FORWARD(5) | File Formats Manual | FORWARD(5)

# NAME

`forward` — email forwarding information file

# DESCRIPTION

Users may put a `.forward` file in their home directory. If this file exists, smtpd(8) forwards email to the destinations specified therein.

A `.forward` file contains a list of expansion values, as described in aliases(5). Each expansion value should be on a line by itself. Expansion is performed under the user ID of the `.forward` file owner.

Permissions on the `.forward` file are very strict and expansion is rejected if the file is group or world-writable; if the home directory is group writeable; or if the file is not owned by the user.

Users should avoid editing the `.forward` file directly, to prevent delivery failures from occurring if a message arrives while the file is not fully written. The best option is to use a temporary file and use the mv(1) command to atomically overwrite the former `.forward`. Alternatively, setting the sticky(8) bit on the home directory will cause the `.forward` lookup to return a temporary failure, causing mails to be deferred.

# FILES

~/.forward
  Email forwarding information.

# EXAMPLES

The following file forwards mail to “user@example.com”, and pipes the same mail to “examplemda”.

    # empty lines are ignored

    user@example.com	# anything after # is ignored
    "|/path/to/examplemda"

# SEE ALSO

aliases(5), smtpd(8)

# CAVEATS

The pipe ‘|’ and :include: mechanisms are not allowed for the root user.

September 5, 2024 | Debian