The sendmail utility is a local enqueuer for the smtpd(8) daemon, compatible with mailwrapper(8). The message is read on standard input (stdin) until sendmail encounters an end-of-file. The sendmail enqueuer is not intended to be used directly to send mail, but rather via a frontend known as a mail user agent.
Unless the optional -t flag is specified, one or more recipients must be specified on the command line.
The options are as follows:
-Fname
Set the sender's full name.
-ffrom
Set the sender's address.
-t
Read the message's To:, Cc:, and Bcc: fields for recipients. The Bcc: field will be deleted before sending.
-v
Enable verbose output.
To maintain compatibility with Sendmail, Inc.'s implementation of sendmail, various other flags are accepted, but have no effect.
EXIT STATUS
The sendmail utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.
OpenSMTPD is primarily developed by Gilles Chehade, Eric Faurot, and Charles Longeau, with contributions from various OpenBSD hackers. It is distributed under the ISC license.
This manpage was written by Ryan Kavanagh ⟨[email protected]⟩ for the Debian project and is distributed under the ISC license.
History
Arch Linux 2026-11-01 to Debian 11 (Bullseye): the text shown here
Debian 10 (Buster)
Debian 9 (Stretch)
Debian 8 (Jessie)
Debian 7 (Wheezy)
Debian 6.0 (Squeeze)
Debian 5.0 (Lenny)
Debian 4.0 (Etch) to Debian 3.1 (Sarge)
Debian 3.0 (Woody)
Debian 2.2 (Potato) to Debian 2.1 (Slink)
Debian 2.0 (Hamm)
Debian 1.3 (Bo)
Debian 1.2 (Rex)
Debian 1.1 (Buzz)
-F since Debian 6.0 (Squeeze);
-v since Debian 6.0 (Squeeze).
-- until Debian 10 (Buster);
--account until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--auth until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--auto-from until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--debug until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--domain until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--dsn-notify until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--dsn-return until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--file until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--from until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--help until Debian 10 (Buster);
--host until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--keepbcc until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--logfile until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--maildomain until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--port until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--pretend until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--protocol until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--read-envelope-from until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--read-recipients until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--rmqs until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--serverinfo until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--syslog until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--timeout until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-cert-file until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-certcheck until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-crl-file until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-force-sslv3 until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-key-file until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-min-dh-prime-bits until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-priorities until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-starttls until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--tls-trust-file until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--user until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--version until Debian 10 (Buster);
-4 until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-6 until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-Ac until Debian 10 (Buster);
-Am until Debian 3.0 (Woody);
-B until Debian 3.0 (Woody);
-C until Debian 10 (Buster);
-E until Debian 10 (Buster);
-G until Debian 10 (Buster);
-L until Debian 10 (Buster);
-M until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-MCA until Debian 10 (Buster);
-MCD until Debian 10 (Buster);
-MCK until Debian 10 (Buster);
-MCP until Debian 10 (Buster);
-MCS until Debian 10 (Buster);
-MCT until Debian 10 (Buster);
-Mc until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-Meb until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-Mf until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-Mg until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-Mmad until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-Mrm until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-Mt until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-N until Debian 10 (Buster);
-O until Debian 10 (Buster);
-P until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
-R until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-Rf until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-Rff until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-S until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
-Tqt until Debian 10 (Buster);
-U until Debian 10 (Buster);
-V until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-X until Debian 10 (Buster);
-a until Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
-am until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-ap until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-au until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-bD until Debian 3.0 (Woody);
-bF until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bH until Debian 3.0 (Woody);
-bP until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bS until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bV until Debian 10 (Buster);
-ba until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-bd until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bdf until Debian 10 (Buster);
-be until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bem until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bf until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bfd until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bfp until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bfs until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bh until Debian 3.0 (Woody);
-bi until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bm until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bmalware until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bnq until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bp until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bpa until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bpc until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bpr until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bpra until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bpru until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bpu until Debian 10 (Buster);
-brt until Debian 10 (Buster);
-brw until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bs until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bt until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bv until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bvs until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bw until Debian 10 (Buster);
-bz until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-d until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-df until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-dm until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-dropcr until Debian 10 (Buster);
-e until Debian 10 (Buster);
-ex until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-h until Debian 10 (Buster);
-i until Debian 10 (Buster);
-m until Debian 10 (Buster);
-n until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oA until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oB until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oD until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oF until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oH until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oL until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oMaa until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oMai until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oMas until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oP until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oQ until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oS until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oT until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oX until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-oc until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-od until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-odb until Debian 10 (Buster);
-odf until Debian 10 (Buster);
-odi until Debian 10 (Buster);
-odq until Debian 10 (Buster);
-odqr until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-odqs until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oe until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oee until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oem until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oep until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oeq until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oew until Debian 10 (Buster);
-of until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-og until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-oi until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oitrue until Debian 10 (Buster);
-om until Debian 10 (Buster);
-oo until Debian 10 (Buster);
-or until Debian 10 (Buster);
-os until Debian 10 (Buster);
-ot until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-ou until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-ov until Debian 10 (Buster);
-p until Debian 3.0 (Woody);
-pd until Debian 10 (Buster);
-ps until Debian 10 (Buster);
-q until Debian 10 (Buster);
-qG until Debian 3.0 (Woody);
-qI until Debian 2.2 (Potato);
-qR until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-qRf until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-qS until Debian 2.2 (Potato);
-qf until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-qff until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-qffl until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-qfl until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-ql until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-qp until Debian 3.0 (Woody);
-qq... until Debian 10 (Buster);
-r until Debian 10 (Buster);
-ti until Debian 10 (Buster);
-tls-on-connect until Debian 10 (Buster);
-x until Debian 10 (Buster);
-z until Debian 10 (Buster).
