---
name: "qpsmtpd-prefork"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "qpsmtpd"
version: "0.94-8"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/qpsmtpd-prefork"
---

# qpsmtpd-prefork(8)

Preforkin server for qpsmtpd

## NAME

qpsmtpd-prefork - Preforkin server for qpsmtpd

## SYNOPSIS

**qpsmtpd-prefork** \[*options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**qpsmtpd-prefork** is the qpsmtpd frontend script which binds to the SMTP TCP socket, and asynchronously forks new children in advance of new connections.

## OPTIONS

- **--port *port***

  Binds to a specific *port*, instead of the default 2525.

- **--user *user***

  On startup, switch to run as *user* instead of the starting user.  Applies only when started as root (as is normal when listening on port 25).

- **--limit-connections *limit***

  Accept at most *limit* simultaneous connections.  Inbound connections beyondthis limit will be deferred or refused.

- **--max-from-ip *limit***

  Accept at most *limit* simultaneous connections from any given IP address; does not override **--limit-connections**, if set.

- **--children *limit***

  Limit the total number of child processes to *limit*; once all children are handling requests, further connections are deferred.

- **--idle-children *count***

  Keep *count* child processes available, subject to the upper bound given via --children.  Specify 0 to disable preforking entirely.

- **--interface *addr***

  Bind to the local address *addr*, instead of the default behavior of binding to all interfaces.  Can be specified multiple times to bind to more than one interface or local address.

- **--renice-parent *delta***

  Adjust the priority of the parent process by *delta*, yielding more CPU time to other processes.  The default is 5.

- **--detach**

  Detach from the controlling terminal at startup, to run as a standalone daemon.  See also **--pid-file**.

- **--pid-file *filename***

  Upon startup, and after daemonizing if applicable, write the process ID to *filename*, for use by sysvinit control scripts or similar utilities.

- **--pretty-child**

  Update child process names within the process table.

- **--version**

  Print the qpsmtpd release version and exit.

- **--debug**

  Be somewhat more verbose about logging during startup (has no effect once fully started).

- **--help**

  Display commandline help and exit.

## AUTHOR

Copyright (c) 2006, SoftScan; based on qpsmtpd-forkserver by Ask Bjorn Hansen \<ask@develooper.com\>

http://smtpd.develooper.com/