Prevent email to root@domain

Question

I'm running Ubuntu Server 12.04 as a web server and use Exim4 for sending confirmation emails and such. Is there a way to set a system-wide email address for the root user? In other words, I'd like ALL email to go to a different address rather than [e-mail]. For example, this command...

echo "test" | mail -v -s test root

...would go to a different address, as well as all cron tasks that root executes:

# m h dom mon dow user  command
17 *    * * *   root    cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly
25 6    * * *   root    test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.daily )
47 6    * * 7   root    test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.weekly )
52 6    1 * *   root    test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.monthly )

Answer 1

you can edit /etc/aliases and look for the line starting with: root:

or add one. It might be commented out. Then follow the instructions for your MTA to reload the configuation. For Exim 4 you don't have to restart it actually, but when running Postfix (Ubuntu's default MTA) you'll need to run newaliases.

or update it in /root/.forward

Answer 2

In the root account home folder add a ".forward" file that contains the e-mail address or alternate account name on that system for where you want e-mail to be redirected to.

So, make a file named ".forward" containing one line that reads either:

name@domain

or simply:

name

I hope that is clear enough. All e-mail coming into root should automatically be forward to to the other mailbox.