (they are usable for server use).
+As the TLS protocol has no means for the client to staple before TLS 1.3 it will result
+in failed connections.
+
If the &%tls_verify_certificates%& option is set on the &(smtp)& transport, it
specifies a collection of expected server certificates.
These may be
certificate verification to the listed servers. Verification either must
or need not succeed respectively.
+The &%tls_verify_cert_hostnames%& option lists hosts for which additional
+name checks are made on the server certificate.
+The match against this list is, as per other Exim usage, the
+IP for the host. That is most closely associated with the
+name on the DNS A (or AAAA) record for the host.
+However, the name that needs to be in the certificate
+is the one at the head of any CNAME chain leading to the A record.
+The option defaults to always checking.
+
The &(smtp)& transport has two OCSP-related options:
&%hosts_require_ocsp%&; a host-list for which a Certificate Status
is requested and required for the connection to proceed. The default
+.subsection "Caching of static client configuration items" SECTclientTLScache
+.cindex certificate caching
+.cindex privatekey caching
+.cindex crl caching
+.cindex ciphers caching
+.cindex "CA bundle" caching
+.cindex "certificate authorities" caching
+.cindex tls_certificate caching
+.cindex tls_privatekey caching
+.cindex tls_crl caching
+.cindex tls_require_ciphers caching
+.cindex tls_verify_certificate caching
+.cindex caching certificate
+.cindex caching privatekey
+.cindex caching crl
+.cindex caching ciphers
+.cindex caching "certificate authorities
+If any of the transport configuration options &%tls_certificate%&, &%tls_privatekey%&
+and &%tls_crl%& have values with no
+expandable elements,
+then the associated information is loaded per smtp transport
+at daemon startup, at the start of a queue run, or on a
+command-line specified message delivery.
+It is made available
+to child processes forked for handling making SMTP connections.
+
+This caching is currently only supported under Linux.
+
+If caching is not possible, the load
+of the associated information is done at the startup of the TLS connection.
+
+The cache is invalidated in the daemon
+and reloaded after any changes to the directories
+containing files specified by these options.
+
+The information specified by the main option &%tls_verify_certificates%&
+is similarly cached so long as it specifies files explicitly
+or (under GnuTLS) is the string &"system,cache"&.
+The latter case is not automatically invaludated;
+it is the operator's responsibility to arrange for a daemon restart
+any time the system certificate authority bundle is updated.
+A HUP signal is sufficient for this.
+The value &"system"& results in no caching under GnuTLS.
+
+The macro _HAVE_TLS_CA_CACHE will be defined if the suffix for "system"
+is acceptable in configurations for the Exim executavble.
+
+Caching of the system Certificate Authorities bundle can
+save siginificant time and processing on every TLS connection
+initiated by Exim.
+
+
+
+
.section "Use of TLS Server Name Indication" "SECTtlssni"
.cindex "TLS" "Server Name Indication"
+.cindex "TLS" SNI
+.cindex SNI
.vindex "&$tls_in_sni$&"
.oindex "&%tls_in_sni%&"
With TLS1.0 or above, there is an extension mechanism by which extra
only point of caution. The &$tls_out_sni$& variable will be set to this string
for the lifetime of the client connection (including during authentication).
+If DANE validated the connection attempt then the value of the &%tls_sni%& option
+is forced to the name of the destination host, after any MX- or CNAME-following.
+
Except during SMTP client sessions, if &$tls_in_sni$& is set then it is a string
received from a client.
It can be logged with the &%log_selector%& item &`+tls_sni`&.
attacks in the string (&`../`& or SQL), and ensuring that a valid filename
can always be referenced; it is important to remember that &$tls_in_sni$& is
arbitrary unverified data provided prior to authentication.
-Further, the initial certificate is loaded before SNI is arrived, so
+Further, the initial certificate is loaded before SNI has arrived, so
an expansion for &%tls_certificate%& must have a default which is used
when &$tls_in_sni$& is empty.
0.5.10. (Its presence predates the current API which Exim uses, so if Exim
built, then you have SNI support).
+.subsection ALPN
+.cindex TLS ALPN
+.cindex ALPN "general information"
+.cindex TLS "Application Layer Protocol Names"
+There is a TLS feature related to SNI
+called Application Layer Protocol Name (ALPN).
+This is intended to declare, or select, what protocol layer will be using a TLS
+connection.
+The client for the connection proposes a set of protocol names, and
+the server responds with a selected one.
+It is not, as of 2021, commonly used for SMTP connections.
+However, to guard against misdirected or malicious use of web clients
+(which often do use ALPN) against MTA ports, Exim by default check that
+there is no incompatible ALPN specified by a client for a TLS connection.
+If there is, the connection is rejected.
+
+As a client Exim does not supply ALPN by default.
+The behaviour of both client and server can be configured using the options
+&%tls_alpn%& and &%hosts_require_alpn%&.
+There are no variables providing observability.
+Some feature-specific logging may appear on denied connections, but this
+depends on the behaviour of the peer
+(not all peers can send a feature-specific TLS Alert).
+
+This feature is available when Exim is built with
+OpenSSL 1.1.0 or later or GnuTLS 3.2.0 or later;
+the macro _HAVE_TLS_ALPN will be defined when this is so.
+
.section "Multiple messages on the same encrypted TCP/IP connection" &&&
&url(https://www.ssllabs.com/).
-.section "Certificate chains" "SECID186"
-The file named by &%tls_certificate%& may contain more than one
+.subsection "Certificate chains" SECID186
+A file named by &%tls_certificate%& may contain more than one
certificate. This is useful in the case where the certificate that is being
sent is validated by an intermediate certificate which the other end does
not have. Multiple certificates must be in the correct order in the file.
-.section "Self-signed certificates" "SECID187"
+.subsection "Self-signed certificates" SECID187
.cindex "certificate" "self-signed"
You can create a self-signed certificate using the &'req'& command provided
with OpenSSL, like this:
user certificates, see the &'General implementation overview'& chapter of the
Open-source PKI book, available online at
&url(https://sourceforge.net/projects/ospkibook/).
+
+
+.subsection "Revoked certificates"
+.cindex "TLS" "revoked certificates"
+.cindex "revocation list"
+.cindex "certificate" "revocation list"
+.cindex "OCSP" "stapling"
+There are three ways for a certificate to be made unusable
+before its expiry.
+
+.ilist
+Certificate issuing authorities issue Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) when
+certificates are revoked. If you have such a list, you can pass it to an Exim
+server using the global option called &%tls_crl%& and to an Exim client using
+an identically named option for the &(smtp)& transport. In each case, the value
+of the option is expanded and must then be the name of a file that contains a
+CRL in PEM format.
+The downside is that clients have to periodically re-download a potentially huge
+file from every certificate authority they know of.
+
+.next
+The way with most moving parts at query time is Online Certificate
+Status Protocol (OCSP), where the client verifies the certificate
+against an OCSP server run by the CA. This lets the CA track all
+usage of the certs. It requires running software with access to the
+private key of the CA, to sign the responses to the OCSP queries. OCSP
+is based on HTTP and can be proxied accordingly.
+
+The only widespread OCSP server implementation (known to this writer)
+comes as part of OpenSSL and aborts on an invalid request, such as
+connecting to the port and then disconnecting. This requires
+re-entering the passphrase each time some random client does this.
+
+.next
+The third way is OCSP Stapling; in this, the server using a certificate
+issued by the CA periodically requests an OCSP proof of validity from
+the OCSP server, then serves it up inline as part of the TLS
+negotiation. This approach adds no extra round trips, does not let the
+CA track users, scales well with number of certs issued by the CA and is
+resilient to temporary OCSP server failures, as long as the server
+starts retrying to fetch an OCSP proof some time before its current
+proof expires. The downside is that it requires server support.
+
+Unless Exim is built with the support disabled,
+or with GnuTLS earlier than version 3.3.16 / 3.4.8
+support for OCSP stapling is included.
+
+There is a global option called &%tls_ocsp_file%&.
+The file specified therein is expected to be in DER format, and contain
+an OCSP proof. Exim will serve it as part of the TLS handshake. This
+option will be re-expanded for SNI, if the &%tls_certificate%& option
+contains &`tls_in_sni`&, as per other TLS options.
+
+Exim does not at this time implement any support for fetching a new OCSP
+proof. The burden is on the administrator to handle this, outside of
+Exim. The file specified should be replaced atomically, so that the
+contents are always valid. Exim will expand the &%tls_ocsp_file%& option
+on each connection, so a new file will be handled transparently on the
+next connection.
+
+When built with OpenSSL Exim will check for a valid next update timestamp
+in the OCSP proof; if not present, or if the proof has expired, it will be
+ignored.
+
+For the client to be able to verify the stapled OCSP the server must
+also supply, in its stapled information, any intermediate
+certificates for the chain leading to the OCSP proof from the signer
+of the server certificate. There may be zero or one such. These
+intermediate certificates should be added to the server OCSP stapling
+file named by &%tls_ocsp_file%&.
+
+Note that the proof only covers the terminal server certificate,
+not any of the chain from CA to it.
+
+There is no current way to staple a proof for a client certificate.
+
+.code
+ A helper script "ocsp_fetch.pl" for fetching a proof from a CA
+ OCSP server is supplied. The server URL may be included in the
+ server certificate, if the CA is helpful.
+
+ One failure mode seen was the OCSP Signer cert expiring before the end
+ of validity of the OCSP proof. The checking done by Exim/OpenSSL
+ noted this as invalid overall, but the re-fetch script did not.
+.endd
+.endlist
+
+
.ecindex IIDencsmtp1
.ecindex IIDencsmtp2
+.section "TLS Resumption" "SECTresumption"
+.cindex TLS resumption
+TLS Session Resumption for TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 connections can be used (defined
+in RFC 5077 for 1.2). The support for this requires GnuTLS 3.6.3 or OpenSSL 1.1.1
+(or later).
+
+Session resumption (this is the "stateless" variant) involves the server sending
+a "session ticket" to the client on one connection, which can be stored by the
+client and used for a later session. The ticket contains sufficient state for
+the server to reconstruct the TLS session, avoiding some expensive crypto
+calculation and (on TLS1.2) one full packet roundtrip time.
+
+.ilist
+Operational cost/benefit:
+
+ The extra data being transmitted costs a minor amount, and the client has
+ extra costs in storing and retrieving the data.
+
+ In the Exim/Gnutls implementation the extra cost on an initial connection
+ which is TLS1.2 over a loopback path is about 6ms on 2017-laptop class hardware.
+ The saved cost on a subsequent connection is about 4ms; three or more
+ connections become a net win. On longer network paths, two or more
+ connections will have an average lower startup time thanks to the one
+ saved packet roundtrip. TLS1.3 will save the crypto cpu costs but not any
+ packet roundtrips.
+
+.cindex "hints database" tls
+ Since a new hints DB is used on the TLS client,
+ the hints DB maintenance should be updated to additionally handle "tls".
+
+.next
+Security aspects:
+
+ The session ticket is encrypted, but is obviously an additional security
+ vulnarability surface. An attacker able to decrypt it would have access
+ all connections using the resumed session.
+ The session ticket encryption key is not committed to storage by the server
+ and is rotated regularly (OpenSSL: 1hr, and one previous key is used for
+ overlap; GnuTLS 6hr but does not specify any overlap).
+ Tickets have limited lifetime (2hr, and new ones issued after 1hr under
+ OpenSSL. GnuTLS 2hr, appears to not do overlap).
+
+ There is a question-mark over the security of the Diffie-Helman parameters
+ used for session negotiation.
+
+.next
+Observability:
+
+ The &%log_selector%& "tls_resumption" appends an asterisk to the tls_cipher "X="
+ element.
+
+ The variables &$tls_in_resumption$& and &$tls_out_resumption$&
+ have bits 0-4 indicating respectively
+ support built, client requested ticket, client offered session,
+ server issued ticket, resume used. A suitable decode list is provided
+ in the builtin macro _RESUME_DECODE for in &%listextract%& expansions.
+
+.next
+Control:
+
+The &%tls_resumption_hosts%& main option specifies a hostlist for which
+exim, operating as a server, will offer resumption to clients.
+Current best practice is to not offer the feature to MUA connection.
+Commonly this can be done like this:
+.code
+tls_resumption_hosts = ${if inlist {$received_port}{587:465} {:}{*}}
+.endd
+If the peer host matches the list after expansion then resumption
+is offered and/or accepted.
+
+The &%tls_resumption_hosts%& smtp transport option performs the
+equivalent function for operation as a client.
+If the peer host matches the list after expansion then resumption
+is attempted (if a stored session is available) or the information
+stored (if supplied by the peer).
+
+
+.next
+Issues:
+
+ In a resumed session:
+.ilist
+ The variables &$tls_{in,out}_cipher$& will have values different
+ to the original (under GnuTLS).
+.next
+ The variables &$tls_{in,out}_ocsp$& will be "not requested" or "no response",
+ and the &%hosts_require_ocsp%& smtp trasnport option will fail.
+. XXX need to do something with that hosts_require_ocsp
+.endlist
+
+.endlist
+
.section DANE "SECDANE"
.cindex DANE
It also allows the server to declare (implicitly) that connections to it should use TLS. An MITM could simply
fail to pass on a server's STARTTLS.
-DANE scales better than having to maintain (and side-channel communicate) copies of server certificates
+DANE scales better than having to maintain (and communicate via side-channel) copies of server certificates
for every possible target server. It also scales (slightly) better than having to maintain on an SMTP
client a copy of the standard CAs bundle. It also means not having to pay a CA for certificates.
-DANE requires a server operator to do three things: 1) run DNSSEC. This provides assurance to clients
+DANE requires a server operator to do three things:
+.olist
+Run DNSSEC. This provides assurance to clients
that DNS lookups they do for the server have not been tampered with. The domain MX record applying
to this server, its A record, its TLSA record and any associated CNAME records must all be covered by
DNSSEC.
-2) add TLSA DNS records. These say what the server certificate for a TLS connection should be.
-3) offer a server certificate, or certificate chain, in TLS connections which is is anchored by one of the TLSA records.
+.next
+Add TLSA DNS records. These say what the server certificate for a TLS connection should be.
+.next
+Offer a server certificate, or certificate chain, in TLS connections which is is anchored by one of the TLSA records.
+.endlist
There are no changes to Exim specific to server-side operation of DANE.
Support for client-side operation of DANE can be included at compile time by defining SUPPORT_DANE=yes
in &_Local/Makefile_&.
If it has been included, the macro "_HAVE_DANE" will be defined.
-The TLSA record for the server may have "certificate usage" of DANE-TA(2) or DANE-EE(3).
+.subsection "DNS records"
+A TLSA record consist of 4 fields, the "Certificate Usage", the
+"Selector", the "Matching type", and the "Certificate Association Data".
+For a detailed description of the TLSA record see
+&url(https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7671#page-5,RFC 7671).
+
+The TLSA record for the server may have "Certificate Usage" (1st) field of DANE-TA(2) or DANE-EE(3).
These are the "Trust Anchor" and "End Entity" variants.
The latter specifies the End Entity directly, i.e. the certificate involved is that of the server
(and if only DANE-EE is used then it should be the sole one transmitted during the TLS handshake);
DANE-TA usage is effectively declaring a specific CA to be used; this might be a private CA or a public,
well-known one.
A private CA at simplest is just a self-signed certificate (with certain
-attributes) which is used to sign cerver certificates, but running one securely
+attributes) which is used to sign server certificates, but running one securely
does require careful arrangement.
With DANE-TA, as implemented in Exim and commonly in other MTAs,
the server TLS handshake must transmit the entire certificate chain from CA to server-certificate.
all of which point to a single TLSA record.
DANE-TA and DANE-EE can both be used together.
-.new
Our recommendation is to use DANE with a certificate from a public CA,
because this enables a variety of strategies for remote clients to verify
your certificate.
If you're not already using a private CA, or it doesn't meet these
requirements, then we encourage you to avoid all these issues and use a public
CA such as &url(https://letsencrypt.org/,Let's Encrypt) instead.
-.wen
-The TLSA record should have a Selector field of SPKI(1) and a Matching Type field of SHA2-512(2).
+The TLSA record should have a "Selector" (2nd) field of SPKI(1) and
+a "Matching Type" (3rd) field of SHA2-512(2).
-At the time of writing, &url(https://www.huque.com/bin/gen_tlsa)
-is useful for quickly generating TLSA records; and commands like
+For the "Certificate Authority Data" (4th) field, commands like
.code
- openssl x509 -in -pubkey -noout <certificate.pem \
+ openssl x509 -pubkey -noout <certificate.pem \
| openssl rsa -outform der -pubin 2>/dev/null \
| openssl sha512 \
| awk '{print $2}'
.endd
-are workable for 4th-field hashes.
+are workable to create a hash of the certificate's public key.
+
+An example TLSA record for DANE-EE(3), SPKI(1), and SHA-512 (2) looks like
+
+.code
+ _25._tcp.mail.example.com. TLSA 3 1 2 8BA8A336E...
+.endd
+
+At the time of writing, &url(https://www.huque.com/bin/gen_tlsa)
+is useful for quickly generating TLSA records.
+
For use with the DANE-TA model, server certificates must have a correct name (SubjectName or SubjectAltName).
-.new
The Certificate issued by the CA published in the DANE-TA model should be
issued using a strong hash algorithm.
Exim, and importantly various other MTAs sending to you, will not
libraries.
This means no MD5 and no SHA-1. SHA2-256 is the minimum for reliable
interoperability (and probably the maximum too, in 2018).
-.wen
+.subsection "Interaction with OCSP"
The use of OCSP-stapling should be considered, allowing for fast revocation of certificates (which would otherwise
be limited by the DNS TTL on the TLSA records). However, this is likely to only be usable with DANE-TA. NOTE: the
default of requesting OCSP for all hosts is modified iff DANE is in use, to:
those who use &%hosts_require_ocsp%&, should consider the interaction with DANE in their OCSP settings.
+.subsection "Client configuration"
For client-side DANE there are three new smtp transport options, &%hosts_try_dane%&, &%hosts_require_dane%&
and &%dane_require_tls_ciphers%&.
-The require variant will result in failure if the target host is not DNSSEC-secured.
+The &"require"& variant will result in failure if the target host is not
+DNSSEC-secured. To get DNSSEC-secured hostname resolution, use
+the &%dnssec_request_domains%& router or transport option.
DANE will only be usable if the target host has DNSSEC-secured MX, A and TLSA records.
-A TLSA lookup will be done if either of the above options match and the host-lookup succeeded using dnssec.
+A TLSA lookup will be done if either of the above options match and the host-lookup succeeded using DNSSEC.
If a TLSA lookup is done and succeeds, a DANE-verified TLS connection
will be required for the host. If it does not, the host will not
be used; there is no fallback to non-DANE or non-TLS.
tls_verify_certificates
tls_crl
tls_verify_cert_hostnames
+ tls_sni
.endd
If DANE is not usable, whether requested or not, and CA-anchored
verification evaluation is wanted, the above variables should be set appropriately.
-Currently the &%dnssec_request_domains%& must be active and &%dnssec_require_domains%& is ignored.
+The router and transport option &%dnssec_request_domains%& must not be
+set to &"never"&, and &%dnssec_require_domains%& is ignored.
+.subsection Observability
If verification was successful using DANE then the "CV" item in the delivery log line will show as "CV=dane".
There is a new variable &$tls_out_dane$& which will have "yes" if
The &$event_data$& will be one of the Result Types defined in
Section 4.3 of that document.
+.subsection General
Under GnuTLS, DANE is only supported from version 3.0.0 onwards.
DANE is specified in published RFCs and decouples certificate authority trust
selection from a "race to the bottom" of "you must trust everything for mail
-to get through". There is an alternative technology called MTA-STS, which
+to get through".
+There is an alternative technology called MTA-STS, which
instead publishes MX trust anchor information on an HTTPS website. At the
time this text was last updated, MTA-STS was still a draft, not yet an RFC.
Exim has no support for MTA-STS as a client, but Exim mail server operators
.cindex "control of incoming mail"
.cindex "message" "controlling incoming"
.cindex "policy control" "access control lists"
-Access Control Lists (ACLs) are defined in a separate section of the run time
+Access Control Lists (ACLs) are defined in a separate section of the runtime
configuration file, headed by &"begin acl"&. Each ACL definition starts with a
name, terminated by a colon. Here is a complete ACL section that contains just
one very small ACL:
testing as possible at RCPT time.
-.section "The non-SMTP ACLs" "SECID190"
+.subsection "The non-SMTP ACLs" SECID190
.cindex "non-SMTP messages" "ACLs for"
The non-SMTP ACLs apply to all non-interactive incoming messages, that is, they
apply to batched SMTP as well as to non-SMTP messages. (Batched SMTP is not
temporary error for these kinds of message.
-.section "The SMTP connect ACL" "SECID191"
+.subsection "The SMTP connect ACL" SECID191
.cindex "SMTP" "connection, ACL for"
.oindex &%smtp_banner%&
The ACL test specified by &%acl_smtp_connect%& happens at the start of an SMTP
the message override the banner message that is otherwise specified by the
&%smtp_banner%& option.
+.new
+For tls-on-connect connections, the ACL is run before the TLS connection
+is accepted; if the ACL does not accept then the TCP connection is dropped without
+any TLS startup attempt and without any SMTP response being transmitted.
+.wen
-.section "The EHLO/HELO ACL" "SECID192"
+
+.subsection "The EHLO/HELO ACL" SECID192
.cindex "EHLO" "ACL for"
.cindex "HELO" "ACL for"
The ACL test specified by &%acl_smtp_helo%& happens when the client issues an
an EHLO response.
-.section "The DATA ACLs" "SECID193"
+.subsection "The DATA ACLs" SECID193
.cindex "DATA" "ACLs for"
Two ACLs are associated with the DATA command, because it is two-stage
command, with two responses being sent to the client.
the &%acl_smtp_dkim%&
and the &%acl_smtp_mime%& ACLs.
-.section "The SMTP DKIM ACL" "SECTDKIMACL"
+.subsection "The SMTP DKIM ACL" SECTDKIMACL
The &%acl_smtp_dkim%& ACL is available only when Exim is compiled with DKIM support
enabled (which is the default).
For details on the operation of DKIM, see section &<<SECDKIM>>&.
-.section "The SMTP MIME ACL" "SECID194"
+.subsection "The SMTP MIME ACL" SECID194
The &%acl_smtp_mime%& option is available only when Exim is compiled with the
content-scanning extension. For details, see chapter &<<CHAPexiscan>>&.
This ACL is evaluated after &%acl_smtp_dkim%& but before &%acl_smtp_data%&.
-.section "The SMTP PRDR ACL" "SECTPRDRACL"
+.subsection "The SMTP PRDR ACL" SECTPRDRACL
.cindex "PRDR" "ACL for"
.oindex "&%prdr_enable%&"
The &%acl_smtp_data_prdr%& ACL is available only when Exim is compiled
is &"yes"&.
Any required difference in behaviour of the main DATA-time
ACL should however depend on the PRDR-time ACL having run, as Exim
-will avoid doing so in some situations (e.g. single-recipient mails).
+will avoid doing so in some situations (e.g. single-recipient mails).
See also the &%prdr_enable%& global option
and the &%hosts_try_prdr%& smtp transport option.
If the ACL is not defined, processing completes as if
the feature was not requested by the client.
-.section "The QUIT ACL" "SECTQUITACL"
+.subsection "The QUIT ACL" SECTQUITACL
.cindex "QUIT, ACL for"
The ACL for the SMTP QUIT command is anomalous, in that the outcome of the ACL
does not affect the response code to QUIT, which is always 221. Thus, the ACL
connection is closed. In these special cases, the QUIT ACL does not run.
-.section "The not-QUIT ACL" "SECTNOTQUITACL"
+.subsection "The not-QUIT ACL" SECTNOTQUITACL
.vindex &$acl_smtp_notquit$&
The not-QUIT ACL, specified by &%acl_smtp_notquit%&, is run in most cases when
an SMTP session ends without sending QUIT. However, when Exim itself is in bad
string, Exim searches for an ACL as follows:
.ilist
-If the string begins with a slash, Exim uses it as a file name, and reads its
+If the string begins with a slash, Exim uses it as a filename, and reads its
contents as an ACL. The lines are processed in the same way as lines in the
Exim configuration file. In particular, continuation lines are supported, blank
lines are ignored, as are lines whose first non-whitespace character is &"#"&.
&%drop%&: This verb behaves like &%deny%&, except that an SMTP connection is
forcibly closed after the 5&'xx'& error message has been sent. For example:
.code
-drop message = I don't take more than 20 RCPTs
- condition = ${if > {$rcpt_count}{20}}
+drop condition = ${if > {$rcpt_count}{20}}
+ message = I don't take more than 20 RCPTs
.endd
There is no difference between &%deny%& and &%drop%& for the connect-time ACL.
The connection is always dropped after sending a 550 response.
It can be at the end of an &%accept%& statement:
.code
accept ...some conditions
- control = queue_only
+ control = queue
.endd
In this case, the control is applied when this statement yields &"accept"&, in
other words, when the conditions are all true.
It can be in the middle of an &%accept%& statement:
.code
accept ...some conditions...
- control = queue_only
+ control = queue
...some more conditions...
.endd
If the first set of conditions are true, the control is applied, even if the
response.
.vindex "&$acl_verify_message$&"
-For ACLs that are called by an &%acl =%& ACL condition, the message is
-stored in &$acl_verify_message$&, from which the calling ACL may use it.
+While the text is being expanded, the &$acl_verify_message$& variable
+contains any message previously set.
+Afterwards, &$acl_verify_message$& is cleared.
If &%message%& is used on a statement that verifies an address, the message
specified overrides any message that is generated by the verification process.
This control turns on debug logging, almost as though Exim had been invoked
with &`-d`&, with the output going to a new logfile in the usual logs directory,
by default called &'debuglog'&.
-The filename can be adjusted with the &'tag'& option, which
-may access any variables already defined. The logging may be adjusted with
-the &'opts'& option, which takes the same values as the &`-d`& command-line
-option.
-Logging started this way may be stopped, and the file removed,
-with the &'kill'& option.
+
+Logging set up by the control will be maintained across spool residency.
+
+Options are a slash-separated list.
+If an option takes an argument, the option name and argument are separated by
+an equals character.
+Several options are supported:
+.display
+tag=<&'suffix'&> The filename can be adjusted with thise option.
+ The argument, which may access any variables already defined,
+ is appended to the default name.
+
+opts=<&'debug&~options'&> The argument specififes what is to be logged,
+ using the same values as the &`-d`& command-line option.
+
+stop Logging started with this control may be
+ stopped by using this option.
+
+kill Logging started with this control may be
+ stopped by using this option.
+ Additionally the debug file will be removed,
+ providing one means for speculative debug tracing.
+
+pretrigger=<&'size'&> This option specifies a memory buffuer to be used
+ for pre-trigger debug capture.
+ Debug lines are recorded in the buffer until
+ and if) a trigger occurs; at which time they are
+ dumped to the debug file. Newer lines displace the
+ oldest if the buffer is full. After a trigger,
+ immediate writes to file are done as normal.
+
+trigger=<&'reason'&> This option selects cause for the pretrigger buffer
+ see above) to be copied to file. A reason of &*now*&
+ take effect immediately; one of &*paniclog*& triggers
+ on a write to the panic log.
+.endd
+
Some examples (which depend on variables that don't exist in all
contexts):
.code
control = debug/opts=+expand+acl
control = debug/tag=.$message_exim_id/opts=+expand
control = debug/kill
+ control = debug/opts=+all/pretrigger=1024/trigger=paniclog
+ control = debug/trigger=now
.endd
the operation and configuration of DKIM, see section &<<SECDKIM>>&.
+.vitem &*control&~=&~dmarc_disable_verify*&
+.cindex "disable DMARC verify"
+.cindex "DMARC" "disable verify"
+This control turns off DMARC verification processing entirely. For details on
+the operation and configuration of DMARC, see section &<<SECDMARC>>&.
+
+
.vitem &*control&~=&~dscp/*&<&'value'&>
.cindex "&ACL;" "setting DSCP value"
.cindex "DSCP" "inbound"
.vitem &*control&~=&~no_pipelining*&
.cindex "PIPELINING" "suppressing advertising"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" PIPELINING
This control turns off the advertising of the PIPELINING extension to SMTP in
the current session. To be useful, it must be obeyed before Exim sends its
response to an EHLO command. Therefore, it should normally appear in an ACL
controlled by &%acl_smtp_connect%& or &%acl_smtp_helo%&. See also
&%pipelining_advertise_hosts%&.
-.vitem &*control&~=&~queue_only*&
+.vitem &*control&~=&~queue/*&<&'options'&>* &&&
+ &*control&~=&~queue_only*&
+.oindex "&%queue%&"
.oindex "&%queue_only%&"
.cindex "queueing incoming messages"
+.cindex queueing "forcing in ACL"
+.cindex "first pass routing"
This control is permitted only for the MAIL, RCPT, DATA, and non-SMTP ACLs, in
other words, only when a message is being received. If the message is accepted,
it is placed on Exim's queue and left there for delivery by a subsequent queue
-runner. No immediate delivery process is started. In other words, it has the
-effect as the &%queue_only%& global option. However, the control applies only
-to the current message, not to any subsequent ones that may be received in the
-same SMTP connection.
+runner.
+If used with no options set,
+no immediate delivery process is started. In other words, it has the
+effect as the &%queue_only%& global option or &'-odq'& command-line option.
+
+If the &'first_pass_route'& option is given then
+the behaviour is like the command-line &'-oqds'& option;
+a delivery process is started which stops short of making
+any SMTP delivery. The benefit is that the hints database will be updated for
+the message being waiting for a specific host, and a later queue run will be
+able to send all such messages on a single connection.
+
+The control only applies to the current message, not to any subsequent ones that
+ may be received in the same SMTP connection.
.vitem &*control&~=&~submission/*&<&'options'&>
.cindex "message" "submission"
that are being submitted at the same time using &%-bs%& or &%-bS%&.
.vitem &*control&~=&~utf8_downconvert*&
-This control enables conversion of UTF-8 in message addresses
+This control enables conversion of UTF-8 in message envelope addresses
to a-label form.
For details see section &<<SECTi18nMTA>>&.
.endlist vlist
.cindex "domain" "ACL checking"
.cindex "&ACL;" "testing a recipient domain"
.vindex "&$domain_data$&"
-This condition is relevant only after a RCPT command. It checks that the domain
+This condition is relevant only in a RCPT ACL. It checks that the domain
of the recipient address is in the domain list. If percent-hack processing is
enabled, it is done before this test is done. If the check succeeds with a
lookup, the result of the lookup is placed in &$domain_data$& until the next
allows you, for example, to set up a statement like this:
.code
deny hosts = net-lsearch;/some/file
-message = $host_data
+ message = $host_data
.endd
which gives a custom error message for each denied host.
.cindex "local part" "ACL checking"
.cindex "&ACL;" "testing a local part"
.vindex "&$local_part_data$&"
-This condition is relevant only after a RCPT command. It checks that the local
+This condition is relevant only in a RCPT ACL. It checks that the local
part of the recipient address is in the list. If percent-hack processing is
enabled, it is done before this test. If the check succeeds with a lookup, the
result of the lookup is placed in &$local_part_data$&, which remains set until
.cindex "&ACL;" "virus scanning"
.cindex "&ACL;" "scanning for viruses"
This condition is available only when Exim is compiled with the
-content-scanning extension. It causes the incoming message to be scanned for
+content-scanning extension
+and only after a DATA command.
+It causes the incoming message to be scanned for
viruses. For details, see chapter &<<CHAPexiscan>>&.
.vitem &*mime_regex&~=&~*&<&'list&~of&~regular&~expressions'&>
.cindex "&%recipients%& ACL condition"
.cindex "recipient" "ACL checking"
.cindex "&ACL;" "testing a recipient"
-This condition is relevant only after a RCPT command. It checks the entire
+This condition is relevant only in a RCPT ACL. It checks the entire
recipient address against a list of recipients.
.vitem &*regex&~=&~*&<&'list&~of&~regular&~expressions'&>
non-SMTP ACLs. It causes the incoming message to be scanned for a match with
any of the regular expressions. For details, see chapter &<<CHAPexiscan>>&.
+.vitem &*seen&~=&~*&<&'parameters'&>
+.cindex "&%seen%& ACL condition"
+This condition can be used to test if a situation has been previously met,
+for example for greylisting.
+Details are given in section &<<SECTseen>>&.
+
.vitem &*sender_domains&~=&~*&<&'domain&~list'&>
.cindex "&%sender_domains%& ACL condition"
.cindex "sender" "ACL checking"
.cindex "header lines" "verifying header names only ASCII"
.cindex "verifying" "header names only ASCII"
This condition is relevant only in an ACL that is run after a message has been
-received, that is, in an ACL specified by &%acl_smtp_data%& or
-&%acl_not_smtp%&. It checks all header names (not the content) to make sure
+received.
+This usually means an ACL specified by &%acl_smtp_data%& or &%acl_not_smtp%&.
+It checks all header names (not the content) to make sure
there are no non-ASCII characters, also excluding control characters. The
allowable characters are decimal ASCII values 33 through 126.
condition to restrict it to bounce messages only:
.code
deny senders = :
- message = A valid sender header is required for bounces
!verify = header_sender
+ message = A valid sender header is required for bounces
.endd
.vitem &*verify&~=&~header_syntax*&
attempt to verify the HELO/EHLO contents, it is carried out when this
condition is encountered. See the description of the &%helo_verify_hosts%& and
&%helo_try_verify_hosts%& options for details of how to request verification
-independently of this condition.
+independently of this condition, and for detail of the verification.
For SMTP input that does not come over TCP/IP (the &%-bs%& command line
option), this condition is always true.
-.vitem &*verify&~=&~not_blind*&
+.vitem &*verify&~=&~not_blind/*&<&'options'&>
.cindex "verifying" "not blind"
.cindex "bcc recipients, verifying none"
This condition checks that there are no blind (bcc) recipients in the message.
&'Resent-Cc:'& header lines exist, they are also checked. This condition can be
used only in a DATA or non-SMTP ACL.
+There is one possible option, &`case_insensitive`&. If this is present then
+local parts are checked case-insensitively.
+
There are, of course, many legitimate messages that make use of blind (bcc)
recipients. This check should not be used on its own for blocking messages.
(eg. is generated from the received message)
they must be protected from the options parsing by doubling:
.code
-verify = sender=${sg{${address:$h_sender:}}{/}{//}}
+verify = sender=${listquote{/}{${address:$h_sender:}}}
.endd
.endlist
(which is the most common usage), because it prevents a DNS failure from
blocking mail. However, you can change this behaviour by putting one of the
following special items in the list:
-.display
-&`+include_unknown `& behave as if the item is on the list
-&`+exclude_unknown `& behave as if the item is not on the list (default)
-&`+defer_unknown `& give a temporary error
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 25* left 75* left
+.irow "+include_unknown" "behave as if the item is on the list"
+.irow "+exclude_unknown" "behave as if the item is not on the list (default)"
+.irow "+defer_unknown " "give a temporary error"
+.endtable
.cindex "&`+include_unknown`&"
.cindex "&`+exclude_unknown`&"
.cindex "&`+defer_unknown`&"
warn for one list and block for another, you can use two different statements:
.code
deny dnslists = blackholes.mail-abuse.org
-warn message = X-Warn: sending host is on dialups list
- dnslists = dialups.mail-abuse.org
+warn dnslists = dialups.mail-abuse.org
+ message = X-Warn: sending host is on dialups list
.endd
.cindex caching "of dns lookup"
.cindex DNS TTL
-.section "Specifying the IP address for a DNS list lookup" "SECID201"
+.subsection "Specifying the IP address for a DNS list lookup" SECID201
.cindex "DNS list" "keyed by explicit IP address"
By default, the IP address that is used in a DNS list lookup is the IP address
of the calling host. However, you can specify another IP address by listing it
-.section "DNS lists keyed on domain names" "SECID202"
+.subsection "DNS lists keyed on domain names" SECID202
.cindex "DNS list" "keyed by domain name"
There are some lists that are keyed on domain names rather than inverted IP
-addresses. No reversing of components is used
+addresses (see, e.g., the &'domain based zones'& link at
+&url(http://www.rfc-ignorant.org/)). No reversing of components is used
with these lists. You can change the name that is looked up in a DNS list by
listing it after the domain name, introduced by a slash. For example,
.code
-deny message = Sender's domain is listed at $dnslist_domain
- dnslists = dsn.rfc-ignorant.org/$sender_address_domain
+deny dnslists = dsn.rfc-ignorant.org/$sender_address_domain
+ message = Sender's domain is listed at $dnslist_domain
.endd
This particular example is useful only in ACLs that are obeyed after the
RCPT or DATA commands, when a sender address is available. If (for
-.section "Multiple explicit keys for a DNS list" "SECTmulkeyfor"
+.subsection "Multiple explicit keys for a DNS list" SECTmulkeyfor
.cindex "DNS list" "multiple keys for"
The syntax described above for looking up explicitly-defined values (either
names or IP addresses) in a DNS blacklist is a simplification. After the domain
However, when the data for the list is obtained from a lookup, the second form
is usually much more convenient. Consider this example:
.code
-deny message = The mail servers for the domain \
+deny dnslists = sbl.spamhaus.org/<|${lookup dnsdb {>|a=<|\
+ ${lookup dnsdb {>|mxh=\
+ $sender_address_domain} }} }
+ message = The mail servers for the domain \
$sender_address_domain \
are listed at $dnslist_domain ($dnslist_value); \
see $dnslist_text.
- dnslists = sbl.spamhaus.org/<|${lookup dnsdb {>|a=<|\
- ${lookup dnsdb {>|mxh=\
- $sender_address_domain} }} }
.endd
Note the use of &`>|`& in the dnsdb lookup to specify the separator for
multiple DNS records. The inner dnsdb lookup produces a list of MX hosts
-.section "Data returned by DNS lists" "SECID203"
+.subsection "Data returned by DNS lists" SECID203
.cindex "DNS list" "data returned from"
DNS lists are constructed using address records in the DNS. The original RBL
just used the address 127.0.0.1 on the right hand side of each record, but the
RBL+ list and some other lists use a number of values with different meanings.
The values used on the RBL+ list are:
-.display
-127.1.0.1 RBL
-127.1.0.2 DUL
-127.1.0.3 DUL and RBL
-127.1.0.4 RSS
-127.1.0.5 RSS and RBL
-127.1.0.6 RSS and DUL
-127.1.0.7 RSS and DUL and RBL
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 20* left 80* left
+.irow 127.1.0.1 "RBL"
+.irow 127.1.0.2 "DUL"
+.irow 127.1.0.3 "DUL and RBL"
+.irow 127.1.0.4 "RSS"
+.irow 127.1.0.5 "RSS and RBL"
+.irow 127.1.0.6 "RSS and DUL"
+.irow 127.1.0.7 "RSS and DUL and RBL"
+.endtable
Section &<<SECTaddmatcon>>& below describes how you can distinguish between
different values. Some DNS lists may return more than one address record;
see section &<<SECThanmuldnsrec>>& for details of how they are checked.
+Values returned by a properly running DBSBL should be in the 127.0.0.0/8
+range. If a DNSBL operator loses control of the domain, lookups on it
+may start returning other addresses. Because of this, Exim now ignores
+returned values outside the 127/8 region.
-.section "Variables set from DNS lists" "SECID204"
+
+.subsection "Variables set from DNS lists" SECID204
.cindex "expansion" "variables, set from DNS list"
.cindex "DNS list" "variables set from"
.vindex "&$dnslist_domain$&"
information.
You can use the DNS list variables in &%message%& or &%log_message%& modifiers
-&-- although these appear before the condition in the ACL, they are not
+&-- even if these appear before the condition in the ACL, they are not
expanded until after it has failed. For example:
.code
deny hosts = !+local_networks
-.section "Additional matching conditions for DNS lists" "SECTaddmatcon"
+.subsection "Additional matching conditions for DNS lists" SECTaddmatcon
.cindex "DNS list" "matching specific returned data"
You can add an equals sign and an IP address after a &%dnslists%& domain name
in order to restrict its action to DNS records with a matching right hand side.
-.section "Negated DNS matching conditions" "SECID205"
+.subsection "Negated DNS matching conditions" SECID205
You can supply a negative list of IP addresses as part of a &%dnslists%&
condition. Whereas
.code
.endd
which is less clear, and harder to maintain.
+Negation can also be used with a bitwise-and restriction.
+The dnslists condition with only be trus if a result is returned
+by the lookup which, anded with the restriction, is all zeroes.
+For example:
+.code
+deny dnslists = zen.spamhaus.org!&0.255.255.0
+.endd
-.section "Handling multiple DNS records from a DNS list" "SECThanmuldnsrec"
+
+.subsection "Handling multiple DNS records from a DNS list" SECThanmuldnsrec
A DNS lookup for a &%dnslists%& condition may return more than one DNS record,
thereby providing more than one IP address. When an item in a &%dnslists%& list
is followed by &`=`& or &`&&`& and a list of IP addresses, in order to restrict
-.section "Detailed information from merged DNS lists" "SECTmordetinf"
+.subsection "Detailed information from merged DNS lists" SECTmordetinf
.cindex "DNS list" "information from merged"
When the facility for restricting the matching IP values in a DNS list is used,
the text from the TXT record that is set in &$dnslist_text$& may not reflect
a check that the IP being tested is indeed on the first list. The first
domain is the one that is put in &$dnslist_domain$&. For example:
.code
-deny message = \
- rejected because $sender_host_address is blacklisted \
- at $dnslist_domain\n$dnslist_text
- dnslists = \
+deny dnslists = \
sbl.spamhaus.org,sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org=127.0.0.2 : \
dul.dnsbl.sorbs.net,dnsbl.sorbs.net=127.0.0.10
+ message = \
+ rejected because $sender_host_address is blacklisted \
+ at $dnslist_domain\n$dnslist_text
.endd
For the first blacklist item, this starts by doing a lookup in
&'sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org'& and testing for a 127.0.0.2 return. If there is a
-.section "DNS lists and IPv6" "SECTmorednslistslast"
+.subsection "DNS lists and IPv6" SECTmorednslistslast
.cindex "IPv6" "DNS black lists"
.cindex "DNS list" "IPv6 usage"
If Exim is asked to do a dnslist lookup for an IPv6 address, it inverts it
dnslists = <; dnsbl.example.com/<|$acl_m_addrslist
.endd
+
+.section "Previously seen user and hosts" "SECTseen"
+.cindex "&%seen%& ACL condition"
+.cindex greylisting
+The &%seen%& ACL condition can be used to test whether a
+situation has been previously met.
+It uses a hints database to record a timestamp against a key.
+The syntax of the condition is:
+.display
+&`seen =`& <&'optional flag'&><&'time interval'&> &`/`& <&'options'&>
+.endd
+
+For example,
+.code
+defer seen = -5m / key=${sender_host_address}_$local_part@$domain
+.endd
+in a RCPT ACL will implement simple greylisting.
+
+The parameters for the condition are
+a possible minus sign,
+then an interval,
+then, slash-separated, a list of options.
+The interval is taken as an offset before the current time,
+and used for the test.
+If the interval is preceded by a minus sign then the condition returns
+whether a record is found which is before the test time.
+Otherwise, the condition returns whether one is found which is since the
+test time.
+
+Options are read in order with later ones overriding earlier ones.
+
+The default key is &$sender_host_address$&.
+An explicit key can be set using a &%key=value%& option.
+
+If a &%readonly%& option is given then
+no record create or update is done.
+If a &%write%& option is given then
+a record create or update is always done.
+An update is done if the test is for &"since"&.
+If none of those hold and there was no existing record,
+a record is created.
+
+Creates and updates are marked with the current time.
+
+Finally, a &"before"& test which succeeds, and for which the record
+is old enough, will be refreshed with a timestamp of the test time.
+This can prevent tidying of the database from removing the entry.
+The interval for this is, by default, 10 days.
+An explicit interval can be set using a
+&%refresh=value%& option.
+
+Note that &"seen"& should be added to the list of hints databases
+for maintenance if this ACL condition is used.
+
+
.section "Rate limiting incoming messages" "SECTratelimiting"
.cindex "rate limiting" "client sending"
.cindex "limiting client sending rates"
ACL.
Each &%ratelimit%& condition can have up to four options. A &%per_*%& option
-specifies what Exim measures the rate of, for example messages or recipients
+specifies what Exim measures the rate of, for example, messages or recipients
or bytes. You can adjust the measurement using the &%unique=%& and/or
&%count=%& options. You can also control when Exim updates the recorded rate
using a &%strict%&, &%leaky%&, or &%readonly%& option. The options are
the &%count=%& option.
-.section "Ratelimit options for what is being measured" "ratoptmea"
+.subsection "Ratelimit options for what is being measured" ratoptmea
.cindex "rate limiting" "per_* options"
-The &%per_conn%& option limits the client's connection rate. It is not
+.vlist
+.vitem per_conn
+.cindex "rate limiting" per_conn
+This option limits the client's connection rate. It is not
normally used in the &%acl_not_smtp%&, &%acl_not_smtp_mime%&, or
&%acl_not_smtp_start%& ACLs.
-The &%per_mail%& option limits the client's rate of sending messages. This is
+.vitem per_mail
+.cindex "rate limiting" per_conn
+This option limits the client's rate of sending messages. This is
the default if none of the &%per_*%& options is specified. It can be used in
&%acl_smtp_mail%&, &%acl_smtp_rcpt%&, &%acl_smtp_predata%&, &%acl_smtp_mime%&,
&%acl_smtp_data%&, or &%acl_not_smtp%&.
-The &%per_byte%& option limits the sender's email bandwidth. It can be used in
+.vitem per_byte
+.cindex "rate limiting" per_conn
+This option limits the sender's email bandwidth. It can be used in
the same ACLs as the &%per_mail%& option, though it is best to use this option
in the &%acl_smtp_mime%&, &%acl_smtp_data%& or &%acl_not_smtp%& ACLs; if it is
used in an earlier ACL, Exim relies on the SIZE parameter given by the client
follow the limit &'m'& in the configuration with K, M, or G to specify limits
in kilobytes, megabytes, or gigabytes, respectively.
-The &%per_rcpt%& option causes Exim to limit the rate at which recipients are
+.vitem per_rcpt
+.cindex "rate limiting" per_rcpt
+This option causes Exim to limit the rate at which recipients are
accepted. It can be used in the &%acl_smtp_rcpt%&, &%acl_smtp_predata%&,
-&%acl_smtp_mime%&, &%acl_smtp_data%&, or &%acl_smtp_rcpt%& ACLs. In
+&%acl_smtp_mime%&, or &%acl_smtp_data%& ACLs. In
&%acl_smtp_rcpt%& the rate is updated one recipient at a time; in the other
ACLs the rate is updated with the total (accepted) recipient count in one go. Note that
in either case the rate limiting engine will see a message with many
recipients as a large high-speed burst.
-The &%per_addr%& option is like the &%per_rcpt%& option, except it counts the
+.vitem per_addr
+.cindex "rate limiting" per_addr
+This option is like the &%per_rcpt%& option, except it counts the
number of different recipients that the client has sent messages to in the
last time period. That is, if the client repeatedly sends messages to the same
recipient, its measured rate is not increased. This option can only be used in
&%acl_smtp_rcpt%&.
-The &%per_cmd%& option causes Exim to recompute the rate every time the
+.vitem per_cmd
+.cindex "rate limiting" per_cmd
+This option causes Exim to recompute the rate every time the
condition is processed. This can be used to limit the rate of any SMTP
command. If it is used in multiple ACLs it can limit the aggregate rate of
multiple different commands.
-The &%count=%& option can be used to alter how much Exim adds to the client's
-measured rate. For example, the &%per_byte%& option is equivalent to
-&`per_mail/count=$message_size`&. If there is no &%count=%& option, Exim
+.vitem count
+.cindex "rate limiting" count
+This option can be used to alter how much Exim adds to the client's
+measured rate.
+A value is required, after an equals sign.
+For example, the &%per_byte%& option is equivalent to
+&`per_mail/count=$message_size`&.
+If there is no &%count=%& option, Exim
increases the measured rate by one (except for the &%per_rcpt%& option in ACLs
-other than &%acl_smtp_rcpt%&). The count does not have to be an integer.
+other than &%acl_smtp_rcpt%&).
+The count does not have to be an integer.
-The &%unique=%& option is described in section &<<ratoptuniq>>& below.
+.vitem unique
+.cindex "rate limiting" unique
+This option is described in section &<<ratoptuniq>>& below.
+.endlist
-.section "Ratelimit update modes" "ratoptupd"
+.subsection "Ratelimit update modes" ratoptupd
.cindex "rate limiting" "reading data without updating"
You can specify one of three options with the &%ratelimit%& condition to
control when its database is updated. This section describes the &%readonly%&
.code
acl_check_connect:
deny ratelimit = 100 / 5m / readonly
- log_message = RATE CHECK: $sender_rate/$sender_rate_period \
+ log_message = RATE CHECK: $sender_rate/$sender_rate_period \
(max $sender_rate_limit)
# ...
acl_check_mail:
warn ratelimit = 100 / 5m / strict
- log_message = RATE UPDATE: $sender_rate/$sender_rate_period \
+ log_message = RATE UPDATE: $sender_rate/$sender_rate_period \
(max $sender_rate_limit)
.endd
next section) so you must specify the &%readonly%& option explicitly.
-.section "Ratelimit options for handling fast clients" "ratoptfast"
+.subsection "Ratelimit options for handling fast clients" ratoptfast
.cindex "rate limiting" "strict and leaky modes"
If a client's average rate is greater than the maximum, the rate limiting
engine can react in two possible ways, depending on the presence of the
The &%leaky%& (default) option means that the client's recorded rate is not
updated if it is above the limit. The effect of this is that Exim measures the
client's average rate of successfully sent email,
-.new
up to the given limit.
This is appropriate if the countermeasure when the condition is true
consists of refusing the message, and
is generally the better choice if you have clients that retry automatically.
If the action when true is anything more complex then this option is
likely not what is wanted.
-.wen
The &%strict%& option means that the client's recorded rate is always
updated. The effect of this is that Exim measures the client's average rate
.endd
-.section "Limiting the rate of different events" "ratoptuniq"
+.subsection "Limiting the rate of different events" ratoptuniq
.cindex "rate limiting" "counting unique events"
The &%ratelimit%& &%unique=%& option controls a mechanism for counting the
rate of different events. For example, the &%per_addr%& option uses this
as intended.
-.section "Using rate limiting" "useratlim"
+.subsection "Using rate limiting" useratlim
Exim's other ACL facilities are used to define what counter-measures are taken
when the rate limit is exceeded. This might be anything from logging a warning
(for example, while measuring existing sending rates in order to define
ratelimit = 100 / 1d / strict / $authenticated_id
# System-wide rate limit
-defer message = Sorry, too busy. Try again later.
- ratelimit = 10 / 1s / $primary_hostname
+defer ratelimit = 10 / 1s / $primary_hostname
+ message = Sorry, too busy. Try again later.
# Restrict incoming rate from each host, with a default
# set using a macro and special cases looked up in a table.
-defer message = Sender rate exceeds $sender_rate_limit \
- messages per $sender_rate_period
- ratelimit = ${lookup {$sender_host_address} \
+defer ratelimit = ${lookup {$sender_host_address} \
cdb {DB/ratelimits.cdb} \
{$value} {RATELIMIT} }
+ message = Sender rate exceeds $sender_rate_limit \
+ messages per $sender_rate_period
.endd
&*Warning*&: If you have a busy server with a lot of &%ratelimit%& tests,
especially with the &%per_rcpt%& option, you may suffer from a performance
immediately after a successful redirection. By default, if a redirection
generates just one address, that address is also verified. See further
discussion in section &<<SECTredirwhilveri>>&.
+.next
+If the &%quota%& option is specified for recipient verify,
+successful routing to an appendfile transport is followed by a call into
+the transport to evaluate the quota status for the recipient.
+No actual delivery is done, but verification will succeed if the quota
+is sufficient for the message (if the sender gave a message size) or
+not already exceeded (otherwise).
.endlist
.cindex "verifying address" "differentiating failures"
If you are writing your own custom rejection message or log message when
denying access, you can use this variable to include information about the
verification failure.
+This variable is cleared at the end of processing the ACL verb.
In addition, &$sender_verify_failure$& or &$recipient_verify_failure$& (as
appropriate) contains one of the following words:
&%recipient%&: The RCPT command in a callout was rejected.
.next
&%postmaster%&: The postmaster check in a callout was rejected.
+.next
+&%quota%&: The quota check for a local recipient did non pass.
.endlist
The main use of these variables is expected to be to distinguish between
rejections of MAIL and rejections of RCPT in callouts.
-.new
The above variables may also be set after a &*successful*&
address verification to:
.ilist
&%random%&: A random local-part callout succeeded
.endlist
-.wen
clients when the SMTP PIPELINING extension is in use. The flushing can be
disabled by using a &%control%& modifier to set &%no_callout_flush%&.
+.cindex "tainted data" "de-tainting"
+.cindex "de-tainting" "using recipient verify"
+A recipient callout which gets a 2&'xx'& code
+will assign untainted values to the
+&$domain_data$& and &$local_part_data$& variables,
+corresponding to the domain and local parts of the recipient address.
+
-.section "Additional parameters for callouts" "CALLaddparcall"
+.subsection "Additional parameters for callouts" CALLaddparcall
.cindex "callout" "additional parameters for"
The &%callout%& option can be followed by an equals sign and a number of
optional parameters, separated by commas. For example:
-.section "Callout caching" "SECTcallvercache"
+.subsection "Callout caching" SECTcallvercache
.cindex "hints database" "callout cache"
.cindex "callout" "cache, description of"
.cindex "caching" "callout"
entire domain (for example, that it accepts the local part &'postmaster'&).
When an original callout fails, a detailed SMTP error message is given about
-the failure. However, for subsequent failures use the cache data, this message
+the failure. However, for subsequent failures that use the cache data, this message
is not available.
The expiry times for negative and positive address cache records are
+.section "Quota caching" "SECTquotacache"
+.cindex "hints database" "quota cache"
+.cindex "quota" "cache, description of"
+.cindex "caching" "quota"
+Exim caches the results of quota verification
+in order to reduce the amount of resources used.
+The &"callout"& hints database is used.
+
+The default cache periods are five minutes for a positive (good) result
+and one hour for a negative result.
+To change the periods the &%quota%& option can be followed by an equals sign
+and a number of optional paramemters, separated by commas.
+For example:
+.code
+verify = recipient/quota=cachepos=1h,cacheneg=1d
+.endd
+Possible parameters are:
+.vlist
+.vitem &*cachepos&~=&~*&<&'time&~interval'&>
+.cindex "quota cache" "positive entry expiry, specifying"
+Set the lifetime for a positive cache entry.
+A value of zero seconds is legitimate.
+
+.vitem &*cacheneg&~=&~*&<&'time&~interval'&>
+.cindex "quota cache" "negative entry expiry, specifying"
+As above, for a negative entry.
+
+.vitem &*no_cache*&
+Set both positive and negative lifetimes to zero.
+
.section "Sender address verification reporting" "SECTsenaddver"
.cindex "verifying" "suppressing error details"
See section &<<SECTaddressverification>>& for a general discussion of
use this:
.code
# Bounces: drop unsigned addresses for BATV senders
-deny message = This address does not send an unsigned reverse path
- senders = :
+deny senders = :
recipients = +batv_senders
+ message = This address does not send an unsigned reverse path
# Bounces: In case of prvs-signed address, check signature.
-deny message = Invalid reverse path signature.
- senders = :
+deny senders = :
condition = ${prvscheck {$local_part@$domain}\
{PRVSCHECK_SQL}{1}}
!condition = $prvscheck_result
+ message = Invalid reverse path signature.
.endd
The first statement rejects recipients for bounce messages that are addressed
to plain BATV sender addresses, because it is known that BATV senders do not
specialized interfaces for &"daemon"& type virus scanners, which are resident
in memory and thus are much faster.
+Since message data needs to have arrived,
+the condition may be only called in ACL defined by
+&%acl_smtp_data%&,
+&%acl_smtp_data_prdr%&,
+&%acl_smtp_mime%& or
+&%acl_smtp_dkim%&
+
A timeout of 2 minutes is applied to a scanner call (by default);
if it expires then a defer action is taken.
condition succeeds if a virus is found and its name matches the regular
expression. This allows you to take special actions on certain types of virus.
Note that &"/"& characters in the RE must be doubled due to the list-processing,
-unless the separator is changed (in the usual way).
+unless the separator is changed (in the usual way &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&).
.endlist
You can append a &`defer_ok`& element to the &%malware%& argument list to accept
Here is a very simple scanning example:
.code
-deny message = This message contains malware ($malware_name)
- malware = *
+deny malware = *
+ message = This message contains malware ($malware_name)
.endd
The next example accepts messages when there is a problem with the scanner:
.code
-deny message = This message contains malware ($malware_name)
- malware = */defer_ok
+deny malware = */defer_ok
+ message = This message contains malware ($malware_name)
.endd
The next example shows how to use an ACL variable to scan with both sophie and
aveserver. It assumes you have set:
.endd
in the main Exim configuration.
.code
-deny message = This message contains malware ($malware_name)
- set acl_m0 = sophie
+deny set acl_m0 = sophie
malware = *
+ message = This message contains malware ($malware_name)
-deny message = This message contains malware ($malware_name)
- set acl_m0 = aveserver
+deny set acl_m0 = aveserver
malware = *
+ message = This message contains malware ($malware_name)
.endd
you must set the &%spamd_address%& option in the global part of the Exim
configuration as follows (example):
.code
-spamd_address = 192.168.99.45 387
+spamd_address = 192.168.99.45 783
.endd
The SpamAssassin protocol relies on a TCP half-close from the client.
If your SpamAssassin client side is running a Linux system with an
As of version 2.60, &%SpamAssassin%& also supports communication over UNIX
sockets. If you want to us these, supply &%spamd_address%& with an absolute
-file name instead of an address/port pair:
+filename instead of an address/port pair:
.code
spamd_address = /var/run/spamd_socket
.endd
You can have multiple &%spamd%& servers to improve scalability. These can
reside on other hardware reachable over the network. To specify multiple
&%spamd%& servers, put multiple address/port pairs in the &%spamd_address%&
-option, separated with colons (the separator can be changed in the usual way):
+option, separated with colons (the separator can be changed in the usual way &<<SECTlistsepchange>>&):
.code
spamd_address = 192.168.2.10 783 : \
192.168.2.11 783 : \
Unix and TCP socket specifications may be mixed in any order.
Each element of the list is a list itself, space-separated by default
-and changeable in the usual way; take care to not double the separator.
+and changeable in the usual way (&<<SECTlistsepchange>>&);
+take care to not double the separator.
For TCP socket specifications a host name or IP (v4 or v6, but
subject to list-separator quoting rules) address can be used,
.section "Calling SpamAssassin from an Exim ACL" "SECID206"
Here is a simple example of the use of the &%spam%& condition in a DATA ACL:
.code
-deny message = This message was classified as SPAM
- spam = joe
+deny spam = joe
+ message = This message was classified as SPAM
.endd
The right-hand side of the &%spam%& condition specifies a name. This is
relevant if you have set up multiple SpamAssassin profiles. If you do not want
are quite small, it is recommended that you do not scan the big ones. For
example:
.code
-deny message = This message was classified as SPAM
- condition = ${if < {$message_size}{10K}}
+deny condition = ${if < {$message_size}{10K}}
spam = nobody
+ message = This message was classified as SPAM
.endd
The &%spam%& condition returns true if the threshold specified in the user's
.vlist
.vitem &$spam_score$&
-The spam score of the message, for example &"3.4"& or &"30.5"&. This is useful
+The spam score of the message, for example, &"3.4"& or &"30.5"&. This is useful
for inclusion in log or reject messages.
.vitem &$spam_score_int$&
statement block), append &`/defer_ok`& to the right-hand side of the
spam condition, like this:
.code
-deny message = This message was classified as SPAM
- spam = joe/defer_ok
+deny spam = joe/defer_ok
+ message = This message was classified as SPAM
.endd
This causes messages to be accepted even if there is a problem with &%spamd%&.
add_header = Subject: *SPAM* $h_Subject:
# reject spam at high scores (> 12)
-deny message = This message scored $spam_score spam points.
- spam = nobody:true
+deny spam = nobody:true
condition = ${if >{$spam_score_int}{120}{1}{0}}
+ message = This message scored $spam_score spam points.
.endd
.next
The string &"default"&. In that case, the file is put in the temporary
&"default"& directory <&'spool_directory'&>&_/scan/_&<&'message_id'&>&_/_& with
-a sequential file name consisting of the message id and a sequence number. The
+a sequential filename consisting of the message id and a sequence number. The
full path and name is available in &$mime_decoded_filename$& after decoding.
.next
A full path name starting with a slash. If the full name is an existing
directory, it is used as a replacement for the default directory. The filename
is then sequentially assigned. If the path does not exist, it is used as
-the full path and file name.
+the full path and filename.
.next
If the string does not start with a slash, it is used as the
filename, and the default path is then used.
available in the MIME ACL:
.vlist
+.vitem &$mime_anomaly_level$& &&&
+ &$mime_anomaly_text$&
+.vindex &$mime_anomaly_level$&
+.vindex &$mime_anomaly_text$&
+If there are problems decoding, these variables contain information on
+the detected issue.
+
.vitem &$mime_boundary$&
-If the current part is a multipart (see &$mime_is_multipart$&) below, it should
+.vindex &$mime_boundary$&
+If the current part is a multipart (see &$mime_is_multipart$& below), it should
have a boundary string, which is stored in this variable. If the current part
has no boundary parameter in the &'Content-Type:'& header, this variable
contains the empty string.
.vitem &$mime_charset$&
+.vindex &$mime_charset$&
This variable contains the character set identifier, if one was found in the
&'Content-Type:'& header. Examples for charset identifiers are:
.code
case-insensitively.
.vitem &$mime_content_description$&
+.vindex &$mime_content_description$&
This variable contains the normalized content of the &'Content-Description:'&
header. It can contain a human-readable description of the parts content. Some
implementations repeat the filename for attachments here, but they are usually
only used for display purposes.
.vitem &$mime_content_disposition$&
+.vindex &$mime_content_disposition$&
This variable contains the normalized content of the &'Content-Disposition:'&
header. You can expect strings like &"attachment"& or &"inline"& here.
.vitem &$mime_content_id$&
+.vindex &$mime_content_id$&
This variable contains the normalized content of the &'Content-ID:'& header.
This is a unique ID that can be used to reference a part from another part.
.vitem &$mime_content_size$&
+.vindex &$mime_content_size$&
This variable is set only after the &%decode%& modifier (see above) has been
successfully run. It contains the size of the decoded part in kilobytes. The
size is always rounded up to full kilobytes, so only a completely empty part
has a &$mime_content_size$& of zero.
.vitem &$mime_content_transfer_encoding$&
+.vindex &$mime_content_transfer_encoding$&
This variable contains the normalized content of the
&'Content-transfer-encoding:'& header. This is a symbolic name for an encoding
type. Typical values are &"base64"& and &"quoted-printable"&.
.vitem &$mime_content_type$&
+.vindex &$mime_content_type$&
If the MIME part has a &'Content-Type:'& header, this variable contains its
value, lowercased, and without any options (like &"name"& or &"charset"&). Here
are some examples of popular MIME types, as they may appear in this variable:
empty string.
.vitem &$mime_decoded_filename$&
+.vindex &$mime_decoded_filename$&
This variable is set only after the &%decode%& modifier (see above) has been
-successfully run. It contains the full path and file name of the file
+successfully run. It contains the full path and filename of the file
containing the decoded data.
.endlist
.cindex "RFC 2047"
.vlist
.vitem &$mime_filename$&
+.vindex &$mime_filename$&
This is perhaps the most important of the MIME variables. It contains a
proposed filename for an attachment, if one was found in either the
&'Content-Type:'& or &'Content-Disposition:'& headers. The filename will be
found, this variable contains the empty string.
.vitem &$mime_is_coverletter$&
+.vindex &$mime_is_coverletter$&
This variable attempts to differentiate the &"cover letter"& of an e-mail from
attached data. It can be used to clamp down on flashy or unnecessarily encoded
content in the cover letter, while not restricting attachments at all.
alternative plain text), while allowing HTML files to be attached. HTML
coverletter mail attached to non-HTML coverletter mail will also be allowed:
.code
-deny message = HTML mail is not accepted here
-!condition = $mime_is_rfc822
-condition = $mime_is_coverletter
-condition = ${if eq{$mime_content_type}{text/html}{1}{0}}
+deny !condition = $mime_is_rfc822
+ condition = $mime_is_coverletter
+ condition = ${if eq{$mime_content_type}{text/html}{1}{0}}
+ message = HTML mail is not accepted here
.endd
+
.vitem &$mime_is_multipart$&
+.vindex &$mime_is_multipart$&
This variable has the value 1 (true) when the current part has the main type
-&"multipart"&, for example &"multipart/alternative"& or &"multipart/mixed"&.
+&"multipart"&, for example, &"multipart/alternative"& or &"multipart/mixed"&.
Since multipart entities only serve as containers for other parts, you may not
want to carry out specific actions on them.
.vitem &$mime_is_rfc822$&
+.vindex &$mime_is_rfc822$&
This variable has the value 1 (true) if the current part is not a part of the
checked message itself, but part of an attached message. Attached message
decoding is fully recursive.
.vitem &$mime_part_count$&
+.vindex &$mime_part_count$&
This variable is a counter that is raised for each processed MIME part. It
starts at zero for the very first part (which is usually a multipart). The
counter is per-message, so it is reset when processing RFC822 attachments (see
with more backslashes, or use the &`\N`& facility to disable expansion.
Here is a simple example that contains two regular expressions:
.code
-deny message = contains blacklisted regex ($regex_match_string)
- regex = [Mm]ortgage : URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL
+deny regex = [Mm]ortgage : URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL
+ message = contains blacklisted regex ($regex_match_string)
.endd
The conditions returns true if any one of the regular expressions matches. The
&$regex_match_string$& expansion variable is then set up and contains the
.cindex "&[local_scan()]& function" "building Exim to use"
To make use of the local scan function feature, you must tell Exim where your
function is before building Exim, by setting
-.new
both HAVE_LOCAL_SCAN and
-.wen
LOCAL_SCAN_SOURCE in your
&_Local/Makefile_&. A recommended place to put it is in the &_Local_&
directory, so you might set
HAVE_LOCAL_SCAN=yes
LOCAL_SCAN_SOURCE=Local/local_scan.c
.endd
-for example. The function must be called &[local_scan()]&. It is called by
+for example. The function must be called &[local_scan()]&;
+the source file(s) for it should first #define LOCAL_SCAN
+and then #include "local_scan.h".
+It is called by
Exim after it has received a message, when the success return code is about to
be sent. This is after all the ACLs have been run. The return code from your
function controls whether the message is actually accepted or not. There is a
commented template function (that just accepts the message) in the file
_src/local_scan.c_.
-If you want to make use of Exim's run time configuration file to set options
+If you want to make use of Exim's runtime configuration file to set options
for your &[local_scan()]& function, you must also set
.code
LOCAL_SCAN_HAS_OPTIONS=yes
.section "API for local_scan()" "SECTapiforloc"
.cindex "&[local_scan()]& function" "API description"
+.cindex &%dlfunc%& "API description"
You must include this line near the start of your code:
.code
+#define LOCAL_SCAN
#include "local_scan.h"
.endd
This header file defines a number of variables and other values, and the
prototype for the function itself. Exim is coded to use unsigned char values
almost exclusively, and one of the things this header defines is a shorthand
for &`unsigned char`& called &`uschar`&.
-It also contains the following macro definitions, to simplify casting character
+It also makes available the following macro definitions, to simplify casting character
strings and pointers to character strings:
.code
#define CS (char *)
.vlist
.vitem &*int&~body_linecount*&
This variable contains the number of lines in the message's body.
-It is not valid if the &%spool_files_wireformat%& option is used.
+It is not valid if the &%spool_wireformat%& option is used.
.vitem &*int&~body_zerocount*&
This variable contains the number of binary zero bytes in the message's body.
-It is not valid if the &%spool_files_wireformat%& option is used.
+It is not valid if the &%spool_wireformat%& option is used.
.vitem &*unsigned&~int&~debug_selector*&
This variable is set to zero when no debugging is taking place. Otherwise, it
.vitem &*header_line&~*header_last*&
A pointer to the last of the header lines.
-.vitem &*uschar&~*headers_charset*&
+.vitem &*const&~uschar&~*headers_charset*&
The value of the &%headers_charset%& configuration option.
.vitem &*BOOL&~host_checking*&
.vitem &*int&~lss_match_domain(uschar&~*domain,&~uschar&~*list)*&
This function checks for a match in a domain list. Domains are always
matched caselessly. The return value is one of the following:
-.display
-&`OK `& match succeeded
-&`FAIL `& match failed
-&`DEFER `& match deferred
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 15* left 85* left
+.irow &`OK`& "match succeeded"
+.irow &`FAIL`& "match failed"
+.irow &`DEFER`& "match deferred"
+.endtable
DEFER is usually caused by some kind of lookup defer, such as the
inability to contact a database.
This function is used in conjunction with &'smtp_printf()'&, as described
below.
-.vitem &*void&~smtp_printf(char&~*,&~...)*&
-The arguments of this function are like &[printf()]&; it writes to the SMTP
+.vitem &*void&~smtp_printf(char&~*,BOOL,&~...)*&
+The arguments of this function are almost like &[printf()]&; it writes to the SMTP
output stream. You should use this function only when there is an SMTP output
stream, that is, when the incoming message is being received via interactive
SMTP. This is the case when &%smtp_input%& is TRUE and &%smtp_batched_input%&
If an SMTP TLS connection is established, &'smtp_printf()'& uses the TLS
output function, so it can be used for all forms of SMTP connection.
+The second argument is used to request that the data be buffered
+(when TRUE) or flushed (along with any previously buffered, when FALSE).
+This is advisory only, but likely to save on system-calls and packets
+sent when a sequence of calls to the function are made.
+
+The argument was added in Exim version 4.90 - changing the API/ABI.
+Nobody noticed until 4.93 was imminent, at which point the
+ABI version number was incremented.
+
Strings that are written by &'smtp_printf()'& from within &[local_scan()]&
must start with an appropriate response code: 550 if you are going to return
LOCAL_SCAN_REJECT, 451 if you are going to return
multiple output lines.
The &'smtp_printf()'& function does not return any error indication, because it
-does not automatically flush pending output, and therefore does not test
+does not
+guarantee a flush of
+pending output, and therefore does not test
the state of the stream. (In the main code of Exim, flushing and error
detection is done when Exim is ready for the next SMTP input command.) If
you want to flush the output and check for an error (for example, the
arguments. It flushes the output stream, and returns a non-zero value if there
is an error.
-.vitem &*void&~*store_get(int)*&
+.vitem &*void&~*store_get(int,BOOL)*&
This function accesses Exim's internal store (memory) manager. It gets a new
-chunk of memory whose size is given by the argument. Exim bombs out if it ever
+chunk of memory whose size is given by the first argument.
+The second argument should be given as TRUE if the memory will be used for
+data possibly coming from an attacker (eg. the message content),
+FALSE if it is locally-sourced.
+Exim bombs out if it ever
runs out of memory. See the next section for a discussion of memory handling.
-.vitem &*void&~*store_get_perm(int)*&
+.vitem &*void&~*store_get_perm(int,BOOL)*&
This function is like &'store_get()'&, but it always gets memory from the
permanent pool. See the next section for a discussion of memory handling.
is done. If a message fails to be completely delivered at the first attempt,
the system filter is run again at the start of every retry.
If you want your filter to do something only once per message, you can make use
+.cindex retry condition
of the &%first_delivery%& condition in an &%if%& command in the filter to
prevent it happening on retries.
.section "Setting an errors address in a system filter" "SECID217"
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
In a system filter, if a &%deliver%& command is followed by
.code
.section "Per-address filtering" "SECTperaddfil"
-.vindex "&$domain$&"
-.vindex "&$local_part$&"
+.vindex "&$domain_data$&"
+.vindex "&$local_part_data$&"
In contrast to the system filter, which is run just once per message for each
delivery attempt, it is also possible to set up a system-wide filtering
operation that runs once for each recipient address. In this case, variables
-such as &$local_part$& and &$domain$& can be used, and indeed, the choice of
-filter file could be made dependent on them. This is an example of a router
-which implements such a filter:
+such as &$local_part_data$& and &$domain_data$& can be used,
+and indeed, the choice of filter file could be made dependent on them.
+This is an example of a router which implements such a filter:
.code
central_filter:
check_local_user
driver = redirect
domains = +local_domains
- file = /central/filters/$local_part
+ file = /central/filters/$local_part_data
no_verify
allow_filter
allow_freeze
.cindex "sender" "address"
.oindex "&%uucp_from_pattern%&"
.oindex "&%uucp_from_sender%&"
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "&""From""& line"
Messages that have come from UUCP (and some other applications) often begin
-.section "Resent- header lines" "SECID220"
-.cindex "&%Resent-%& header lines"
-.cindex "header lines" "Resent-"
+.section "Header lines"
+.subsection "Resent- header lines" SECID220
+.chindex Resent-
RFC 2822 makes provision for sets of header lines starting with the string
&`Resent-`& to be added to a message when it is resent by the original
recipient to somebody else. These headers are &'Resent-Date:'&,
-.section "The Auto-Submitted: header line" "SECID221"
+.subsection Auto-Submitted: SECID221
Whenever Exim generates an autoreply, a bounce, or a delay warning message, it
includes the header line:
.code
Auto-Submitted: auto-replied
.endd
-.section "The Bcc: header line" "SECID222"
+.subsection Bcc: SECID222
.cindex "&'Bcc:'& header line"
If Exim is called with the &%-t%& option, to take recipient addresses from a
message's header, it removes any &'Bcc:'& header line that may exist (after
existing &'Bcc:'& is not removed.
-.section "The Date: header line" "SECID223"
-.cindex "&'Date:'& header line"
-.cindex "header lines" "Date:"
+.subsection Date: SECID223
+.cindex Date:
If a locally-generated or submission-mode message has no &'Date:'& header line,
Exim adds one, using the current date and time, unless the
&%suppress_local_fixups%& control has been specified.
-.section "The Delivery-date: header line" "SECID224"
+.subsection Delivery-date: SECID224
.cindex "&'Delivery-date:'& header line"
.oindex "&%delivery_date_remove%&"
&'Delivery-date:'& header lines are not part of the standard RFC 2822 header
messages.
-.section "The Envelope-to: header line" "SECID225"
-.cindex "&'Envelope-to:'& header line"
-.cindex "header lines" "Envelope-to:"
+.subsection Envelope-to: SECID225
+.chindex Envelope-to:
.oindex "&%envelope_to_remove%&"
&'Envelope-to:'& header lines are not part of the standard RFC 2822 header set.
Exim can be configured to add them to the final delivery of messages. (See the
messages.
-.section "The From: header line" "SECTthefrohea"
-.cindex "&'From:'& header line"
-.cindex "header lines" "From:"
+.subsection From: SECTthefrohea
+.chindex From:
.cindex "Sendmail compatibility" "&""From""& line"
.cindex "message" "submission"
.cindex "submission mode"
name as described in section &<<SECTconstr>>&.
-.section "The Message-ID: header line" "SECID226"
-.cindex "&'Message-ID:'& header line"
-.cindex "header lines" "Message-ID:"
+.subsection Message-ID: SECID226
+.chindex Message-ID:
.cindex "message" "submission"
.oindex "&%message_id_header_text%&"
If a locally-generated or submission-mode incoming message does not contain a
&%message_id_header_domain%& options.
-.section "The Received: header line" "SECID227"
-.cindex "&'Received:'& header line"
-.cindex "header lines" "Received:"
+.subsection Received: SECID227
+.chindex Received:
A &'Received:'& header line is added at the start of every message. The
contents are defined by the &%received_header_text%& configuration option, and
Exim automatically adds a semicolon and a timestamp to the configured string.
-H spool file is written) the earliest time at which delivery could start.
-.section "The References: header line" "SECID228"
-.cindex "&'References:'& header line"
-.cindex "header lines" "References:"
+.subsection References: SECID228
+.chindex References:
Messages created by the &(autoreply)& transport include a &'References:'&
header line. This is constructed according to the rules that are described in
section 3.64 of RFC 2822 (which states that replies should contain such a
-.section "The Return-path: header line" "SECID229"
-.cindex "&'Return-path:'& header line"
-.cindex "header lines" "Return-path:"
+.subsection Return-path: SECID229
+.chindex Return-path:
.oindex "&%return_path_remove%&"
&'Return-path:'& header lines are defined as something an MTA may insert when
it does the final delivery of messages. (See the generic &%return_path_add%&
-.section "The Sender: header line" "SECTthesenhea"
+.subsection Sender: SECTthesenhea
.cindex "&'Sender:'& header line"
.cindex "message" "submission"
-.cindex "header lines" "Sender:"
+.chindex Sender:
For a locally-originated message from an untrusted user, Exim may remove an
existing &'Sender:'& header line, and it may add a new one. You can modify
these actions by setting the &%local_sender_retain%& option true, the
.cindex "outgoing LMTP over TCP/IP"
.cindex "EHLO"
.cindex "HELO"
-.cindex "SIZE option on MAIL command"
+.cindex "SIZE" "option on MAIL command"
Outgoing SMTP and LMTP over TCP/IP is implemented by the &(smtp)& transport.
The &%protocol%& option selects which protocol is to be used, but the actual
processing is the same in both cases.
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" SIZE
If, in response to its EHLO command, Exim is told that the SIZE
-parameter is supported, it adds SIZE=<&'n'&> to each subsequent MAIL
+extension is supported, it adds SIZE=<&'n'&> to each subsequent MAIL
command. The value of <&'n'&> is the message size plus the value of the
&%size_addition%& option (default 1024) to allow for additions to the message
such as per-transport header lines, or changes made in a
-.section "Errors in outgoing SMTP" "SECToutSMTPerr"
+.subsection "Errors in outgoing SMTP" SECToutSMTPerr
.cindex "error" "in outgoing SMTP"
.cindex "SMTP" "errors in outgoing"
.cindex "host" "error"
Exim can be configured to verify addresses in incoming SMTP commands as they
are received. See chapter &<<CHAPACL>>& for details. It can also be configured
to rewrite addresses at this time &-- before any syntax checking is done. See
-section &<<SECTrewriteS>>&.
+section &<<SSECTrewriteS>>&.
Exim can also be configured to limit the rate at which a client host submits
MAIL and RCPT commands in a single SMTP session. See the
-.section "Unrecognized SMTP commands" "SECID234"
+.subsection "Unrecognized SMTP commands" SECID234
.cindex "SMTP" "unrecognized commands"
If Exim receives more than &%smtp_max_unknown_commands%& unrecognized SMTP
commands during a single SMTP connection, it drops the connection after sending
circumstances, a number of non-SMTP lines are sent first.
-.section "Syntax and protocol errors in SMTP commands" "SECID235"
+.subsection "Syntax and protocol errors in SMTP commands" SECID235
.cindex "SMTP" "syntax errors"
.cindex "SMTP" "protocol errors"
A syntax error is detected if an SMTP command is recognized, but there is
-.section "Use of non-mail SMTP commands" "SECID236"
+.subsection "Use of non-mail SMTP commands" SECID236
.cindex "SMTP" "non-mail commands"
The &"non-mail"& SMTP commands are those other than MAIL, RCPT, and
DATA. Exim counts such commands, and drops the connection if there are too
-.section "The VRFY and EXPN commands" "SECID237"
+.subsection "The VRFY and EXPN commands" SECID237
When Exim receives a VRFY or EXPN command on a TCP/IP connection, it
runs the ACL specified by &%acl_smtp_vrfy%& or &%acl_smtp_expn%& (as
appropriate) in order to decide whether the command should be accepted or not.
than a verification (the &%-bv%& option). If an unqualified local part is given
as the argument to EXPN, it is qualified with &%qualify_domain%&. Rejections
of VRFY and EXPN commands are logged on the main and reject logs, and
-VRFY verification failures are logged on the main log for consistency with
+VRFY verification failures are logged in the main log for consistency with
RCPT failures.
-.section "The ETRN command" "SECTETRN"
+.subsection "The ETRN command" SECTETRN
.cindex "ETRN" "processing"
-RFC 1985 describes an SMTP command called ETRN that is designed to
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" ETRN
+RFC 1985 describes an ESMTP command called ETRN that is designed to
overcome the security problems of the TURN command (which has fallen into
disuse). When Exim receives an ETRN command on a TCP/IP connection, it runs
the ACL specified by &%acl_smtp_etrn%& in order to decide whether the command
.chapter "Customizing bounce and warning messages" "CHAPemsgcust" &&&
"Customizing messages"
-When a message fails to be delivered, or remains on the queue for more than a
+When a message fails to be delivered, or remains in the queue for more than a
configured amount of time, Exim sends a message to the original sender, or
to an alternative configured address. The text of these messages is built into
the code of Exim, but it is possible to change it, either by adding a single
<$sender_address>
}}has not been delivered to all of its recipients after
-more than $warn_message_delay on the queue on $primary_hostname.
+more than $warn_message_delay in the queue on $primary_hostname.
The message identifier is: $message_exim_id
The subject of the message is: $h_subject
lists:
driver = redirect
domains = lists.example
- file = /usr/lists/$local_part
+ file = ${lookup {$local_part} dsearch,ret=full {/usr/lists}}
forbid_pipe
forbid_file
- errors_to = $local_part-request@lists.example
+ errors_to = ${quote_local_part:$local_part-request}@lists.example
no_more
.endd
This router is skipped for domains other than &'lists.example'&. For addresses
routers are tried, and so the whole delivery fails.
The &%forbid_pipe%& and &%forbid_file%& options prevent a local part from being
-expanded into a file name or a pipe delivery, which is usually inappropriate in
+expanded into a filename or a pipe delivery, which is usually inappropriate in
a mailing list.
.oindex "&%errors_to%&"
driver = redirect
domains = lists.example
local_part_suffix = -request
- file = /usr/lists/$local_part$local_part_suffix
+ local_parts = ${lookup {$local_part} dsearch,filter=file {/usr/lists}}
+ file = /usr/lists/${local_part_data}-request
no_more
lists_post:
driver = redirect
domains = lists.example
- senders = ${if exists {/usr/lists/$local_part}\
- {lsearch;/usr/lists/$local_part}{*}}
- file = /usr/lists/$local_part
+ local_parts = ${lookup {$local_part} dsearch,filter=file,ret=full {/usr/lists}}
+ senders = ${if exists {$local_part_data} {lsearch;$local_part_data}{*}}
+ file = ${lookup {$local_part} dsearch,ret=full {/usr/lists}}
forbid_pipe
forbid_file
- errors_to = $local_part-request@lists.example
+ errors_to = ${quote_local_part:$local_part-request}@lists.example
no_more
lists_closed:
.section "Variable Envelope Return Paths (VERP)" "SECTverp"
.cindex "VERP"
.cindex "Variable Envelope Return Paths"
+.cindex "envelope from"
.cindex "envelope sender"
Variable Envelope Return Paths &-- see &url(https://cr.yp.to/proto/verp.txt) &--
are a way of helping mailing list administrators discover which subscription
max_rcpt = 1
return_path = \
${if match {$return_path}{^(.+?)-request@your.dom.example\$}\
- {$1-request+$local_part=$domain@your.dom.example}fail}
+ {${quote_local_part:$1-request+$local_part=$domain}@your.dom.example}fail}
.endd
This has the effect of rewriting the return path (envelope sender) on outgoing
SMTP messages, if the local part of the original return path ends in
transport = remote_smtp
errors_to = \
${if match {$return_path}{^(.+?)-request@your.dom.example\$}}
- {$1-request+$local_part=$domain@your.dom.example}fail}
+ {${quote_local_part:$1-request+$local_part=$domain}@your.dom.example}fail}
no_more
.endd
Before you start sending out messages with VERPed return paths, you must also
virtual:
driver = redirect
domains = dsearch;/etc/mail/virtual
- data = ${lookup{$local_part}lsearch{/etc/mail/virtual/$domain}}
+ data = ${lookup{$local_part}lsearch{/etc/mail/virtual/$domain_data}}
no_more
.endd
The &%domains%& option specifies that the router is to be skipped, unless there
is a file in the &_/etc/mail/virtual_& directory whose name is the same as the
-domain that is being processed. When the router runs, it looks up the local
+domain that is being processed.
+The &(dsearch)& lookup used results in an untainted version of &$domain$&
+being placed into the &$domain_data$& variable.
+
+When the router runs, it looks up the local
part in the file to find a new address (or list of addresses). The &%no_more%&
setting ensures that if the lookup fails (leading to &%data%& being an empty
string), Exim gives up on the address without trying any subsequent routers.
-This one router can handle all the virtual domains because the alias file names
+This one router can handle all the virtual domains because the alias filenames
follow a fixed pattern. Permissions can be arranged so that appropriate people
can edit the different alias files. A successful aliasing operation results in
a new envelope recipient address, which is then routed from scratch.
.code
my_mailboxes:
driver = appendfile
- file = /var/mail/$domain/$local_part
+ file = /var/mail/$domain_data/$local_part_data
user = mail
.endd
This uses a directory of mailboxes for each domain. The &%user%& setting is
cases by testing the variable &$local_part_suffix$&. For example:
.code
if $local_part_suffix contains -special then
-save /home/$local_part/Mail/special
+save /home/$local_part_data/Mail/special
endif
.endd
If the filter file does not exist, or does not deal with such addresses, they
userforward:
driver = redirect
check_local_user
- file = $home/.forward$local_part_suffix
local_part_suffix = -*
local_part_suffix_optional
+ file = ${lookup {.forward$local_part_suffix} dsearch,ret=full {$home} {$value}fail}
allow_filter
.endd
If there is no suffix, &_.forward_& is used; if the suffix is &'-special'&, for
.section "Exim on the upstream server host" "SECID247"
It is tempting to arrange for incoming mail for the intermittently connected
-host to remain on Exim's queue until the client connects. However, this
+host to remain in Exim's queue until the client connects. However, this
approach does not scale very well. Two different kinds of waiting message are
being mixed up in the same queue &-- those that cannot be delivered because of
some temporary problem, and those that are waiting for their destination host
.cindex "SMTP" "passed connection"
.cindex "SMTP" "multiple deliveries"
.cindex "multiple SMTP deliveries"
+.cindex "first pass routing"
Mail waiting to be sent from an intermittently connected host will probably
not have been routed, because without a connection DNS lookups are not
possible. This means that if a normal queue run is done at connection time,
Linux this has been seen to make syslog take 90% plus of CPU time.
The destination for Exim's logs is configured by setting LOG_FILE_PATH in
-&_Local/Makefile_& or by setting &%log_file_path%& in the run time
+&_Local/Makefile_& or by setting &%log_file_path%& in the runtime
configuration. This latter string is expanded, so it can contain, for example,
references to the host name:
.code
log_file_path = /var/log/$primary_hostname/exim_%slog
.endd
It is generally advisable, however, to set the string in &_Local/Makefile_&
-rather than at run time, because then the setting is available right from the
+rather than at runtime, because then the setting is available right from the
start of Exim's execution. Otherwise, if there's something it wants to log
before it has read the configuration file (for example, an error in the
configuration file) it will not use the path you want, and may not be able to
When Exim encounters an empty item in the list, it searches the list defined by
LOG_FILE_PATH, and uses the first item it finds that is neither empty nor
&"syslog"&. This means that an empty item in &%log_file_path%& can be used to
-mean &"use the path specified at build time"&. It no such item exists, log
+mean &"use the path specified at build time"&. If no such item exists, log
files are written in the &_log_& subdirectory of the spool directory. This is
-equivalent to the setting:
+equivalent to the configuration file setting:
.code
log_file_path = $spool_directory/log/%slog
.endd
-If you do not specify anything at build time or run time,
-or if you unset the option at run time (i.e. &`log_file_path = `&),
+If you do not specify anything at build time or runtime,
+or if you unset the option at runtime (i.e. &`log_file_path = `&),
that is where the logs are written.
-A log file path may also contain &`%D`& or &`%M`& if datestamped log file names
+A log file path may also contain &`%D`& or &`%M`& if datestamped log filenames
are in use &-- see section &<<SECTdatlogfil>>& below.
-Here are some examples of possible settings:
+Here are some examples of possible Makefile settings:
.display
&`LOG_FILE_PATH=syslog `& syslog only
&`LOG_FILE_PATH=:syslog `& syslog and default path
successful, unsuccessful, and delayed delivery. These lines can readily be
picked out by the distinctive two-character flags that immediately follow the
timestamp. The flags are:
-.display
-&`<=`& message arrival
-&`(=`& message fakereject
-&`=>`& normal message delivery
-&`->`& additional address in same delivery
-&`>>`& cutthrough message delivery
-&`*>`& delivery suppressed by &%-N%&
-&`**`& delivery failed; address bounced
-&`==`& delivery deferred; temporary problem
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 10* left 90* left
+.irow &%<=%& "message arrival"
+.irow &%(=%& "message fakereject"
+.irow &%=>%& "normal message delivery"
+.irow &%->%& "additional address in same delivery"
+.irow &%>>%& "cutthrough message delivery"
+.irow &%*>%& "delivery suppressed by &%-N%&"
+.irow &%**%& "delivery failed; address bounced"
+.irow &%==%& "delivery deferred; temporary problem"
+.endtable
.section "Logging message reception" "SECID251"
If SMTP AUTH was used for the delivery there is an additional item A=
followed by the name of the authenticator that was used.
If an authenticated identification was set up by the authenticator's &%client_set_id%&
-option, this is logged too, separated by a colon from the authenticator name.
+option, this is logged too, as a second colon-separated list item.
+Optionally (see the &%smtp_mailauth%& &%log_selector%&) there may be a third list item.
If a shadow transport was run after a successful local delivery, the log line
for the successful delivery has an item added on the end, of the form
When more than one address is included in a single delivery (for example, two
SMTP RCPT commands in one transaction) the second and subsequent addresses are
flagged with &`->`& instead of &`=>`&. When two or more messages are delivered
-down a single SMTP connection, an asterisk follows the IP address in the log
-lines for the second and subsequent messages.
+down a single SMTP connection, an asterisk follows the
+remote IP address (and port if enabled)
+in the log lines for the second and subsequent messages.
When two or more messages are delivered down a single TLS connection, the
DNS and some TLS-related information logged for the first message delivered
will not be present in the log lines for the second and subsequent messages.
&`DKIM`& domain verified in incoming message
&`DN `& distinguished name from peer certificate
&`DS `& DNSSEC secured lookups
-&`DT `& on &`=>`& lines: time taken for a delivery
+&`DT `& on &`=>`&, &'=='& and &'**'& lines: time taken for, or to attempt, a delivery
&`F `& sender address (on delivery lines)
&`H `& host name and IP address
&`I `& local interface used
-&`id `& message id for incoming message
+&`id `& message id (from header) for incoming message
&`K `& CHUNKING extension used
&`L `& on &`<=`& and &`=>`& lines: PIPELINING extension used
&`M8S `& 8BITMIME status for incoming message
.endd
The list of optional log items is in the following table, with the default
selection marked by asterisks:
-.display
-&` 8bitmime `& received 8BITMIME status
-&`*acl_warn_skipped `& skipped &%warn%& statement in ACL
-&` address_rewrite `& address rewriting
-&` all_parents `& all parents in => lines
-&` arguments `& command line arguments
-&`*connection_reject `& connection rejections
-&`*delay_delivery `& immediate delivery delayed
-&` deliver_time `& time taken to perform delivery
-&` delivery_size `& add &`S=`&&'nnn'& to => lines
-&`*dkim `& DKIM verified domain on <= lines
-&` dkim_verbose `& separate full DKIM verification result line, per signature
-&`*dnslist_defer `& defers of DNS list (aka RBL) lookups
-&` dnssec `& DNSSEC secured lookups
-&`*etrn `& ETRN commands
-&`*host_lookup_failed `& as it says
-&` ident_timeout `& timeout for ident connection
-&` incoming_interface `& local interface on <= and => lines
-&` incoming_port `& remote port on <= lines
-&`*lost_incoming_connection `& as it says (includes timeouts)
-&` millisec `& millisecond timestamps and RT,QT,DT,D times
-&` outgoing_interface `& local interface on => lines
-&` outgoing_port `& add remote port to => lines
-&`*queue_run `& start and end queue runs
-&` queue_time `& time on queue for one recipient
-&` queue_time_overall `& time on queue for whole message
-&` pid `& Exim process id
-&` pipelining `& PIPELINING use, on <= and => lines
-&` proxy `& proxy address on <= and => lines
-&` receive_time `& time taken to receive message
-&` received_recipients `& recipients on <= lines
-&` received_sender `& sender on <= lines
-&`*rejected_header `& header contents on reject log
-&`*retry_defer `& &"retry time not reached"&
-&` return_path_on_delivery `& put return path on => and ** lines
-&` sender_on_delivery `& add sender to => lines
-&`*sender_verify_fail `& sender verification failures
-&`*size_reject `& rejection because too big
-&`*skip_delivery `& delivery skipped in a queue run
-&`*smtp_confirmation `& SMTP confirmation on => lines
-&` smtp_connection `& incoming SMTP connections
-&` smtp_incomplete_transaction`& incomplete SMTP transactions
-&` smtp_mailauth `& AUTH argument to MAIL commands
-&` smtp_no_mail `& session with no MAIL commands
-&` smtp_protocol_error `& SMTP protocol errors
-&` smtp_syntax_error `& SMTP syntax errors
-&` subject `& contents of &'Subject:'& on <= lines
-&`*tls_certificate_verified `& certificate verification status
-&`*tls_cipher `& TLS cipher suite on <= and => lines
-&` tls_peerdn `& TLS peer DN on <= and => lines
-&` tls_sni `& TLS SNI on <= lines
-&` unknown_in_list `& DNS lookup failed in list match
-
-&` all `& all of the above
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 3 2.8in left 10pt center 3in left
+.irow &`8bitmime`& "received 8BITMIME status"
+.irow &`acl_warn_skipped`& * "skipped &%warn%& statement in ACL"
+.irow &`address_rewrite`& "address rewriting"
+.irow &`all_parents`& "all parents in => lines"
+.irow &`arguments`& "command line arguments"
+.irow &`connection_reject`& * "connection rejections"
+.irow &`delay_delivery`& * "immediate delivery delayed"
+.irow &`deliver_time`& "time taken to attempt delivery"
+.irow &`delivery_size`& "add &`S=`&&'nnn'& to => lines"
+.irow &`dkim`& * "DKIM verified domain on <= lines"
+.irow &`dkim_verbose`& "separate full DKIM verification result line, per signature"
+.irow &`dnslist_defer`& * "defers of DNS list (aka RBL) lookups"
+.irow &`dnssec`& "DNSSEC secured lookups"
+.irow &`etrn`& * "ETRN commands"
+.irow &`host_lookup_failed`& * "as it says"
+.irow &`ident_timeout`& "timeout for ident connection"
+.irow &`incoming_interface`& "local interface on <= and => lines"
+.irow &`incoming_port`& "remote port on <= lines"
+.irow &`lost_incoming_connection`& * "as it says (includes timeouts)"
+.irow &`millisec`& "millisecond timestamps and RT,QT,DT,D times"
+.irow &`msg_id`& * "on <= lines, Message-ID: header value"
+.irow &`msg_id_created`& "on <= lines, Message-ID: header value when one had to be added"
+.irow &`outgoing_interface`& "local interface on => lines"
+.irow &`outgoing_port`& "add remote port to => lines"
+.irow &`queue_run`& * "start and end queue runs"
+.irow &`queue_time`& "time on queue for one recipient"
+.irow &`queue_time_exclusive`& "exclude recieve time from QT times"
+.irow &`queue_time_overall`& "time on queue for whole message"
+.irow &`pid`& "Exim process id"
+.irow &`pipelining`& "PIPELINING use, on <= and => lines"
+.irow &`proxy`& "proxy address on <= and => lines"
+.irow &`receive_time`& "time taken to receive message"
+.irow &`received_recipients`& "recipients on <= lines"
+.irow &`received_sender`& "sender on <= lines"
+.irow &`rejected_header`& * "header contents on reject log"
+.irow &`retry_defer`& * "&<quote>&retry time not reached&</quote>&"
+.irow &`return_path_on_delivery`& "put return path on => and ** lines"
+.irow &`sender_on_delivery`& "add sender to => lines"
+.irow &`sender_verify_fail`& * "sender verification failures"
+.irow &`size_reject`& * "rejection because too big"
+.irow &`skip_delivery`& * "delivery skipped in a queue run"
+.irow &`smtp_confirmation`& * "SMTP confirmation on => lines"
+.irow &`smtp_connection`& "incoming SMTP connections"
+.irow &`smtp_incomplete_transaction`& "incomplete SMTP transactions"
+.irow &`smtp_mailauth`& "AUTH argument to MAIL commands"
+.irow &`smtp_no_mail`& "session with no MAIL commands"
+.irow &`smtp_protocol_error`& "SMTP protocol errors"
+.irow &`smtp_syntax_error`& "SMTP syntax errors"
+.irow &`subject`& "contents of &'Subject:'& on <= lines"
+.irow &`tls_certificate_verified`& * "certificate verification status"
+.irow &`tls_cipher`& * "TLS cipher suite on <= and => lines"
+.irow &`tls_peerdn`& "TLS peer DN on <= and => lines"
+.irow &`tls_resumption`& "append * to cipher field"
+.irow &`tls_sni`& "TLS SNI on <= lines"
+.irow &`unknown_in_list`& "DNS lookup failed in list match"
+.irow &`all`& "&*all of the above*&"
+.endtable
See also the &%slow_lookup_log%& main configuration option,
section &<<SECID99>>&
client's ident port times out.
.next
.cindex "log" "incoming interface"
+.cindex "log" "outgoing interface"
.cindex "log" "local interface"
.cindex "log" "local address and port"
.cindex "TCP/IP" "logging local address and port"
&%incoming_interface%&: The interface on which a message was received is added
to the &"<="& line as an IP address in square brackets, tagged by I= and
followed by a colon and the port number. The local interface and port are also
-added to other SMTP log lines, for example &"SMTP connection from"&, to
-rejection lines, and (despite the name) to outgoing &"=>"& and &"->"& lines.
+added to other SMTP log lines, for example, &"SMTP connection from"&, to
+rejection lines, and (despite the name) to outgoing
+&"=>"&, &"->"&, &"=="& and &"**"& lines.
The latter can be disabled by turning off the &%outgoing_interface%& option.
.next
.cindex log "incoming proxy address"
&%millisec%&: Timestamps have a period and three decimal places of finer granularity
appended to the seconds value.
.next
+.cindex "log" "message id"
+&%msg_id%&: The value of the Message-ID: header.
+.next
+&%msg_id_created%&: The value of the Message-ID: header, when one had to be created.
+This will be either because the message is a bounce, or was submitted locally
+(submission mode) without one.
+The field identifier will have an asterix appended: &"id*="&.
+.next
.cindex "log" "outgoing interface"
.cindex "log" "local interface"
.cindex "log" "local address and port"
&%pid%&: The current process id is added to every log line, in square brackets,
immediately after the time and date.
.next
-.new
.cindex log pipelining
.cindex pipelining "logging outgoing"
&%pipelining%&: A field is added to delivery and accept
log lines when the ESMTP PIPELINING extension was used.
The field is a single "L".
+
On accept lines, where PIPELINING was offered but not used by the client,
the field has a minus appended.
+
+.cindex "pipelining" "early connection"
+If Exim is built without the DISABLE_PIPE_CONNECT build option
+accept "L" fields have a period appended if the feature was
+offered but not used, or an asterisk appended if used.
+Delivery "L" fields have an asterisk appended if used.
+
.next
.cindex "log" "queue run"
.cindex "queue runner" "logging"
.cindex "log" "queue time"
&%queue_time%&: The amount of time the message has been in the queue on the
local host is logged as QT=<&'time'&> on delivery (&`=>`&) lines, for example,
-&`QT=3m45s`&. The clock starts when Exim starts to receive the message, so it
-includes reception time as well as the delivery time for the current address.
-This means that it may be longer than the difference between the arrival and
-delivery log line times, because the arrival log line is not written until the
-message has been successfully received.
+&`QT=3m45s`&.
If millisecond logging is enabled, short times will be shown with greater
precision, eg. &`QT=1.578s`&.
.next
&%queue_time_overall%&: The amount of time the message has been in the queue on
the local host is logged as QT=<&'time'&> on &"Completed"& lines, for
-example, &`QT=3m45s`&. The clock starts when Exim starts to receive the
-message, so it includes reception time as well as the total delivery time.
+example, &`QT=3m45s`&.
.next
.cindex "log" "receive duration"
&%receive_time%&: For each message, the amount of real time it has taken to
.cindex "log" "frozen messages; skipped"
.cindex "frozen messages" "logging skipping"
&%skip_delivery%&: A log line is written whenever a message is skipped during a
-queue run because it is frozen or because another process is already delivering
-it.
+queue run because it another process is already delivering it or because
+it is frozen.
.cindex "&""spool file is locked""&"
-The message that is written is &"spool file is locked"&.
+.cindex "&""message is frozen""&"
+The message that is written is either &"spool file is locked"& or
+&"message is frozen"&.
.next
.cindex "log" "smtp confirmation"
.cindex "SMTP" "logging confirmation"
when TLS is in use. The item is &`CV=yes`& if the peer's certificate was
verified
using a CA trust anchor,
-&`CA=dane`& if using a DNS trust anchor,
+&`CV=dane`& if using a DNS trust anchor,
and &`CV=no`& if not.
.next
.cindex "log" "TLS cipher"
connection, and a certificate is supplied by the remote host, the peer DN is
added to the log line, preceded by DN=.
.next
+.cindex "log" "TLS resumption"
+.cindex "TLS" "logging session resumption"
+&%tls_resumption%&: When a message is sent or received over an encrypted
+connection and the TLS session resumed one used on a previous TCP connection,
+an asterisk is appended to the X= cipher field in the log line.
+.next
.cindex "log" "TLS SNI"
.cindex "TLS" "logging SNI"
+.cindex SNI logging
&%tls_sni%&: When a message is received over an encrypted connection, and
the remote host provided the Server Name Indication extension, the SNI is
added to the log line, preceded by SNI=.
"check address acceptance from given IP"
.irow &<<SECTdbmbuild>>& &'exim_dbmbuild'& "build a DBM file"
.irow &<<SECTfinindret>>& &'exinext'& "extract retry information"
-.irow &<<SECThindatmai>>& &'exim_dumpdb'& "dump a hints database"
-.irow &<<SECThindatmai>>& &'exim_tidydb'& "clean up a hints database"
-.irow &<<SECThindatmai>>& &'exim_fixdb'& "patch a hints database"
+.irow &<<SECTdumpdb>>& &'exim_dumpdb'& "dump a hints database"
+.irow &<<SECTtidydb>>& &'exim_tidydb'& "clean up a hints database"
+.irow &<<SECTfixdb>>& &'exim_fixdb'& "patch a hints database"
.irow &<<SECTmailboxmaint>>& &'exim_lock'& "lock a mailbox file"
.endtable
system configuration options that configure exactly how &'exiwhat'& works. If
it doesn't seem to be working for you, check the following compile-time
options:
-.display
-&`EXIWHAT_PS_CMD `& the command for running &'ps'&
-&`EXIWHAT_PS_ARG `& the argument for &'ps'&
-&`EXIWHAT_EGREP_ARG `& the argument for &'egrep'& to select from &'ps'& output
-&`EXIWHAT_KILL_ARG `& the argument for the &'kill'& command
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 30* left 70* left
+.irow &`EXIWHAT_PS_CMD`& "the command for running &'ps'&"
+.irow &`EXIWHAT_PS_ARG`& "the argument for &'ps'&"
+.irow &`EXIWHAT_EGREP_ARG`& "the argument for &'egrep'& to select from &'ps'& output"
+.irow &`EXIWHAT_KILL_ARG`& "the argument for the &'kill'& command"
+.endtable
An example of typical output from &'exiwhat'& is
.code
164 daemon: -q1h, listening on port 25
.code
exim -bp
.endd
-The &*-C*& option is used to specify an alternate &_exim.conf_& which might
-contain alternate exim configuration the queue management might be using.
-
to obtain a queue listing, and then greps the output to select messages
that match given criteria. The following selection options are available:
.vitem &*-x*&
Match only non-frozen messages.
+
+.vitem &*-G*&&~<&'queuename'&>
+Match only messages in the given queue. Without this, the default queue is searched.
.endlist
The following options control the format of the output:
Include delivered recipients in queue listing.
.endlist
+The following options give alternates for configuration:
+
+.vlist
+.vitem &*-C*&&~<&'config&~file'&>
+is used to specify an alternate &_exim.conf_& which might
+contain alternate exim configuration the queue management might be using.
+
+.vitem &*-E*&&~<&'path'&>
+can be used to specify a path for the exim binary,
+overriding the built-in one.
+.endlist
+
There is one more option, &%-h%&, which outputs a list of options.
+At least one selection option, or either the &*-c*& or &*-h*& option, must be given.
.cindex "&'exiqsumm'&"
.cindex "queue" "summary"
The &'exiqsumm'& utility is a Perl script which reads the output of &`exim
--bp`& and produces a summary of the messages on the queue. Thus, you use it by
+-bp`& and produces a summary of the messages in the queue. Thus, you use it by
running a command such as
.code
exim -bp | exiqsumm
.display
&`exigrep [-t<`&&'n'&&`>] [-I] [-l] [-M] [-v] <`&&'pattern'&&`> [<`&&'log file'&&`>] ...`&
.endd
-If no log file names are given on the command line, the standard input is read.
+If no log filenames are given on the command line, the standard input is read.
The &%-t%& argument specifies a number of seconds. It adds an additional
condition for message selection. Messages that are complete are shown only if
-they spent more than <&'n'&> seconds on the queue.
+they spent more than <&'n'&> seconds in the queue.
By default, &'exigrep'& does case-insensitive matching. The &%-I%& option
makes it case-sensitive. This may give a performance improvement when searching
configuration.
.endlist
-Each time &'exicyclog'& is run the file names get &"shuffled down"& by one. If
-the main log file name is &_mainlog_& (the default) then when &'exicyclog'& is
+Each time &'exicyclog'& is run the filenames get &"shuffled down"& by one. If
+the main log filename is &_mainlog_& (the default) then when &'exicyclog'& is
run &_mainlog_& becomes &_mainlog.01_&, the previous &_mainlog.01_& becomes
&_mainlog.02_& and so on, up to the limit that is set in the script or by the
&%-k%& option. Log files whose numbers exceed the limit are discarded. Reject
The remainder of the output is in sections that can be independently disabled
or modified by various options. It consists of a summary of deliveries by
transport, histograms of messages received and delivered per time interval
-(default per hour), information about the time messages spent on the queue,
+(default per hour), information about the time messages spent in the queue,
a list of relayed messages, lists of the top fifty sending hosts, local
senders, destination hosts, and destination local users by count and by volume,
and a list of delivery errors that occurred.
.cindex "USE_DB"
If the native DB interface is in use (USE_DB is set in a compile-time
-configuration file &-- this is common in free versions of Unix) the two file
-names must be different, because in this mode the Berkeley DB functions create
-a single output file using exactly the name given. For example,
+configuration file &-- this is common in free versions of Unix) the two
+filenames must be different, because in this mode the Berkeley DB functions
+create a single output file using exactly the name given. For example,
.code
exim_dbmbuild /etc/aliases /etc/aliases.db
.endd
environment, the suffixes are added to the second argument of
&'exim_dbmbuild'&, so it can be the same as the first. This is also the case
when the Berkeley functions are used in compatibility mode (though this is not
-recommended), because in that case it adds a &_.db_& suffix to the file name.
+recommended), because in that case it adds a &_.db_& suffix to the filename.
If a duplicate key is encountered, the program outputs a warning, and when it
finishes, its return code is 1 rather than zero, unless the &%-noduperr%&
.next
&'ratelimit'&: the data for implementing the ratelimit ACL condition
.next
+&'tls'&: TLS session resumption data
+.next
&'misc'&: other hints data
.endlist
-.section "exim_dumpdb" "SECID261"
+.section "exim_dumpdb" "SECTdumpdb"
.cindex "&'exim_dumpdb'&"
The entire contents of a database are written to the standard output by the
-&'exim_dumpdb'& program, which has no options or arguments other than the
-spool and database names. For example, to dump the retry database:
+&'exim_dumpdb'& program,
+taking as arguments the spool and database names.
+An option &'-z'& may be given to request times in UTC;
+otherwise times are in the local timezone.
+An option &'-k'& may be given to dump only the record keys.
+For example, to dump the retry database:
.code
exim_dumpdb /var/spool/exim retry
.endd
-Two lines of output are produced for each entry:
+For the retry database
+two lines of output are produced for each entry:
.code
T:mail.ref.example:192.168.242.242 146 77 Connection refused
31-Oct-1995 12:00:12 02-Nov-1995 12:21:39 02-Nov-1995 20:21:39 *
-.section "exim_tidydb" "SECID262"
+.section "exim_tidydb" "SECTtidydb"
.cindex "&'exim_tidydb'&"
The &'exim_tidydb'& utility program is used to tidy up the contents of a hints
database. If run with no options, it removes all records that are more than 30
-.section "exim_fixdb" "SECID263"
+.section "exim_fixdb" "SECTfixdb"
.cindex "&'exim_fixdb'&"
The &'exim_fixdb'& program is a utility for interactively modifying databases.
Its main use is for testing Exim, but it might also be occasionally useful for
-getting round problems in a live system. It has no options, and its interface
+getting round problems in a live system. Its interface
is somewhat crude. On entry, it prompts for input with a right angle-bracket. A
key of a database record can then be entered, and the data for that record is
displayed.
sequence of digit pairs for year, month, day, hour, and minute. Colons can be
used as optional separators.
+Both displayed and input times are in the local timezone by default.
+If an option &'-z'& is used on the command line, displayed times
+are in UTC.
+
mailbox, which is the same as Exim's default. The use of &%-flock%& or
&%-fcntl%& requires that the file be writeable; the use of &%-lockfile%&
requires that the directory containing the file be writeable. Locking by lock
-file does not last for ever; Exim assumes that a lock file is expired if it is
+file does not last forever; Exim assumes that a lock file is expired if it is
more than 30 minutes old.
The &%-mbx%& option can be used with either or both of &%-fcntl%& or
End
.endd
.cindex "admin user"
-In order to see the contents of messages on the queue, and to operate on them,
+In order to see the contents of messages in the queue, and to operate on them,
&'eximon'& must either be run as root or by an admin user.
The command-line parameters of &'eximon'& are passed to &_eximon.bin_& and may
.section "The stripcharts" "SECID265"
.cindex "stripchart"
-The first stripchart is always a count of messages on the queue. Its name can
+The first stripchart is always a count of messages in the queue. Its name can
be configured by setting QUEUE_STRIPCHART_NAME in the
&_Local/eximon.conf_& file. The remaining stripcharts are defined in the
configuration script by regular expression matches on log file entries, making
.section "The queue display" "SECID268"
.cindex "queue" "display in monitor"
The bottom section of the monitor window contains a list of all messages that
-are on the queue, which includes those currently being received or delivered,
+are in the queue, which includes those currently being received or delivered,
as well as those awaiting delivery. The size of this subwindow is controlled by
parameters in the configuration file &_Local/eximon.conf_&, and the frequency
at which it is updated is controlled by another parameter in the same file &--
to force an update of the queue display at any time.
When a host is down for some time, a lot of pending mail can build up for it,
-and this can make it hard to deal with other messages on the queue. To help
+and this can make it hard to deal with other messages in the queue. To help
with this situation there is a button next to &"Update"& called &"Hide"&. If
pressed, a dialogue box called &"Hide addresses ending with"& is put up. If you
type anything in here and press &"Return"&, the text is added to a chain of
pressing the &"Hide"& button.
The queue display contains, for each unhidden queued message, the length of
-time it has been on the queue, the size of the message, the message id, the
+time it has been in the queue, the size of the message, the message id, the
message sender, and the first undelivered recipient, all on one line. If it is
a bounce message, the sender is shown as &"<>"&. If there is more than one
recipient to which the message has not yet been delivered, subsequent ones are
&'body'&: The contents of the spool file containing the body of the message are
displayed in a new text window. There is a default limit of 20,000 bytes to the
amount of data displayed. This can be changed by setting the BODY_MAX
-option at compile time, or the EXIMON_BODY_MAX option at run time.
+option at compile time, or the EXIMON_BODY_MAX option at runtime.
.next
&'deliver message'&: A call to Exim is made using the &%-M%& option to request
delivery of the message. This causes an automatic thaw if the message is
.ilist
ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX can be set to a string that is required to match the
-start of any file names used with the &%-C%& option. When it is set, these file
-names are also not allowed to contain the sequence &"/../"&. (However, if the
-value of the &%-C%& option is identical to the value of CONFIGURE_FILE in
+start of any filenames used with the &%-C%& option. When it is set, these
+filenames are also not allowed to contain the sequence &"/../"&. (However, if
+the value of the &%-C%& option is identical to the value of CONFIGURE_FILE in
&_Local/Makefile_&, Exim ignores &%-C%& and proceeds as usual.) There is no
default setting for &%ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX%&.
obviously more secure if Exim does not run as root except when necessary.
For this reason, a user and group for Exim to use must be defined in
&_Local/Makefile_&. These are known as &"the Exim user"& and &"the Exim
-group"&. Their values can be changed by the run time configuration, though this
+group"&. Their values can be changed by the runtime configuration, though this
is not recommended. Often a user called &'exim'& is used, but some sites use
&'mail'& or another user name altogether.
.cindex "security" "data sources"
.cindex "security" "regular expressions"
.cindex "regular expressions" "security"
-.cindex "PCRE" "security"
+.cindex "PCRE2" "security"
If configuration data for Exim can come from untrustworthy sources, there
are some issues to be aware of:
Letting untrusted data provide a regular expression is unwise.
.next
Using &%${match...}%& to apply a fixed regular expression against untrusted
-data may result in pathological behaviour within PCRE. Be aware of what
+data may result in pathological behaviour within PCRE2. Be aware of what
"backtracking" means and consider options for being more strict with a regular
expression. Avenues to explore include limiting what can match (avoiding &`.`&
when &`[a-z0-9]`& or other character class will do), use of atomic grouping and
is insurance against disk crashes where the directory is lost but the files
themselves are recoverable.
-.new
The file formats may be changed, or new formats added, at any release.
Spool files are not intended as an interface to other programs
and should not be used as such.
-.wen
Some people are tempted into editing -D files in order to modify messages. You
need to be extremely careful if you do this; it is not recommended and you are
start of the epoch. The second number is a count of the number of messages
warning of delayed delivery that have been sent to the sender.
-There follow a number of lines starting with a hyphen. These can appear in any
-order, and are omitted when not relevant:
+There follow a number of lines starting with a hyphen.
+These contain variables, can appear in any
+order, and are omitted when not relevant.
+
+If there is a second hyphen after the first,
+the corresponding data is tainted.
+If there is a value in parentheses, the data is quoted for a lookup.
+
+The following word specifies a variable,
+and the remainder of the item depends on the variable.
.vlist
.vitem "&%-acl%&&~<&'number'&>&~<&'length'&>"
. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-.chapter "DKIM and SPF" "CHAPdkim" &&&
- "DKIM and SPF Support"
-.cindex "DKIM"
+.chapter "DKIM, SPF, SRS and DMARC" "CHAPdkim" &&&
+ "DKIM, SPF, SRS and DMARC Support"
.section "DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)" SECDKIM
+.cindex "DKIM"
DKIM is a mechanism by which messages sent by some entity can be provably
linked to a domain which that entity controls. It permits reputation to
senders).
-.section "Signing outgoing messages" "SECDKIMSIGN"
-.cindex "DKIM" "signing"
+.subsection "Signing outgoing messages" SECDKIMSIGN
+.cindex DKIM signing
For signing to be usable you must have published a DKIM record in DNS.
-Note that RFC 8301 says:
+Note that RFC 8301 (which does not cover EC keys) says:
.code
rsa-sha1 MUST NOT be used for signing or verifying.
Signing is enabled by setting private options on the SMTP transport.
These options take (expandable) strings as arguments.
-.option dkim_domain smtp string list&!! unset
+.option dkim_domain smtp "string list&!!" unset
The domain(s) you want to sign with.
After expansion, this can be a list.
-Each element in turn is put into the &%$dkim_domain%& expansion variable
+Each element in turn,
+lowercased,
+.vindex "&$dkim_domain$&"
+is put into the &%$dkim_domain%& expansion variable
while expanding the remaining signing options.
If it is empty after expansion, DKIM signing is not done,
and no error will result even if &%dkim_strict%& is set.
-.option dkim_selector smtp string list&!! unset
+.option dkim_selector smtp "string list&!!" unset
This sets the key selector string.
After expansion, which can use &$dkim_domain$&, this can be a list.
Each element in turn is put in the expansion
+.vindex "&$dkim_selector$&"
variable &%$dkim_selector%& which may be used in the &%dkim_private_key%&
option along with &%$dkim_domain%&.
If the option is empty after expansion, DKIM signing is not done for this domain,
and no error will result even if &%dkim_strict%& is set.
+To do, for example, dual-signing with RSA and EC keys
+this could be be used:
+.code
+dkim_selector = ec_sel : rsa_sel
+dkim_private_key = KEYS_DIR/$dkim_selector
+.endd
+
.option dkim_private_key smtp string&!! unset
This sets the private key to use.
You can use the &%$dkim_domain%& and
openssl genrsa -out dkim_rsa.private 2048
openssl rsa -in dkim_rsa.private -out /dev/stdout -pubout -outform PEM
.endd
+The result file from the first command should be retained, and
+this option set to use it.
Take the base-64 lines from the output of the second command, concatenated,
for the DNS TXT record.
See section 3.6 of RFC6376 for the record specification.
Signers SHOULD use RSA keys of at least 2048 bits.
.endd
-Support for EC keys is being developed under
-&url(https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-dcrup-dkim-crypto/).
+EC keys for DKIM are defined by RFC 8463.
They are considerably smaller than RSA keys for equivalent protection.
As they are a recent development, users should consider dual-signing
(by setting a list of selectors, and an expansion for this option)
certtool --load_privkey=dkim_ed25519.private --pubkey_info --outder | tail -c +13 | base64
.endd
-Note that the format
-of Ed25519 keys in DNS has not yet been decided; this release supports
-both of the leading candidates at this time, a future release will
-probably drop support for whichever proposal loses.
+Exim also supports an alternate format
+of Ed25519 keys in DNS which was a candidate during development
+of the standard, but not adopted.
+A future release will probably drop that support.
.option dkim_hash smtp string&!! sha256
Can be set to any one of the supported hash methods, which are:
.option dkim_strict smtp string&!! unset
This option defines how Exim behaves when signing a message that
should be signed fails for some reason. When the expansion evaluates to
-either "1" or "true", Exim will defer. Otherwise Exim will send the message
+either &"1"& or &"true"&, Exim will defer. Otherwise Exim will send the message
unsigned. You can use the &%$dkim_domain%& and &%$dkim_selector%& expansion
variables here.
When unspecified, the header names listed in RFC4871 will be used,
whether or not each header is present in the message.
The default list is available for the expansion in the macro
-"_DKIM_SIGN_HEADERS".
+&"_DKIM_SIGN_HEADERS"&
+and an oversigning variant is in &"_DKIM_OVERSIGN_HEADERS"&.
If a name is repeated, multiple headers by that name (or the absence thereof)
will be signed. The textually later headers in the headers part of the
message are signed first, if there are multiples.
-A name can be prefixed with either an '=' or a '+' character.
-If an '=' prefix is used, all headers that are present with this name
+A name can be prefixed with either an &"="& or a &"+"& character.
+If an &"="& prefix is used, all headers that are present with this name
will be signed.
-If a '+' prefix if used, all headers that are present with this name
+If a &"+"& prefix if used, all headers that are present with this name
will be signed, and one signature added for a missing header with the
name will be appended.
-.new
.option dkim_timestamps smtp integer&!! unset
This option controls the inclusion of timestamp information in the signature.
If not set, no such information will be included.
both creation (t=) and expiry (x=) tags will be included.
RFC 6376 lists these tags as RECOMMENDED.
-.wen
-.section "Verifying DKIM signatures in incoming mail" "SECDKIMVFY"
-.cindex "DKIM" "verification"
+.subsection "Verifying DKIM signatures in incoming mail" SECDKIMVFY
+.cindex DKIM verification
-.new
Verification of DKIM signatures in SMTP incoming email is done for all
messages for which an ACL control &%dkim_disable_verify%& has not been set.
+.cindex DKIM "selecting signature algorithms"
+Individual classes of signature algorithm can be ignored by changing
+the main options &%dkim_verify_hashes%& or &%dkim_verify_keytypes%&.
+The &%dkim_verify_minimal%& option can be set to cease verification
+processing for a message once the first passing signature is found.
+
.cindex authentication "expansion item"
Performing verification sets up information used by the
-&$authresults$& expansion item.
-.wen
+&%authresults%& expansion item.
-.new The results of that verification are then made available to the
-&%acl_smtp_dkim%& ACL, &new(which can examine and modify them).
-By default, this ACL is called once for each
-syntactically(!) correct signature in the incoming message.
+For most purposes the default option settings suffice and the remainder
+of this section can be ignored.
+
+The results of verification are made available to the
+&%acl_smtp_dkim%& ACL, which can examine and modify them.
A missing ACL definition defaults to accept.
+By default, the ACL is called once for each
+syntactically(!) correct signature in the incoming message.
If any ACL call does not accept, the message is not accepted.
If a cutthrough delivery was in progress for the message, that is
summarily dropped (having wasted the transmission effort).
-To evaluate the &new(verification result) in the ACL
+To evaluate the verification result in the ACL
a large number of expansion variables
containing the signature status and its details are set up during the
runtime of the ACL.
Calling the ACL only for existing signatures is not sufficient to build
-more advanced policies. For that reason, the global option
-&%dkim_verify_signers%&, and a global expansion variable
+more advanced policies. For that reason, the main option
+&%dkim_verify_signers%&, and an expansion variable
&%$dkim_signers%& exist.
-The global option &%dkim_verify_signers%& can be set to a colon-separated
+The main option &%dkim_verify_signers%& can be set to a colon-separated
list of DKIM domains or identities for which the ACL &%acl_smtp_dkim%& is
called. It is expanded when the message has been received. At this point,
the expansion variable &%$dkim_signers%& already contains a colon-separated
If a domain or identity is listed several times in the (expanded) value of
&%dkim_verify_signers%&, the ACL is only called once for that domain or identity.
+Note that if the option is set using untrustworthy data
+(such as the From: header)
+care should be taken to force lowercase for domains
+and for the domain part if identities.
+The default setting can be regarded as trustworthy in this respect.
+
If multiple signatures match a domain (or identity), the ACL is called once
for each matching signature.
-Inside the &%acl_smtp_dkim%&, the following expansion variables are
+Inside the DKIM ACL, the following expansion variables are
available (from most to least important):
algorithms (currently, rsa-sha1) have permanently failed evaluation
.endd
-To enforce this you must have a DKIM ACL which checks this variable
-and overwrites the &$dkim_verify_status$& variable as discussed above.
+To enforce this you must either have a DKIM ACL which checks this variable
+and overwrites the &$dkim_verify_status$& variable as discussed above,
+or have set the main option &%dkim_verify_hashes%& to exclude
+processing of such signatures.
.vitem &%$dkim_canon_body%&
The body canonicalization method. One of 'relaxed' or 'simple'.
The number of signed body bytes. If zero ("0"), the body is unsigned. If no
limit was set by the signer, "9999999999999" is returned. This makes sure
that this variable always expands to an integer value.
-.new
&*Note:*& The presence of the signature tag specifying a signing body length
is one possible route to spoofing of valid DKIM signatures.
A paranoid implementation might wish to regard signature where this variable
shows less than the "no limit" return as being invalid.
-.wen
.vitem &%$dkim_created%&
UNIX timestamp reflecting the date and time when the signature was created.
.vitem &%$dkim_key_length%&
Number of bits in the key.
+Valid only once the key is loaded, which is at the time the header signature
+is verified, which is after the body hash is.
Note that RFC 8301 says:
.code
less than 1024 bits as valid signatures.
.endd
-To enforce this you must have a DKIM ACL which checks this variable
-and overwrites the &$dkim_verify_status$& variable as discussed above.
-As EC keys are much smaller, the check should only do this for RSA keys.
+This is enforced by the default setting for the &%dkim_verify_min_keysizes%&
+option.
.endlist
.code
# Warn when Mail purportedly from GMail has no gmail signature
-warn log_message = GMail sender without gmail.com DKIM signature
- sender_domains = gmail.com
+warn sender_domains = gmail.com
dkim_signers = gmail.com
dkim_status = none
+ log_message = GMail sender without gmail.com DKIM signature
.endd
Note that the above does not check for a total lack of DKIM signing;
to restrict an ACL verb to a list of verification outcomes, for example:
.code
-deny message = Mail from Paypal with invalid/missing signature
- sender_domains = paypal.com:paypal.de
+deny sender_domains = paypal.com:paypal.de
dkim_signers = paypal.com:paypal.de
dkim_status = none:invalid:fail
+ message = Mail from Paypal with invalid/missing signature
.endd
The possible status keywords are: 'none','invalid','fail' and 'pass'. Please
SPF is a mechanism whereby a domain may assert which IP addresses may transmit
messages with its domain in the envelope from, documented by RFC 7208.
-For more information on SPF see &url(http://www.openspf.org).
-. --- 2018-09-07: still not https
+For more information on SPF see &url(http://www.open-spf.org), a static copy of
+the &url(http://openspf.org).
+. --- 2019-10-28: still not https, open-spf.org is told to be a
+. --- web-archive copy of the now dead openspf.org site
+. --- See https://www.mail-archive.com/mailop@mailop.org/msg08019.html for a
+. --- discussion.
Messages sent by a system not authorised will fail checking of such assertions.
This includes retransmissions done by traditional forwarders.
For verification, an ACL condition and an expansion lookup are provided.
.cindex authentication "expansion item"
Performing verification sets up information used by the
-&$authresults$& expansion item.
+&%authresults%& expansion item.
.cindex SPF "ACL condition"
.vitem &%temperror%&
This indicates a temporary error during all processing, including Exim's
SPF processing. You may defer messages when this occurs.
+
+.vitem &%invalid%&
+There was an error during processing of the SPF lookup
.endlist
You can prefix each string with an exclamation mark to invert
message = $sender_host_address is not allowed to send mail from \
${if def:sender_address_domain \
{$sender_address_domain}{$sender_helo_name}}. \
- Please see http://www.openspf.org/Why?scope=\
- ${if def:sender_address_domain {mfrom}{helo}};\
+ Please see http://www.open-spf.org/Why;\
identity=${if def:sender_address_domain \
{$sender_address}{$sender_helo_name}};\
ip=$sender_host_address
.endd
+Note: The above mentioned URL may not be as helpful as expected. You are
+encouraged to replace the link with a link to a site with more
+explanations.
+
When the spf condition has run, it sets up several expansion
variables:
.vitem &$spf_received$&
.vindex &$spf_received$&
- This contains a complete Received-SPF: header that can be
- added to the message. Please note that according to the SPF
- draft, this header must be added at the top of the header
- list. Please see section 10 on how you can do this.
+ This contains a complete Received-SPF: header (name and
+ content) that can be added to the message. Please note that
+ according to the SPF draft, this header must be added at the
+ top of the header list, i.e. with
+.code
+add_header = :at_start:$spf_received
+.endd
+ See section &<<SECTaddheadacl>>& for further details.
Note: in case of "Best-guess" (see below), the convention is
to put this string in a header called X-SPF-Guess: instead.
.vitem &$spf_result$&
.vindex &$spf_result$&
This contains the outcome of the SPF check in string form,
- one of pass, fail, softfail, none, neutral, permerror or
- temperror.
+ currently one of pass, fail, softfail, none, neutral, permerror,
+ temperror, or &"(invalid)"&.
.vitem &$spf_result_guessed$&
.vindex &$spf_result_guessed$&
.vitem &$spf_smtp_comment$&
.vindex &$spf_smtp_comment$&
+.vindex &%spf_smtp_comment_template%&
This contains a string that can be used in a SMTP response
to the calling party. Useful for "fail".
+ The string is generated by the SPF library from the template configured in the main config
+ option &%spf_smtp_comment_template%&.
.endlist
"Best-guess". Strictly speaking, "Best-guess" is not standard
SPF, but it is supported by the same framework that enables SPF
capability.
-Refer to &url(http://www.openspf.org/FAQ/Best_guess_record)
+Refer to &url(http://www.open-spf.org/FAQ/Best_guess_record)
for a description of what it means.
-. --- 2018-09-07: still not https:
+. --- 2019-10-28: still not https:
To access this feature, simply use the spf_guess condition in place
of the spf one. For example:
.cindex SPF "lookup expansion"
.cindex lookup spf
A lookup expansion is also available. It takes an email
-address as the key and an IP address as the database:
+address as the key and an IP address
+(v4 or v6)
+as the database:
.code
${lookup {username@domain} spf {ip.ip.ip.ip}}
The lookup will return the same result strings as can appear in
&$spf_result$& (pass,fail,softfail,neutral,none,err_perm,err_temp).
-Currently, only IPv4 addresses are supported.
+
+
+
+
+
+.subsection "SRS (Sender Rewriting Scheme)" SECTSRS
+.cindex SRS "sender rewriting scheme"
+
+SRS can be used to modify sender addresses when forwarding so that
+SPF verification does not object to them.
+It operates by encoding the original envelope sender in a new
+sender local part and using a domain run by the forwarding site
+as the new domain for the sender. Any DSN message should be returned
+to this new sender at the forwarding site, which can extract the
+original sender from the coded local part and forward the DSN to
+the originator.
+
+This is a way of avoiding the breakage that SPF does to forwarding.
+The constructed local-part will be longer than the original,
+leading to possible problems with very long addresses.
+The changing of the sender address also hinders the tracing of mail
+problems.
+
+Exim can be built to include native SRS support. To do this
+SUPPORT_SRS=yes must be defined in &_Local/Makefile_&.
+If this has been done, the macros _HAVE_SRS and _HAVE_NATIVE_SRS
+will be defined.
+The support is limited to SRS0-encoding; SRS1 is not supported.
+
+.cindex SRS excoding
+To encode an address use this expansion item:
+.vlist
+.vitem &*${srs_encode&~{*&<&'secret'&>&*}{*&<&'return&~path'&>&*}{*&<&'original&~domain'&>&*}}*&
+.cindex "&%srs_encode%& expansion item"
+.cindex SRS "expansion item"
+The first argument should be a secret known and used by all systems
+handling the recipient domain for the original message.
+There is no need to periodically change this key; a timestamp is also
+encoded.
+The second argument should be given as the envelope sender address before this
+encoding operation.
+If this value is empty the the expansion result will be empty.
+The third argument should be the recipient domain of the message when
+it arrived at this system.
+.endlist
+
+.cindex SRS decoding
+To decode an address use this expansion condition:
+.vlist
+.vitem &*inbound_srs&~{*&<&'local&~part'&>&*}{*&<&'secret'&>&*}*&
+The first argument should be the recipient local prt as is was received.
+The second argument is the site secret.
+
+If the messages is not for an SRS-encoded recipient the condition will
+return false. If it is, the condition will return true and the variable
+&$srs_recipient$& will be set to the decoded (original) value.
+.endlist
+
+Example usage:
+.code
+ #macro
+ SRS_SECRET = <pick something unique for your site for this. Use on all MXs.>
+
+ #routers
+
+ outbound:
+ driver = dnslookup
+ # if outbound, and forwarding has been done, use an alternate transport
+ domains = ! +my_domains
+ transport = ${if eq {$local_part@$domain} \
+ {$original_local_part@$original_domain} \
+ {remote_smtp} {remote_forwarded_smtp}}
+
+ inbound_srs:
+ driver = redirect
+ senders = :
+ domains = +my_domains
+ # detect inbound bounces which are SRS'd, and decode them
+ condition = ${if inbound_srs {$local_part} {SRS_SECRET}}
+ data = $srs_recipient
+
+ inbound_srs_failure:
+ driver = redirect
+ senders = :
+ domains = +my_domains
+ # detect inbound bounces which look SRS'd but are invalid
+ condition = ${if inbound_srs {$local_part} {}}
+ allow_fail
+ data = :fail: Invalid SRS recipient address
+
+ #... further routers here
+
+
+ # transport; should look like the non-forward outbound
+ # one, plus the max_rcpt and return_path options
+ remote_forwarded_smtp:
+ driver = smtp
+ # modify the envelope from, for mails that we forward
+ max_rcpt = 1
+ return_path = ${srs_encode {SRS_SECRET} {$return_path} {$original_domain}}
+.endd
+
+
+
+
+
+.section DMARC SECDMARC
+.cindex DMARC verification
+
+DMARC combines feedback from SPF, DKIM, and header From: in order
+to attempt to provide better indicators of the authenticity of an
+email. This document does not explain the fundamentals; you
+should read and understand how it works by visiting the website at
+&url(http://www.dmarc.org/).
+
+If Exim is built with DMARC support,
+the libopendmarc library is used.
+
+For building Exim yourself, obtain the library from
+&url(http://sourceforge.net/projects/opendmarc/)
+to obtain a copy, or find it in your favorite package
+repository. You will need to attend to the local/Makefile feature
+SUPPORT_DMARC and the associated LDFLAGS addition.
+This description assumes
+that headers will be in /usr/local/include, and that the libraries
+are in /usr/local/lib.
+
+.subsection Configuration SSECDMARCCONFIG
+.cindex DMARC configuration
+
+There are three main-configuration options:
+.cindex DMARC "configuration options"
+
+The &%dmarc_tld_file%& option
+.oindex &%dmarc_tld_file%&
+defines the location of a text file of valid
+top level domains the opendmarc library uses
+during domain parsing. Maintained by Mozilla,
+the most current version can be downloaded
+from a link at &url(https://publicsuffix.org/list/public_suffix_list.dat).
+See also the util/renew-opendmarc-tlds.sh script.
+The default for the option is unset.
+If not set, DMARC processing is disabled.
+
+
+The &%dmarc_history_file%& option, if set
+.oindex &%dmarc_history_file%&
+defines the location of a file to log results
+of dmarc verification on inbound emails. The
+contents are importable by the opendmarc tools
+which will manage the data, send out DMARC
+reports, and expire the data. Make sure the
+directory of this file is writable by the user
+exim runs as.
+The default is unset.
+
+The &%dmarc_forensic_sender%& option
+.oindex &%dmarc_forensic_sender%&
+defines an alternate email address to use when sending a
+forensic report detailing alignment failures
+if a sender domain's dmarc record specifies it
+and you have configured Exim to send them.
+If set, this is expanded and used for the
+From: header line; the address is extracted
+from it and used for the envelope from.
+If not set (the default), the From: header is expanded from
+the dsn_from option, and <> is used for the
+envelope from.
+
+.subsection Controls SSECDMARCCONTROLS
+.cindex DMARC controls
+
+By default, the DMARC processing will run for any remote,
+non-authenticated user. It makes sense to only verify DMARC
+status of messages coming from remote, untrusted sources. You can
+use standard conditions such as hosts, senders, etc, to decide that
+DMARC verification should *not* be performed for them and disable
+DMARC with an ACL control modifier:
+.code
+ control = dmarc_disable_verify
+.endd
+A DMARC record can also specify a "forensic address", which gives
+exim an email address to submit reports about failed alignment.
+Exim does not do this by default because in certain conditions it
+results in unintended information leakage (what lists a user might
+be subscribed to, etc). You must configure exim to submit forensic
+reports to the owner of the domain. If the DMARC record contains a
+forensic address and you specify the control statement below, then
+exim will send these forensic emails. It is also advised that you
+configure a &%dmarc_forensic_sender%& because the default sender address
+construction might be inadequate.
+.code
+ control = dmarc_enable_forensic
+.endd
+(AGAIN: You can choose not to send these forensic reports by simply
+not putting the dmarc_enable_forensic control line at any point in
+your exim config. If you don't tell exim to send them, it will not
+send them.)
+
+There are no options to either control. Both must appear before
+the DATA acl.
+
+.subsection ACL SSECDMARCACL
+.cindex DMARC "ACL condition"
+
+DMARC checks can be run on incoming SMTP messages by using the
+&"dmarc_status"& ACL condition in the DATA ACL. You are required to
+call the &"spf"& condition first in the ACLs, then the &"dmarc_status"&
+condition. Putting this condition in the ACLs is required in order
+for a DMARC check to actually occur. All of the variables are set
+up before the DATA ACL, but there is no actual DMARC check that
+occurs until a &"dmarc_status"& condition is encountered in the ACLs.
+
+The &"dmarc_status"& condition takes a list of strings on its
+right-hand side. These strings describe recommended action based
+on the DMARC check. To understand what the policy recommendations
+mean, refer to the DMARC website above. Valid strings are:
+.itable none 0 0 2 20* left 80* left
+.irow &'accept'& "The DMARC check passed and the library recommends accepting the email"
+.irow &'reject'& "The DMARC check failed and the library recommends rejecting the email"
+.irow &'quarantine'& "The DMARC check failed and the library recommends keeping it for further inspection"
+.irow &'none'& "The DMARC check passed and the library recommends no specific action, neutral"
+.irow &'norecord'& "No policy section in the DMARC record for this RFC5322.From field"
+.irow &'nofrom'& "Unable to determine the domain of the sender"
+.irow &'temperror'& "Library error or dns error"
+.irow &'off'& "The DMARC check was disabled for this email"
+.endtable
+You can prefix each string with an exclamation mark to invert its
+meaning, for example "!accept" will match all results but
+"accept". The string list is evaluated left-to-right in a
+short-circuit fashion. When a string matches the outcome of the
+DMARC check, the condition succeeds. If none of the listed
+strings matches the outcome of the DMARC check, the condition
+fails.
+
+Of course, you can also use any other lookup method that Exim
+supports, including LDAP, Postgres, MySQL, etc, as long as the
+result is a list of colon-separated strings.
+
+Performing the check sets up information used by the
+&%authresults%& expansion item.
+
+Several expansion variables are set before the DATA ACL is
+processed, and you can use them in this ACL. The following
+expansion variables are available:
+
+.vlist
+.vitem &$dmarc_status$&
+.vindex &$dmarc_status$&
+.cindex DMARC result
+A one word status indicating what the DMARC library
+thinks of the email. It is a combination of the results of
+DMARC record lookup and the SPF/DKIM/DMARC processing results
+(if a DMARC record was found). The actual policy declared
+in the DMARC record is in a separate expansion variable.
+
+.vitem &$dmarc_status_text$&
+.vindex &$dmarc_status_text$&
+Slightly longer, human readable status.
+
+.vitem &$dmarc_used_domain$&
+.vindex &$dmarc_used_domain$&
+The domain which DMARC used to look up the DMARC policy record.
+
+.vitem &$dmarc_domain_policy$&
+.vindex &$dmarc_domain_policy$&
+The policy declared in the DMARC record. Valid values
+are "none", "reject" and "quarantine". It is blank when there
+is any error, including no DMARC record.
+.endlist
+
+.subsection Logging SSECDMARCLOGGING
+.cindex DMARC logging
+
+By default, Exim's DMARC configuration is intended to be
+non-intrusive and conservative. To facilitate this, Exim will not
+create any type of logging files without explicit configuration by
+you, the admin. Nor will Exim send out any emails/reports about
+DMARC issues without explicit configuration by you, the admin (other
+than typical bounce messages that may come about due to ACL
+processing or failure delivery issues).
+
+In order to log statistics suitable to be imported by the opendmarc
+tools, you need to:
+.ilist
+Configure the global option &%dmarc_history_file%&
+.next
+Configure cron jobs to call the appropriate opendmarc history
+import scripts and truncating the dmarc_history_file
+.endlist
+
+In order to send forensic reports, you need to:
+.ilist
+Configure the global option &%dmarc_forensic_sender%&
+.next
+Configure, somewhere before the DATA ACL, the control option to
+enable sending DMARC forensic reports
+.endlist
+
+.subsection Example SSECDMARCEXAMPLE
+.cindex DMARC example
+
+Example usage:
+.code
+(RCPT ACL)
+ warn domains = +local_domains
+ hosts = +local_hosts
+ control = dmarc_disable_verify
+
+ warn !domains = +screwed_up_dmarc_records
+ control = dmarc_enable_forensic
+
+ warn condition = (lookup if destined to mailing list)
+ set acl_m_mailing_list = 1
+
+(DATA ACL)
+ warn dmarc_status = accept : none : off
+ !authenticated = *
+ log_message = DMARC DEBUG: $dmarc_status $dmarc_used_domain
+
+ warn dmarc_status = !accept
+ !authenticated = *
+ log_message = DMARC DEBUG: '$dmarc_status' for $dmarc_used_domain
+
+ warn dmarc_status = quarantine
+ !authenticated = *
+ set $acl_m_quarantine = 1
+ # Do something in a transport with this flag variable
+
+ deny condition = ${if eq{$dmarc_domain_policy}{reject}}
+ condition = ${if eq{$acl_m_mailing_list}{1}}
+ message = Messages from $dmarc_used_domain break mailing lists
+
+ deny dmarc_status = reject
+ !authenticated = *
+ message = Message from $dmarc_used_domain failed sender's DMARC policy, REJECT
+
+ warn add_header = :at_start:${authresults {$primary_hostname}}
+.endd
+
The Proxy Protocol header is the first data received on a TCP connection
and is inserted before any TLS-on-connect handshake from the client; Exim
negotiates TLS between Exim-as-server and the remote client, not between
-Exim and the proxy server.
+Exim and the proxy server. The Proxy Protocol header must be received
+within &%proxy_protocol_timeout%&, which defaults to 3s.
The following expansion variables are usable
(&"internal"& and &"external"& here refer to the interfaces
of the proxy):
-.display
-&'proxy_external_address '& IP of host being proxied or IP of remote interface of proxy
-&'proxy_external_port '& Port of host being proxied or Port on remote interface of proxy
-&'proxy_local_address '& IP of proxy server inbound or IP of local interface of proxy
-&'proxy_local_port '& Port of proxy server inbound or Port on local interface of proxy
-&'proxy_session '& boolean: SMTP connection via proxy
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 30* left 70* left
+.irow $proxy_external_address "IP of host being proxied or IP of remote interface of proxy"
+.irow $proxy_external_port "Port of host being proxied or Port on remote interface of proxy"
+.irow $proxy_local_address "IP of proxy server inbound or IP of local interface of proxy"
+.irow $proxy_local_port "Port of proxy server inbound or Port on local interface of proxy"
+.irow $proxy_session "boolean: SMTP connection via proxy"
+.endtable
If &$proxy_session$& is set but &$proxy_external_address$& is empty
there was a protocol error.
+The variables &$sender_host_address$& and &$sender_host_port$&
+will have values for the actual client system, not the proxy.
Since the real connections are all coming from the proxy, and the
per host connection tracking is done before Proxy Protocol is
# Or do some kind of IP lookup in a flat file or database
# LIMIT = ${lookup{$sender_host_address}iplsearch{/etc/exim/proxy_limits}}
- defer message = Too many connections from this IP right now
- ratelimit = LIMIT / 5s / per_conn / strict
+ defer ratelimit = LIMIT / 5s / per_conn / strict
+ message = Too many connections from this IP right now
.endd
Options are a string <name>=<value>.
The list of options is in the following table:
-.display
-&'auth '& authentication method
-&'name '& authentication username
-&'pass '& authentication password
-&'port '& tcp port
-&'tmo '& connection timeout
-&'pri '& priority
-&'weight '& selection bias
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 10* left 90* left
+.irow &'auth'& "authentication method"
+.irow &'name'& "authentication username"
+.irow &'pass'& "authentication password"
+.irow &'port'& "tcp port"
+.irow &'tmo'& "connection timeout"
+.irow &'pri'& "priority"
+.irow &'weight'& "selection bias"
+.endtable
More details on each of these options follows:
.section "MTA operations" SECTi18nMTA
.cindex SMTPUTF8 "ESMTP option"
+.cindex "ESMTP extensions" SMTPUTF8
The main configuration option &%smtputf8_advertise_hosts%& specifies
a host list. If this matches the sending host and
accept_8bitmime is true (the default) then the ESMTP option
control = utf8_downconvert
control = utf8_downconvert/<value>
.endd
-This sets a flag requiring that addresses are converted to
-a-label form before smtp delivery, for use in a
-Message Submission Agent context.
+This sets a flag requiring that envelope addresses are converted to
+a-label form before smtp delivery.
+This is usually for use in a Message Submission Agent context,
+but could be used for any message.
+
If a value is appended it may be:
-.display
-&`1 `& (default) mandatory downconversion
-&`0 `& no downconversion
-&`-1 `& if SMTPUTF8 not supported by destination host
-.endd
+.itable none 0 0 2 5* right 95* left
+.irow &`1`& "mandatory downconversion"
+.irow &`0`& "no downconversion"
+.irow &`-1`& "if SMTPUTF8 not supported by destination host"
+.endtable
+If no value is given, 1 is used.
If mua_wrapper is set, the utf8_downconvert control
is initially set to -1.
-.new
The smtp transport has an option &%utf8_downconvert%&.
If set it must expand to one of the three values described above,
-and it overrides any previously set value.
-.wen
+or an empty string.
+If non-empty it overrides value previously set
+(due to mua_wrapper or by an ACL control).
There is no explicit support for VRFY and EXPN.
expansion must check this, as it will be called for every possible event type.
The current list of events is:
-.display
-&`dane:fail after transport `& per connection
-&`msg:complete after main `& per message
-&`msg:delivery after transport `& per recipient
-&`msg:rcpt:host:defer after transport `& per recipient per host
-&`msg:rcpt:defer after transport `& per recipient
-&`msg:host:defer after transport `& per attempt
-&`msg:fail:delivery after transport `& per recipient
-&`msg:fail:internal after main `& per recipient
-&`tcp:connect before transport `& per connection
-&`tcp:close after transport `& per connection
-&`tls:cert before both `& per certificate in verification chain
-&`smtp:connect after transport `& per connection
-.endd
+.itable all 0 0 4 25* left 10* center 15* center 50* left
+.row auth:fail after both "per driver per authentication attempt"
+.row dane:fail after transport "per connection"
+.row msg:complete after main "per message"
+.row msg:defer after transport "per message per delivery try"
+.row msg:delivery after transport "per recipient"
+.row msg:rcpt:host:defer after transport "per recipient per host"
+.row msg:rcpt:defer after transport "per recipient"
+.row msg:host:defer after transport "per host per delivery try; host errors"
+.row msg:fail:delivery after transport "per recipient"
+.row msg:fail:internal after main "per recipient"
+.row tcp:connect before transport "per connection"
+.row tcp:close after transport "per connection"
+.row tls:cert before both "per certificate in verification chain"
+.row tls:fail:connect after main "per connection"
+.row smtp:connect after transport "per connection"
+.row smtp:ehlo after transport "per connection"
+.endtable
New event types may be added in future.
The event name is a colon-separated list, defining the type of
An additional variable, &$event_data$&, is filled with information varying
with the event type:
-.display
-&`dane:fail `& failure reason
-&`msg:delivery `& smtp confirmation message
-&`msg:fail:internal `& failure reason
-&`msg:fail:delivery `& smtp error message
-&`msg:rcpt:host:defer `& error string
-&`msg:rcpt:defer `& error string
-&`msg:host:defer `& error string
-&`tls:cert `& verification chain depth
-&`smtp:connect `& smtp banner
-.endd
+.itable all 0 0 2 20* left 80* left
+.row auth:fail "smtp response"
+.row dane:fail "failure reason"
+.row msg:defer "error string"
+.row msg:delivery "smtp confirmation message"
+.row msg:fail:internal "failure reason"
+.row msg:fail:delivery "smtp error message"
+.row msg:host:defer "error string"
+.row msg:rcpt:host:defer "error string"
+.row msg:rcpt:defer "error string"
+.row tls:cert "verification chain depth"
+.row tls:fail:connect "error string"
+.row smtp:connect "smtp banner"
+.row smtp:ehlo "smtp ehlo response"
+.endtable
The :defer events populate one extra variable: &$event_defer_errno$&.
-For complex operations an ACL expansion can be used in &%event_action%&
+For complex operations an ACL expansion can be used in &%event_action%&,
however due to the multiple contexts that Exim operates in during
the course of its processing:
.ilist
The expansion of the event_action option should normally
return an empty string. Should it return anything else the
following will be forced:
-.display
-&`tcp:connect `& do not connect
-&`tls:cert `& refuse verification
-&`smtp:connect `& close connection
-.endd
+.itable all 0 0 2 20* left 80* left
+.row auth:fail "log information to write"
+.row tcp:connect "do not connect"
+.row tls:cert "refuse verification"
+.row smtp:connect "close connection"
+.endtable
All other message types ignore the result string, and
no other use is made of it.
&_src/transports_&, &_src/auths_&, or &_src/lookups_&); add a line for the new
driver or lookup type and add it to the definition of OBJ.
.next
+Edit &_OS/Makefile-Base_& adding a &_.o_& file for the predefined-macros, to the
+definition of OBJ_MACRO. Add a set of line to do the compile also.
+.next
Create &_newdriver.h_& and &_newdriver.c_& in the appropriate sub-directory of
&_src_&.
.next
git://git.exim.org / exim.git / blobdiff