NAME

       sa-compile - compile SpamAssassin ruleset into native code

SYNOPSIS

       sa-compile [options]

       Options:

         --list                        Output base string list to STDOUT
         --sudo                        Use 'sudo' for privilege escalation
         --keep-tmps                   Keep temporary files instead of deleting
         -C path, --configpath=path, --config-file=path
                                       Path to standard configuration dir
         -p prefs, --prefspath=file, --prefs-file=file
                                       Set user preferences file
         --siteconfigpath=path         Path for site configs
                                       (default: /usr/etc/spamassassin)
         --updatedir=path              Directory to place updates
                 (default: /var/lib/spamassassin/compiled/<perlversion>/4.000001)
         --cf='config line'            Additional line of configuration
         -D, --debug [area=n,...]      Print debugging messages
         -V, --version                 Print version
         -h, --help                    Print usage message

DESCRIPTION

       sa-compile uses "re2c" to compile the site-wide parts of the SpamAssassin ruleset. No part of user_prefs
       or any files included from user_prefs can be built into the compiled set.

       This compiled set is then used by the "Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Rule2XSBody" plugin to speed up
       SpamAssassin's operation, where possible, and when that plugin is loaded.

       "re2c" can match strings much faster than perl code, by constructing a DFA to match many simple strings
       in parallel, and compiling that to native object code.  Not all SpamAssassin rules are amenable to this
       conversion, however.

       This requires "re2c" (see "https://re2c.org/"), and the C compiler used to build Perl XS modules, be
       installed.

       Note that running this, and creating a compiled ruleset, will have no effect on SpamAssassin scanning
       speeds unless you also edit your "v320.pre" file and ensure this line is uncommented:

         loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Rule2XSBody

       Additionally, "sa-compile" will not restart "spamd" or otherwise cause a scanner to reload the now-
       compiled ruleset automatically.

OPTIONS

       --list
           Output the extracted base strings to STDOUT, instead of generating the C extension code.

       --sudo
           Use  sudo(8)  to  run  code as 'root' when writing files to the compiled-rules storage area (which is
           "/var/lib/spamassassin/compiled/5.040/4.000001" by default).

       --quiet
           Produce less diagnostic output.  Errors will still be displayed.

       --keep-tmps
           Keep temporary files after the script completes, instead of deleting them.

       -C path, --configpath=path, --config-file=path
           Use the specified path  for  locating  the  distributed  configuration  files.   Ignore  the  default
           directories (usually "/usr/share/spamassassin" or similar).

       --siteconfigpath=path
           Use  the  specified  path  for  locating  site-specific  configuration  files.   Ignore  the  default
           directories (usually "/etc/spamassassin" or similar).

       --updatedir
           By default, "sa-compile" will use the system-wide rules update directory:

                   /var/lib/spamassassin/compiled/5.040/4.000001

           If the updates should be stored in another location, specify it here.

           Note that use of this option is not recommended; if sa-compile is  placing  the  compiled  rules  the
           wrong  directory,  you  probably need to rebuild SpamAssassin with different "Makefile.PL" arguments,
           instead of overriding sa-compile's runtime behaviour.

       --cf='config line'
           Add additional lines of configuration directly from the command-line, parsed after the  configuration
           files are read.   Multiple --cf arguments can be used, and each will be considered a separate line of
           configuration.

       -p prefs, --prefspath=prefs, --prefs-file=prefs
           Read user score preferences from prefs (usually "$HOME/.spamassassin/user_prefs") .

       -D [area,...], --debug [area,...]
           Produce  debugging output.  If no areas are listed, all debugging information is printed.  Diagnostic
           output can also be enabled for each area individually; area is the area of the code to instrument.

           For more information about which areas (also  known  as  channels)  are  available,  please  see  the
           documentation at <https://wiki.apache.org/spamassassin/DebugChannels>.

       -h, --help
           Print help message and exit.

       -V, --version
           Print sa-compile version and exit.

SEE ALSO

       Mail::SpamAssassin(3) spamassassin(1) spamd(1)

PREREQUISITES

       "Mail::SpamAssassin" "re2c" "Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Rule2XSBody"

BUGS

       See <https://issues.apache.org/SpamAssassin/>

AUTHORS

       The Apache SpamAssassin(tm) Project <https://spamassassin.apache.org/>

LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT

       SpamAssassin  is  distributed  under  the Apache License, Version 2.0, as described in the file "LICENSE"
       included with the distribution.

       Copyright (C) 2015 The Apache Software Foundation

perl v5.40.1                                       2025-06-26                                     SA-COMPILE(1p)