Linux newaliases Command

Linux Command Encyclopedia

The Linux newaliases command uses a file in /etc/aliases to perform user name mapping. When sendmail receives a message intended for xxx, it will deliver it to another user according to the contents of the aliases file. This feature can create a user that is valid only within the mail system. For example, mailing lists use this feature. In a mailing list, we may create a mailing list called redlinux@link.ece.uci.edu, but there is actually no user named redlinux. The actual aliases file content collects all messages sent to this user and hands them to the mailing list handler for distribution.

/etc/aliases is a text-mode file; sendmail requires a binary-format /etc/aliases.db. The function of newaliases is to convert /etc/aliases into a database that sendmail can understand.

Permissions: system administrator.

Syntax

newaliases

Parameter DescriptionNo parameters.

Examples

# newaliases

The following commands do the same thing

# sendmail -bi

Linux Command Encyclopedia