----- Original Message -----
From: "Len Conrad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >The trailing "*" is a message that is in the process of a delivery
attempt.
> >I would strongly advise against using "tr -d "*"" and deleting messages
that
> >are in the middle of a delivery attempt, as you may end up deleting
messages
> >that you shouldn't have.
>
> The context for running any of these delete-in-queue msgs is a stopped
> postfix, since postfix expects to be the only program manipulating the
> queue. That's running more that one instance of postfix requires a
> separate tree for each instance. Two postfix's, or postfix + any other
> program (like mailscanner), cannot share on queue.
Correct, attempting any process on a message in the active queue is a very
bad thing, that's why my script only operates on messages in the deferred
queue.
> The "*" is indicates "incoming" msgs whose delivery has not yet been
> attempted by being placed in the "active" queue.
The "*" indicates messages in the active queue, that is being received or
attempting to be delivered. This from Kyle Dent's new book "Postfix, The
Definitive Guide":
"Messages in the active queue are marked with an asterisk after the
Queue ID."
> A huge, and especially a growing, number of "*" msgs indicates that
> incoming is arriving faster than outgoing, a situation which cannot be
> allowed to continue indefinitely.
It also potentially indicates a huge number of active delivery attempts, or
a combination of active incoming and outgoing delivery attemtps. To test
this, execute a "postfix flush" and all messages currently in the deferred
queue will be moved into the active queue and will display their QID with an
"*" at the end until the message is either successfully delivered or passed
back into the deferred queue.
Bill
