How to Set Up a Local Mail Alias File

Use the following procedure to resolve aliases with a local mail alias file.

1. Compile a list of each of your users and the locations of their mailboxes.
2. Become an administrator on the mail server.

   For more information, see Using Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Securing Users and Processes in Oracle Solaris 11.2 .

3. Edit the /etc/mail/aliases file and make the following entries.
   1. Add an entry for each user.

      user1: user2@host.domain

      user1

      Use the new alias name.

      user2@host.domain

      Use the actual address for the new alias.

   2. Ensure that you have a Postmaster: root entry.

      # cat /etc/mail/aliases
      ..
      Postmaster: root

   3. Add an alias for root. Use the mail address of the person who is designated as the postmaster.

      # cat /etc/mail/aliases
      ..
      root: user@host.domain.com

      user@host.domain.com

      Use the assigned address of the designated postmaster.

4. Rebuild the alias database.

   # newaliases

   The configuration of the –AliasFile option in /etc/mail/sendmail.cf determines whether this command generates in binary form either the single file, /etc/mail/aliases.db, or the pair of files, /etc/mail/aliases.dir and /etc/mail/aliases.pag.

5. Perform one of the following steps to copy the file or files that were generated.
   1. (Optional) Copy the /etc/mail/aliases, the /etc/mail/aliases.dir, and the/etc/mail/aliases.pag files to each of the other systems.

      You can copy the three files by using the rcp or rsync commands. Refer to the rcp (1) man page or the rsync (1) man page for more information. Alternately, you can create a script for this purpose.

      When you copy these files, you do not need to run the newaliases command on each of the other systems. However, remember that you must update all the /etc/mail/aliases files each time you add or remove a mail client.

   2. (Optional) Copy the /etc/mail/aliases and the /etc/mail/aliases.db files to each of the other systems.

      You can copy these files by using the rcp or rsync commands. Refer to the rcp (1) man page or the rsync (1) man page for more information. Alternately, you can create a script for this purpose.

      When you copy these files, you do not need to run the newaliases command on each of the other systems. However, remember that you must update all the /etc/mail/aliases files each time you add or remove a mail client.