---
name: "cyrus-nntpd"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "cyrus-nntpd"
version: "3.10.2-1+deb13u2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cyrus-nntpd"
---

# cyrus-nntpd(8)

Cyrus IMAP documentation NNTP server process

## NAME

nntpd - Cyrus IMAP documentation

NNTP server process

## SYNOPSIS

```
nntpd [ -C config-file ] [ -U uses ] [ -T timeout ] [ -D ]
    [ -s ] [ -r ] [ -f ] [ -p ssf ]
```

## DESCRIPTION

**nntpd** *is an NNTP server. It accepts commands on its standard input* *and responds on its standard output. It MUST invoked by* *[master(8)](/master/8.md) with those descriptors attached to a remote client* *connection.*

**nntpd** *reads its configuration options out of the [imapd.conf(5)](/imapd.conf/5.md) file unless specified otherwise by* **-C***.  The optional* **newsprefix** *setting* *specifies a prefix to be prepended to newsgroup names to make the* *corresponding IMAP mailbox names.  The optional* **newspostuser** *setting specifies the special userid to be used when constructing the* *To: header address for following up to articles when read via IMAP.* *The optional* **newspeer** *setting specifies the fully qualified hostname* *of the upstream news server to which articles are fed.  The optional* **allownewnews** *setting enables the NNTP NEWNEWS command.*

**NOTE:**

*For servers with a large volume of articles, the NEWNEWS command can* *be expensive.*

*If the directory* **\<configdirectory\>/log/***user exists, then* **nntpd** *will create protocol telemetry logs for sessions* *authenticating as user. The telemetry logs will be stored in the* **log/***user directory with a filename of the* **nntpd** *process-id.*

## OPTIONS

- **-C config-file**

  *Use the specified configuration file config-file rather than the default [imapd.conf(5)](/imapd.conf/5.md).*

- **-U uses**

  *The maximum number of times that the process should be used for new* *connections before shutting down.  The default is 250.*

- **-T timeout**

  *The number of seconds that the process will wait for a new* *connection before shutting down.  Note that a value of 0 (zero)* *will disable the timeout.  The default is 60.*

- **-D**

  *Run external debugger specified in debug\_command.*

- **-s**

  *Serve NNTP over SSL (https).  All data to and from* **nntpd** *is encrypted using the Secure Sockets Layer.*

- **-r**

  *Only allow NNTP reader commands.  Permitted clients will only be* *allowed to read/post articles.*

- **-f**

  *Only allow NNTP feeder commands.  Permitted clients will only be* *allowed to feed articles (no reading).*

- **-p ssf**

  *Tell* **nntpd** *that an external layer exists.  An SSF (security* *strength factor) of 1 means an integrity protection layer exists.* *Any higher SSF implies some form of privacy protection.*

## FILES

*/etc/imapd.conf*

## SEE ALSO

*[imapd.conf(5)](/imapd.conf/5.md),* *[master(8)](/master/8.md)*

## AUTHOR

*The Cyrus Team, Nic Bernstein (Onlight)*

## COPYRIGHT

*1993–2025, The Cyrus Team*