---
name: "discard"
section: "8"
platform: "macos"
package: "postfix"
version: "1636"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/discard"
---

# discard(8)

Postfix discard mail delivery agent

## NAME

discard - Postfix discard mail delivery agent

## SYNOPSIS

```
discard [generic Postfix daemon options]
```

## DESCRIPTION

The Postfix [**discard**(8)](/discard/8.md) delivery agent processes delivery requests from the queue manager. Each request specifies a queue file, a sender address, a next-hop destination that is treated as the reason for discarding the mail, and recipient information. The reason may be prefixed with an RFC 3463-compatible detail code. This program expects to be run from the [**master**(8)](/master/8.md) process manager.

The [**discard**(8)](/discard/8.md) delivery agent pretends to deliver all recipients in the delivery request, logs the "next-hop" destination as the reason for discarding the mail, updates the queue file, and either marks recipients as finished or informs the queue manager that delivery should be tried again at a later time.

Delivery status reports are sent to the [**trace**(8)](/trace/8.md) daemon as appropriate.

## SECURITY

```

```

The [**discard**(8)](/discard/8.md) mailer is not security-sensitive. It does not talk to the network, and can be run chrooted at fixed low privilege.

## STANDARDS

```
RFC 3463 (Enhanced Status Codes)
```

## DIAGNOSTICS

Problems and transactions are logged to [**syslogd**(8)](/syslogd/8.md).

Depending on the setting of the **notify\_classes** parameter, the postmaster is notified of bounces and of other trouble.

## CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS

```

```

Changes to **main.cf** are picked up automatically as [**discard**(8)](/discard/8.md) processes run for only a limited amount of time. Use the command "**postfix reload**" to speed up a change.

The text below provides only a parameter summary. See [**postconf**(5)](/postconf/5.md) for more details including examples.

- **config\_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)**

  The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf configuration files.

- **daemon\_timeout (18000s)**

  How much time a Postfix daemon process may take to handle a request before it is terminated by a built-in watchdog timer.

- **delay\_logging\_resolution\_limit (2)**

  The maximal number of digits after the decimal point when logging sub-second delay values.

- **double\_bounce\_sender (double-bounce)**

  The sender address of postmaster notifications that are generated by the mail system.

- **ipc\_timeout (3600s)**

  The time limit for sending or receiving information over an internal communication channel.

- **max\_idle (100s)**

  The maximum amount of time that an idle Postfix daemon process waits for an incoming connection before terminating voluntarily.

- **max\_use (100)**

  The maximal number of incoming connections that a Postfix daemon process will service before terminating voluntarily.

- **process\_id (read-only)**

  The process ID of a Postfix command or daemon process.

- **process\_name (read-only)**

  The process name of a Postfix command or daemon process.

- **queue\_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)**

  The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.

- **syslog\_facility (mail)**

  The syslog facility of Postfix logging.

- **syslog\_name (see 'postconf -d' output)**

  A prefix that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that, for example, "smtpd" becomes "prefix/smtpd".

## SEE ALSO

```
qmgr(8), queue manager
bounce(8), delivery status reports
error(8), Postfix error delivery agent
postconf(5), configuration parameters
master(5), generic daemon options
master(8), process manager
syslogd(8), system logging
```

## LICENSE

```

```

The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.

## HISTORY

This service was introduced with Postfix version 2.2.

## AUTHOR(S)

```
Victor Duchovni
Morgan Stanley
Based on code by:
Wietse Venema
IBM T.J. Watson Research
P.O. Box 704
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
Wietse Venema
Google, Inc.
111 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10011, USA
```