newaliases

TLDR

Rebuild aliases database

$ sudo newaliases

Specify aliases file

$ sudo newaliases -oA[/etc/mail/aliases]

newaliases rebuilds the aliases database from /etc/aliases (or equivalent). The database is used by the mail transfer agent (MTA) to expand email aliases.
This command must be run after editing the aliases file for changes to take effect.

PARAMETERS

-oA file

Specify aliases file.

-v

Verbose output.

ALIASES FILE FORMAT

$ # /etc/aliases
postmaster: root
webmaster: admin@example.com
support: user1, user2, user3
noreply: /dev/null
archive: |/usr/bin/archive-mail

WORKFLOW

$ # Edit aliases
sudo nano /etc/aliases

# Rebuild database
sudo newaliases

# Verify
sendmail -bv aliasname

CAVEATS

MTA-dependent (sendmail, postfix, etc.). File location varies by system. Root privileges required.

HISTORY

newaliases has been part of Unix mail systems since the early days of sendmail, developed at UC Berkeley in the 1980s.