The RPM package has a Red Hat-based init.d script for qpsmtpd-forkserver configured for the RPM install layout, however it is easy to modify for a standard tarball install layout if desired. Once the init.d script in place and configured, qpsmtpd-forkserver can be managed via chkconfig and service on RH-based distros.

The debian package also contains a similar script for Debian.

The following init script will work with most Red Hat, Mandrake or related systems:

#! /bin/bash
#
# qpsmtpd-forkserver          Start/Stop the qpsmtpd forking server
#
# chkconfig: 2345 90 60
# description: qpsmtpd is a flexible smtpd daemon written in Perl. \
#              Apart from the core SMTP features, all functionality is \
#              implemented in small "extension plugins" using the easy \
#              to use object oriented plugin API.
# processname: qpsmtpd-forkserver
# config: /etc/qpsmtpd
# pidfile: /var/run/qpsmtpd-forkserver.pid

# cleanup environment a bit.
unset PERL_UNICODE
 
# Source function library.
. /etc/init.d/functions
. /etc/sysconfig/qpsmtpd-forkserver
 
RETVAL=0
 
# See how we were called.

dir="/usr/share/qpsmtpd"
prog="qpsmtpd-forkserver"
 
start() {
        echo -n $"Starting $dir/$prog: "
        trap "" 1
        $dir/$prog --detach $QPSMTPD_OPTIONS
        RETVAL=$?
        echo
        [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch /var/lock/subsys/$prog
        return $RETVAL
}
 
stop() {
        echo -n $"Stopping $dir/$prog: "
        killproc $prog
        RETVAL=$?
        echo
        [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && rm -f /var/lock/subsys/$prog
        return $RETVAL
}
 
rhstatus() {
        status qpsmtpd-forkserver
}
 
restart() {
        stop
        start
}
 
reload() {
        stop
        start
}
 
case "$1" in
  start)
        start
        ;;
  stop)
        stop
        ;;
  restart)
        restart
        ;;
  reload)
        reload
        ;;
  status)
        rhstatus
        ;;
  condrestart)
        [ -f /var/lock/subsys/$prog ] && restart || :
        ;;
  *)
        echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop|status|reload|restart|condrestart}"
        exit 1
esac
 
exit $?

You will also need to add a sysconfig file to /etc/sysconfig with similar contents to the below:

QPSMTPD_OPTIONS="-p 25 -l 127.0.0.l -m 5"
export QPSMTPD_CONFIG=/etc/qpsmtpd
export HOME=~smtpd

Very simple script for gentoo:

#!/sbin/runscript
# Copyright 1999-2004 Gentoo Foundation
# Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2

DIR=/usr/local/qpsmtpd
PROG=qpsmtpd-forkserver
 
source /etc/conf.d/qpsmtpd
 
depend() {
        need net
}
 
checkconfig() {
        if ! [ -d /etc/qpsmtpd ]; then
                eerror "Configuration directory /etc/qpsmtpd does not exist."
                return 1
        fi
 
        return 0
}
 
start() {
        checkconfig || return 1
 
        ebegin "Starting qpsmtpd"
        $DIR/$PROG --detach $QPSMTPD_OPTIONS --pid-file /var/run/qpsmtpd-forkserver.pid
        eend $?
}
 
stop() {
        ebegin "Stopping qpsmtpd"
        killall $PROG
        eend $?
}