---
name: "postlogd"
section: "8postfix"
platform: "linux"
package: "postfix"
version: "3.7.11-0+deb12u1"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/postlogd/8postfix"
---

# postlogd(8postfix)

Postfix internal log server

## NAME

postlogd - Postfix internal log server

## SYNOPSIS

```
postlogd [generic Postfix daemon options]
```

## DESCRIPTION

This program logs events on behalf of Postfix programs when the maillog configuration parameter specifies a non-empty value.

## BUGS

Non-daemon Postfix programs don't know that they should log to the internal logging service before they have processed command-line options and main.cf parameters. These programs still log earlier events to the syslog service.

If Postfix is down, the non-daemon programs [**postfix**(1)](/postfix/1.md), [**postsuper**(1)](/postsuper/1.md), [**postmulti**(1)](/postmulti/1.md), and [**postlog**(1)](/postlog/1.md), will log directly to **$maillog\_file**. These programs expect to run with root privileges, for example during Postfix start-up, reload, or shutdown.

Other non-daemon Postfix programs will never write directly to **$maillog\_file** (also, logging to stdout would interfere with the operation of some of these programs). These programs can log to [**postlogd**(8)](/postlogd/8.md) if they are run by the super-user, or if their executable file has set-gid permission. Do not set this permission on programs other than [**postdrop**(1)](/postdrop/1.md), [**postqueue**(1)](/postqueue/1.md) and (Postfix \>= 3.7) [**postlog**(1)](/postlog/1.md).

## CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS

```

```

Changes to **main.cf** are picked up automatically, as [**postlogd**(8)](/postlogd/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.

- **maillog\_file (empty)**

  The name of an optional logfile that is written by the Postfix [**postlogd**(8)](/postlogd/8.md) service.

- **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.

- **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".

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

  The master.cf service name of a Postfix daemon process.

- **postlogd\_watchdog\_timeout (10s)**

  How much time a [**postlogd**(8)](/postlogd/8.md) process may take to process a request before it is terminated by a built-in watchdog timer.

## SEE ALSO

```
postconf(5), configuration parameters
syslogd(8), system logging
```

## README\_FILES

```

```

Use "**postconf readme\_directory**" or "**postconf html\_directory**" to locate this information.

```
MAILLOG_README, Postfix logging to file or stdout
```

## LICENSE

```

```

The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.

## HISTORY

This service was introduced with Postfix version 3.4.

## AUTHOR(S)

```
Wietse Venema
Google, Inc.
111 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10011, USA
```