---
name: "prayer"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "prayer"
version: "1.3.5-dfsg1-8"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/prayer"
---

# prayer(8)

standalone IMAP-based webmail server

## NAME

**prayer** – standalone IMAP-based webmail server

## SYNOPSIS

**prayer** \[**--config-file** *file*\] \[\[**--config-option** *name*=*value*\] *...*\] \[**--foreground** \| **--disable-prefork**\] \[**--disable-session** \| **--** *session-options* *...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**prayer** is the normal frontend daemon in the Prayer Webmail system. It is a simple HTTP server and proxy that serves icons and other static files, but firstly and foremostly forwards requests to the correct backend daemons based on session IDs passed either in cookies or as part of the URL.

The master daemon normally preforks a number of child processes that each will serve a configurable number of requests. The total number of child processes is limited to prevent denial of service attacks.

**prayer** accepts the following command-line options:

- **--config-file** *file*

  Reads configuration from *file* instead of the default.

- **--config-option** *name*=*value*

  Sets (overrides) the configuration option *name* to *value*. Any number of options can be specified in this manner.

- **--foreground**

  Debug mode. Run a single process in the foreground.

- **--disable-prefork**

  Disable preforking. The master daemon will listen for connections on the configured ports and spawn child processes one at a time.

- **--disable-session**

  Do not start the session server, [prayer-session(8)](/prayer-session/8.md).

- **--**

  End of **prayer** options; remaining options will be passed to  [prayer-session(8)](/prayer-session/8.md).

## ENVIRONMENT

- PRAYER\_CONFIG\_FILE

  Can be set to specify the configuration file to use.

- PRAYER\_HOSTNAME

  Local hostname. Overrides the **hostname** setting in the configuration file as well as on the command line.

## FILES

- */usr/local/prayer/etc/prayer.cf*

  Default configuration file.

- */usr/local/prayer/icons/*

  Location of the standard icons used by the interface.

- */usr/local/prayer/static/*

  Directory containing other static files; currently only CSS files.

- */var/spool/prayer/sockets/*

  Pre-configured location of sockets for frontend to backend communication.

## SEE ALSO

[prayer-session(8)](/prayer-session/8.md), [prayer.cf(5)](/prayer.cf/5.md)

## AUTHORS

This manual page was put together by Magnus Holmgren \<holmgren@debian.org\> using documentation written by David Carter \<dpc22@cam.ac.uk\>.