# Postfix

> mail transfer agent

**Wikidata**: [Q1121334](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1121334)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postfix_(software))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/postfix

## Summary  
Postfix is a free, open‑source mail transfer agent (MTA) that routes and delivers email on Unix‑like operating systems. Originally written by Dutch computer scientist Wietse Venema and later developed by IBM, it is widely used on platforms such as BSD, macOS, and Linux distributions.

## Key Facts  
- **Creator:** Wietse Venema (Dutch computer scientist).  
- **Developer/maintainer:** IBM (American multinational technology corporation).  
- **First stable release:** 3.0.0 on 8 February 2015.  
- **Current stable version (as of the source data):** 3.2.5 released 28 January 2018.  
- **Licenses:** Eclipse Public License 2.0 and IBM Public License.  
- **Operating systems supported:** BSD, macOS, and other Unix‑like systems.  
- **Package availability:** Included in major Linux repos (e.g., Fedora, Ubuntu, openSUSE, Arch Linux, Gentoo) and BSD ports.  
- **File format support:** Uses the Maildir format for readable mail storage.  
- **Classification:** Message transfer agent; free software; instance of “mail transfer agent” in Wikidata.  
- **Official website:** https://www.postfix.org (English).

## FAQs  
### Q: What is Postfix?  
**A:** Postfix is a free, open‑source mail transfer agent that routes, queues, and delivers email on Unix‑like operating systems. It is designed to be secure, fast, and easy to administer.

### Q: Who created Postfix and who maintains it today?  
**A:** Postfix was originally created by Dutch computer scientist Wietse Venema. IBM later became the primary developer and maintainer of the project.

### Q: Which licenses govern Postfix’s source code?  
**A:** The software is released under two licenses: the Eclipse Public License 2.0 and the IBM Public License.

### Q: On which operating systems can I run Postfix?  
**A:** Postfix runs on BSD, macOS, and any Unix‑like operating system, and it is packaged for most Linux distributions.

### Q: Where can I find the latest stable release of Postfix?  
**A:** The latest stable release listed in the source data is version 3.2.5, announced on 28 January 2018 and available from the official site and GitHub repository.

## Why It Matters  
Postfix is a cornerstone of modern email infrastructure, providing a reliable and secure alternative to earlier MTAs such as Sendmail. Its design emphasizes simplicity of configuration, robustness against attacks, and high performance, making it suitable for everything from small personal servers to large‑scale ISP deployments. By being free software, Postfix enables organizations to audit, modify, and redistribute the code without licensing fees, fostering transparency and community‑driven improvements. Its broad adoption across diverse Unix‑like platforms ensures interoperability and consistent mail handling across heterogeneous environments, which is critical for maintaining seamless communication in both corporate and open‑source ecosystems.

## Notable For  
- **Security‑focused design:** Built to minimize vulnerabilities compared with legacy MTAs.  
- **Wide platform support:** Officially runs on BSD, macOS, and many Linux distributions.  
- **Dual licensing:** Available under both the Eclipse Public License 2.0 and IBM Public License.  
- **Extensive packaging:** Distributed through major OS package managers (e.g., apt, yum, pacman, ports).  
- **Active community:** Maintains multiple mailing lists for developers, users, and announcements.

## Body  

### Overview  
Postfix is classified as a **message transfer agent** and as **free software**. It handles the receipt, queuing, and delivery of email messages, supporting the Maildir storage format for readable mail files.

### History & Development  
- **Initial author:** Wietse Venoma, a Dutch computer scientist, wrote the first versions of Postfix.  
- **Corporate stewardship:** IBM later took over development, contributing to continued maintenance and releases.  

### Licensing  
- The project is released under two open‑source licenses: **Eclipse Public License 2.0** and **IBM Public License**. Both licenses are referenced in the official metadata.

### Version Timeline (selected stable releases)  
| Version | Release Date | Notes |
|---------|--------------|-------|
| 3.0.0   | 8 Feb 2015   | First major 3.x stable series |
| 3.0.2   | 22 Jul 2015  | Stable update |
| 3.1.0   | 24 Feb 2016  | Added new features and bug fixes |
| 3.1.3   | 1 Oct 2016   | Continued stability improvements |
| 3.2.0   | 28 Feb 2017  | Major release with performance enhancements |
| 3.2.5   | 28 Jan 2018  | Latest stable version in source data |

### Supported Platforms  
- **Operating systems:** BSD, macOS, and generic Unix‑like systems (identified as the preferred OS in the metadata).  
- **Package repositories:**  
  - **Linux:** Fedora (`postfix`), Ubuntu (`postfix`), openSUSE (`postfix`), Arch Linux (`postfix`), Gentoo (`mail-mta/postfix`).  
  - **BSD ports:** FreeBSD (`mail/postfix`, `mail/postfix-current`, `mail/postfix-current-sasl`), OpenBSD (`mail/postfix/stable`, `mail/postfix/snapshot`), NetBSD (`mail/postfix`).  

### Documentation & Community Resources  
- **Official website:** https://www.postfix.org – hosts announcements, documentation, and source code links.  
- **User manuals:** https://www.postfix.org/documentation.html and Debian man‑page URL.  
- **Mailing lists:**  
  - Development: https://marc.info/?l=postfix-devel  
  - Users: https://marc.info/?l=postfix-users  
  - Announcements: https://marc.info/?l=postfix-announce  

### Technical Characteristics  
- **Programming language:** Primarily written in C (referenced by the language identifier Q15777).  
- **File format:** Supports the Maildir format for storing individual messages as separate files.  
- **Identifiers:** GND 4712839‑2, VIAF 182794383, Library of Congress n2001014177, among others, confirming its cataloging in multiple authority files.  

### Ecosystem Integration  
Postfix integrates with numerous mail‑related tools (e.g., spam filters, antivirus scanners) via standard SMTP interfaces. Its modular architecture allows administrators to plug in custom policies and transport mechanisms.

## Schema Markup  

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Postfix",
  "description": "Postfix is a free, open‑source mail transfer agent for Unix‑like operating systems.",
  "url": "https://www.postfix.org",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postfix_(software)"
  ],
  "additionalType": "SoftwareApplication"
}

## References

1. Free Software Directory
2. [The postfix Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/postfix/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
3. [Source](http://www.postfix.org/announcements/postfix-3.0.2.html)
4. [Release 3.0.2. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.0.2)
5. [Source](http://www.postfix.org/announcements.html)
6. [Release 3.0.3. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.0.3)
7. [Postfix stable release 3.1.0. 2016](https://marc.info/?l=postfix-announce&m=145644990603907&w=2)
8. [Release 3.1.0. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.1.0)
9. [Postfix stable release 3.1.1 and legacy releases 3.0.5, 2.11.8, and 2.10.10. 2016](http://news.gmane.org/gmane.mail.postfix.announce/cutoff=158)
10. [Release 3.1.1. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.1.1)
11. [Source](http://www.postfix.org/announcements/postfix-3.1.3.html)
12. [Release 3.1.3. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.1.3)
13. [Source](http://www.postfix.org/announcements/postfix-3.2.0.html)
14. [Release 3.2.0. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.2.0)
15. [Source](http://www.postfix.org/announcements/postfix-3.0.0.html)
16. [Release 3.0.0. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.0.0)
17. [Source](http://www.postfix.org/announcements/postfix-3.2.3.html)
18. [Release 3.2.3. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.2.3)
19. [Postfix stable release 3.2.4, and legacy releases 3.1.7 and 3.0.11](http://www.postfix.org/announcements/postfix-3.2.4.html)
20. [Postfix Announcements](http://www.postfix.org/announcements.html)
21. [Release 3.2.4. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.2.4)
22. [Postfix stable release 3.2.5, and legacy releases 3.1.8, 3.0.12, 2.11.11. 2018](https://marc.info/?l=postfix-users&m=151715479013804&w=2)
23. [Release 3.2.5. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.2.5)
24. ['Postfix 3.3.0 stable release' - MARC](https://marc.info/?l=postfix-users&m=151932619911387&w=2)
25. [Release 3.3.0. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.3.0)
26. [Release 3.0.14. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.0.14)
27. [Release 3.1.10. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.1.10)
28. [Release 3.2.7. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.2.7)
29. [Release 3.3.2. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v3.3.2)
30. [Release 2.8.2. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.2)
31. [Release 2.8.3. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.3)
32. [Release 2.8.4. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.4)
33. [Release 2.8.5. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.5)
34. [Release 2.8.6. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.6)
35. [Release 2.8.7. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.7)
36. [Release 2.8.8. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.8)
37. [Release 2.8.9. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.9)
38. [Release 2.8.10. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.10)
39. [Release 2.8.11. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.11)
40. [Release 2.8.12. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.12)
41. [Release 2.8.13. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.13)
42. [Release 2.8.14. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.14)
43. [Release 2.8.15. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.15)
44. [Release 2.8.16. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.16)
45. [Release 2.8.17. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.17)
46. [Release 2.8.18. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.18)
47. [Release 2.8.19. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.19)
48. [Release 2.8.20. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.8.20)
49. [Release 2.9.0. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.9.0)
50. [Release 2.9.1. 2018](https://github.com/vdukhovni/postfix/releases/tag/v2.9.1)