. Update the Copyright year (only) when changing content.
. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-.set previousversion "4.88"
+.set previousversion "4.89"
.include ./local_params
.set ACL "access control lists (ACLs)"
.section "Exim documentation" "SECID1"
. Keep this example change bar when updating the documentation!
+.new
.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
capable of showing a change indicator.
+.wen
This document is very much a reference manual; it is not a tutorial. The reader
is expected to have some familiarity with the SMTP mail transfer protocol and
examples, tips, and know-how that have been contributed by Exim users.
.cindex Bugzilla
-An Exim Bugzilla exists at &url(http://bugs.exim.org). You can use
+An Exim Bugzilla exists at &url(https://bugs.exim.org). You can use
this to report bugs, and also to add items to the wish list. Please search
first to check that you are not duplicating a previous entry.
Please ask Debian-specific questions on this list and not on the general Exim
lists.
-.section "Exim training" "SECID4"
-.cindex "training courses"
-Training courses in Cambridge (UK) used to be run annually by the author of
-Exim, before he retired. At the time of writing, there are no plans to run
-further Exim courses in Cambridge. However, if that changes, relevant
-information will be posted at &url(http://www-tus.csx.cam.ac.uk/courses/exim/).
-
.section "Bug reports" "SECID5"
.cindex "bug reports"
.cindex "reporting bugs"
Reports of obvious bugs can be emailed to &'bugs@exim.org'& or reported
-via the Bugzilla (&url(http://bugs.exim.org)). However, if you are unsure
+via the Bugzilla (&url(https://bugs.exim.org)). However, if you are unsure
whether some behaviour is a bug or not, the best thing to do is to post a
message to the &'exim-dev'& mailing list and have it discussed.
.cindex "distribution" "ftp site"
The master ftp site for the Exim distribution is
.display
-&*ftp://ftp.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/software/email/exim*&
-.endd
-This is mirrored by
-.display
&*ftp://ftp.exim.org/pub/exim*&
.endd
The file references that follow are relative to the &_exim_& directories at
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option. It signifies that the
remote host supports the ESMTP &_DSN_& extension.
-.vitem &%-MCG%&
+.vitem &%-MCG%&&~<&'queue&~name'&>
.oindex "&%-MCG%&"
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
by Exim in conjunction with the &%-MC%& option, and passes on the fact that the
host to which Exim is connected supports TLS encryption.
+.new
+.vitem &%-MCt%&&~<&'IP&~address'&>&~<&'port'&>&~<&'cipher'&>
+.oindex "&%-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
+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.
+.wen
+
.vitem &%-Mc%&&~<&'message&~id'&>&~<&'message&~id'&>&~...
.oindex "&%-Mc%&"
.cindex "hints database" "not overridden by &%-Mc%&"
on a line by itself. Double quotes round the file name 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.
-.new
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.
-.wen
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.
.next
.cindex "Redis lookup type"
.cindex lookup Redis
-&(redis)&: The format of the query is an SQL statement that is passed to a
-Redis database. See section &<<SECTsql>>&.
+&(redis)&: The format of the query is either a simple get or simple set,
+passed to a Redis database. See section &<<SECTsql>>&.
.next
.cindex "sqlite lookup type"
waits for the lock to be released. In Exim, the default timeout is set
to 5 seconds, but it can be changed by means of the &%sqlite_lock_timeout%&
option.
+
+.section "More about Redis" "SECTredis"
+.cindex "lookup" "Redis"
+.cindex "redis lookup type"
+Redis is a non-SQL database. Commands are simple get and set.
+Examples:
+.code
+${lookup redis{set keyname ${quote_redis:objvalue plus}}}
+${lookup redis{get keyname}}
+.endd
+
.ecindex IIDfidalo1
.ecindex IIDfidalo2
router or transport are not accessible.
For incoming SMTP messages, no header lines are visible in
-.new
ACLs that are obeyed before the data phase completes,
-.wen
because the header structure is not set up until the message is received.
They are visible in DKIM, PRDR and DATA ACLs.
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.
-.new
When any of the above ACLs ar
-.wen
running, however, header lines added by earlier ACLs are visible.
Upper case and lower case letters are synonymous in header names. If the
.code
${readsocket{/socket/name}{request string}{3s}}
.endd
-.new
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.
Further elements are options of form &'name=value'&.
.code
${readsocket{/socket/name}{request string}{3s:shutdown=no}}
.endd
-.wen
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
turns them into spaces:
hexadecimal digits. There may be fewer than eight components if an empty
component (adjacent colons) is present. Only one empty component is permitted.
-&*Note*&: The checks are just on the form of the address; actual numerical
-values are not considered. Thus, for example, 999.999.999.999 passes the IPv4
-check. The main use of these tests is to distinguish between IP addresses and
+.new
+&*Note*&: The checks used to be just on the form of the address; actual numerical
+values were not considered. Thus, for example, 999.999.999.999 passed the IPv4
+check.
+This is no longer the case.
+.wen
+
+The main use of these tests is to distinguish between IP addresses and
host names, or between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. For example, you could use
.code
${if isip4{$sender_host_address}...
If you have changed &%host_lookup_order%& so that &`bydns`& is not the first
mechanism in the list, then this variable will be false.
-.new
This requires that your system resolver library support EDNS0 (and that
DNSSEC flags exist in the system headers). If the resolver silently drops
all EDNS0 options, then this will have no effect. OpenBSD's asr resolver
is known to currently ignore EDNS0, documented in CAVEATS of asr_run(3).
-.wen
.vitem &$sender_host_name$&
.row &%message_body_visible%& "how much to show in &$message_body$&"
.row &%mua_wrapper%& "run in &""MUA wrapper""& mode"
.row &%print_topbitchars%& "top-bit characters are printing"
+.row &%spool_wireformat%& "use wire-format spool data files when possible"
.row &%timezone%& "force time zone"
.endtable
these hosts.
Hosts may use the BDAT command as an alternate to DATA.
-.new
.option debug_store main boolean &`false`&
.cindex debugging "memory corruption"
.cindex memory debugging
This option, when true, enables extra checking in Exim's internal memory
management. For use when a memory corruption issue is being investigated,
it should normally be left as default.
-.wen
.option daemon_smtp_ports main string &`smtp`&
.cindex "port" "for daemon"
If the resolver library does not support EDNS0 then this option has no effect.
-.new
OpenBSD's asr resolver routines are known to ignore the EDNS0 option; this
means that DNSSEC will not work with Exim on that platform either, unless Exim
is linked against an alternative DNS client library.
-.wen
.option drop_cr main boolean false
of SSL-on-connect.
In the event of failure to negotiate TLS, the action taken is controlled
by &%ldap_require_cert%&.
-.new
This option is ignored for &`ldapi`& connections.
-.wen
.option ldap_version main integer unset
transport driver.
-.option openssl_options main "string list" "+no_sslv2 +single_dh_use"
+.option openssl_options main "string list" "+no_sslv2 +single_dh_use +no_ticket"
.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,
By using this option to override the compiled-in path, it is possible to run
tests of Exim without using the standard spool.
+.new
+.option spool_wireformat main boolean false
+.cindex "spool directory" "file formats"
+If this option is set, Exim may for some messages use an alternate format
+for data-files in the spool which matches the wire format.
+Doing this permits more efficient message reception and transmission.
+Currently it is only done for messages received using the EMSTP CHUNKING
+option.
+
+Users of the local_scan() API (see &<<CHAPlocalscan>>&),
+and any external programs which are passed a reference to a message data file
+(except via the &"regex"&, &"malware"& or &"spam"&) ACL conditions)
+will need to be aware of the potential different format.
+
+Using any of the ACL conditions noted will negate the reception benefit
+(as a Unix-mbox-format file is contructed for them).
+The transimssion benefit is maintained.
+.wen
+
.option sqlite_lock_timeout main time 5s
.cindex "sqlite lookup type" "lock timeout"
This option controls the timeout that the &(sqlite)& lookup uses when trying to
appropriate &%system_filter_..._transport%& option(s) must be set, to define
which transports are to be used. Details of this facility are given in chapter
&<<CHAPsystemfilter>>&.
-.new
A forced expansion failure results in no filter operation.
-.wen
.option system_filter_directory_transport main string&!! unset
.option path pipe string&!! "/bin:/usr/bin"
-.new
This option is expanded and
-.wen
specifies the string that is set up in the PATH environment
variable of the subprocess.
If the &%command%& option does not yield an absolute path name, the command is
of the message. Its value must not be zero. See also &%final_timeout%&.
-.option dkim_domain smtp string&!! unset
+.option dkim_domain smtp string list&!! unset
.option dkim_selector smtp string&!! unset
.option dkim_private_key smtp string&!! unset
.option dkim_canon smtp string&!! unset
message on the same connection. See section &<<SECTmulmessam>>& for an
explanation of when this might be needed.
+.new
+.option hosts_noproxy_tls smtp "host list&!!" *
+.cindex "TLS" "passing connection"
+.cindex "multiple SMTP deliveries"
+.cindex "TLS" "multiple message deliveries"
+For any host that matches this list, a TLS session which has
+been started will not be passed to a new delivery process for sending another
+message on the same session.
+
+The traditional implementation closes down TLS and re-starts it in the new
+process, on the same open TCP connection, for each successive message
+sent. If permitted by this option a pipe to to the new process is set up
+instead, and the original process maintains the TLS connection and proxies
+the SMTP connection from and to the new process and any subsequents.
+The new process has no access to TLS information, so cannot include it in
+logging.
+.wen
+
+
.option hosts_override smtp boolean false
If this option is set and the &%hosts%& option is also set, any hosts that are
deliver the message unauthenticated.
.endlist
-.new
Note that the hostlist test for whether to do authentication can be
confused if name-IP lookups change between the time the peer is decided
on and the transport running. For example, with a manualroute
No authentication will then be done, despite the names being identical.
For such cases use a separate transport which always authenticates.
-.wen
.cindex "AUTH" "on MAIL command"
When Exim has authenticated itself to a remote server, it adds the AUTH
.cindex "TLS" "configuring an Exim server"
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 unset, which means
-that STARTTLS is not advertised at all. This default is chosen because you
-need to set some other options in order to make TLS available, and also it is
-sensible for systems that want to use TLS only as a client.
+but not to any others. The default value of this option is *, which means
+that STARTTLS is alway advertised. Set it to blank to never advertise;
+this is reasonble for systems that want to use TLS only as a client.
+
+If STARTTLS is to be used you
+need to set some other options in order to make TLS available.
If a client issues a STARTTLS command and there is some configuration
problem in the server, the command is rejected with a 454 error. If the client
"SECTmulmessam"
.cindex "multiple SMTP deliveries with TLS"
.cindex "TLS" "multiple message deliveries"
+.new
Exim sends multiple messages down the same TCP/IP connection by starting up
an entirely new delivery process for each message, passing the socket from
one process to the next. This implementation does not fit well with the use
of TLS, because there is quite a lot of state information associated with a TLS
connection, not just a socket identification. Passing all the state information
-to a new process is not feasible. Consequently, Exim shuts down an existing TLS
-session before passing the socket to a new process. The new process may then
+to a new process is not feasible. Consequently, for sending using TLS Exim
+starts an additional proxy process for handling the encryption, piping the
+unencrypted data stream from and to the delivery processes.
+
+An older mode of operation can be enabled on a per-host basis by the
+&%hosts_noproxy_tls%& option on the &(smtp)& transport. If the host matches
+this list the proxy process descibed above is not used; instead Exim
+.wen
+shuts down an existing TLS session being run by the delivery process
+before passing the socket to a new process. The new process may then
try to start a new TLS session, and if successful, may try to re-authenticate
if AUTH is in use, before sending the next message.
remaining recipients. The &"discard"& return is not permitted for the
&%acl_smtp_predata%& ACL.
-.new
If the ACL for VRFY returns &"accept"&, a recipient verify (without callout)
is done on the address and the result determines the SMTP response.
-.wen
.cindex "&[local_scan()]& function" "when all recipients discarded"
of outgoing messages is done, because it sends data to the ultimate destination
before the entire message has been received from the source.
It is not supported for messages received with the SMTP PRDR
-.new
or CHUNKING
-.wen
options in use.
Should the ultimate destination system positively accept or reject the mail,
.cindex "&ACL;" "enabling debug logging"
.cindex "debugging" "enabling from an ACL"
This control turns on debug logging, almost as though Exim had been invoked
-with &`-d`&, with the output going to a new logfile, by default called
-&'debuglog'&. The filename can be adjusted with the &'tag'& option, which
+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 may be stopped, and the file removed, with the &'kill'& option.
+Logging started this way may be stopped, and the file removed,
+with the &'kill'& option.
Some examples (which depend on variables that don't exist in all
contexts):
.code
This is a variation of the previous option, in which a modified address is
verified as a sender.
-.new
Note that '/' is legal in local-parts; if the address may have such
(eg. is generated from the received message)
they must be protected from the options parsing by doubling:
.code
verify = sender=${sg{${address:$h_sender:}}{/}{//}}
.endd
-.wen
.endlist
need to use this option unless you know that the called hosts make use of the
sender when checking recipients. If used indiscriminately, it reduces the
usefulness of callout caching.
+
+.new
+.vitem &*hold*&
+This option applies to recipient callouts only. For example:
+.code
+require verify = recipient/callout=use_sender,hold
+.endd
+It causes the connection to be helod open and used for any further recipients
+and for eventual delivery (should that be done quickly).
+Doing this saves on TCP and SMTP startup costs, and TLS costs also
+when that is used for the connections.
+The advantage is only gained if there are no callout cache hits
+(which could be enforced by the no_cache option),
+if the use_sender option is used,
+if neither the random nor the use_postmaster option is used,
+and if no other callouts intervene.
+.wen
.endlist
If you use any of the parameters that set a non-empty sender for the MAIL
.endd
If you omit the argument, the default values show above are used.
+.new
+.vitem &%f-prot6d%&
+.cindex "virus scanners" "f-prot6d"
+The f-prot6d scanner is accessed using the FPSCAND protocol over TCP.
+One argument is taken, being a space-separated hostname and port number.
+For example:
+.code
+av_scanner = f-prot6d:localhost 10200
+.endd
+If you omit the argument, the default values show above are used.
+.wen
+
.vitem &%fsecure%&
.cindex "virus scanners" "F-Secure"
The F-Secure daemon scanner (&url(http://www.f-secure.com)) takes one
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.
+.new
+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.
+TLS cipher information is still available.
+.wen
.cindex "delivery" "cutthrough; logging"
.cindex "cutthrough" "logging"
&`I `& local interface used
&`K `& CHUNKING extension used
&`id `& message id for incoming message
+&`M8S `& 8BITMIME status for incoming message
&`P `& on &`<=`& lines: protocol used
&` `& on &`=>`& and &`**`& lines: return path
&`PRDR`& PRDR extension used
.cindex "&'exipick'&"
John Jetmore's &'exipick'& utility is included in the Exim distribution. It
lists messages from the queue according to a variety of criteria. For details
-of &'exipick'&'s facilities, visit the web page at
-&url(http://www.exim.org/eximwiki/ToolExipickManPage) or run &'exipick'& with
+of &'exipick'&'s facilities, run &'exipick'& with
the &%--help%& option.
&$authenticated_sender$& variable.
.vitem "&%-body_linecount%&&~<&'number'&>"
-This records the number of lines in the body of the message, and is always
-present.
+This records the number of lines in the body of the message, and is
+present unless &%-spool_file_wireformat%& is.
.vitem "&%-body_zerocount%&&~<&'number'&>"
This records the number of binary zero bytes in the body of the message, and is
If a message was scanned by SpamAssassin, this is present. It records the value
of &$spam_score_int$&.
+.vitem &%-spool_file_wireformat%&
+The -D file for this message is in wire-format (for ESMTP CHUNKING)
+rather than Unix-format.
+The line-ending is CRLF rather than newline.
+There is still, however, no leading-dot-stuffing.
+
.vitem &%-tls_certificate_verified%&
A TLS certificate was received from the client that sent this message, and the
certificate was verified by the server.
Signing is enabled by setting private options on the SMTP transport.
These options take (expandable) strings as arguments.
-.option dkim_domain smtp string&!! unset
-MANDATORY:
-The domain you want to sign with. The result of this expanded
-option is put into the &%$dkim_domain%& expansion variable.
+.option dkim_domain smtp string list&!! unset
+The domain(s) you want to sign with.
+.new
+After expansion, this can be a list.
+Each element in turn is put into the &%$dkim_domain%& expansion variable
+while expanding the remaining signing options.
+.wen
If it is empty after expansion, DKIM signing is not done.
.option dkim_selector smtp string&!! unset
-MANDATORY:
-This sets the key selector string. You can use the &%$dkim_domain%& expansion
-variable to look up a matching selector. The result is put in the expansion
+This sets the key selector string.
+You can use the &%$dkim_domain%& expansion variable to look up a matching selector.
+The result is put in the expansion
variable &%$dkim_selector%& which may be used in the &%dkim_private_key%&
option along with &%$dkim_domain%&.
+If the option is empty after expansion, DKIM signing is not done.
.option dkim_private_key smtp string&!! unset
-MANDATORY:
-This sets the private key to use. You can use the &%$dkim_domain%& and
+This sets the private key to use.
+You can use the &%$dkim_domain%& and
&%$dkim_selector%& expansion variables to determine the private key to use.
The result can either
.ilist
be signed. This case will not result in an error, even if &%dkim_strict%&
is set.
.endlist
+If the option is empty after expansion, DKIM signing is not done.
.option dkim_canon smtp string&!! unset
-OPTIONAL:
This option sets the canonicalization method used when signing a message.
The DKIM RFC currently supports two methods: "simple" and "relaxed".
The option defaults to "relaxed" when unset. Note: the current implementation
only supports using the same canonicalization method for both headers and body.
.option dkim_strict smtp string&!! unset
-OPTIONAL:
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
variables here.
.option dkim_sign_headers smtp string&!! unset
-OPTIONAL:
-When set, this option must expand to (or be specified as) a colon-separated
+If set, this option must expand to (or be specified as) a colon-separated
list of header names. Headers with these names will be included in the message
-signature. When unspecified, the header names recommended in RFC4871 will be
-used.
+signature.
+When unspecified, the header names recommended in RFC4871 will be used.
.section "Verifying DKIM signatures in incoming mail" "SECID514"
.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
+&'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
If &$proxy_session$& is set but &$proxy_external_address$& is empty
there was a protocol error.
To include this it must be built with SUPPORT_I18N and the libidn library.
Standards supported are RFCs 2060, 5890, 6530 and 6533.
-.new
If Exim is built with SUPPORT_I18N_2008 (in addition to SUPPORT_I18N, not
instead of it) then IDNA2008 is supported; this adds an extra library
requirement, upon libidn2.
-.wen
.section "MTA operations" SECTi18nMTA
.cindex SMTPUTF8 "ESMTP option"
&`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 main `& per recipient
+&`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
before or after the action is associates with. Those which fire before
can be used to affect that action (more on this below).
+.new
+The third column in the table above says what section of the configumration
+should define the event action.
+.wen
+
An additional variable, &$event_data$&, is filled with information varying
with the event type:
.display