Re: Sendmail and /var/spool/mqueue
On Jun 17, 2004, at 2:39 PM, Bill Moran wrote: What does it mean when I have a lot of files in /var/spool/mqueue? I don't really understand what that particular queue is for. That is the queue of unsent messages which sendmail will periodicly attempt to resend (every four hours, by default). You can try to flush them via "sendmail -v -q". This client is not having any problems getting/sending mail, and the mailq command only shows one mail in the queue, but I have 3867 files in this directory. Hmm. Sendmail tends to accumulate spam-related bounces which can't be delivered because the spam used forged headers, and I've seen some signs that sendmail doesn't always manage to clean up the queue files of such messages after they can't be delivered for 5 days. [ I seem to recall that the sendmail operations guide recommends moving mqueue to oqueue, creating a new mqueue, and then processing the oqueue by hand. Once that is completed, delete oqueue and any leftover files ] -- -Chuck ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: Sendmail and /var/spool/mqueue
Matthew Seaman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Fri, Jun 18, 2004 at 09:57:22AM -0400, Bill Moran wrote: > > Charles Swiger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > On Jun 17, 2004, at 2:39 PM, Bill Moran wrote: > > > > What does it mean when I have a lot of files in /var/spool/mqueue? I > > > > don't > > > > really understand what that particular queue is for. > > > > > > That is the queue of unsent messages which sendmail will periodicly > > > attempt to resend (every four hours, by default). You can try to flush > > > them via "sendmail -v -q". > > > > I appreciate the input, Chuck, but now I'm more confused. > > > > When I did this, folks suddenly started receiving emails from two years ago. > > I'm a bit confused as to _why_ sendmail would hang on to mails from years ago > > without either delivering them or bouncing them? Could the queue have been > > corrupt? > > Sounds like you aren't running a sendmail process to flush the queue > regularly. Which means that any message that cannot be delivered > immediately will be stuck into the /var/spool/mqueue directory and > forgotten about. > > Look at /var/run/sendmail.pid -- the second line shows what command > line sendmail was started with. Typically it will be something like: > > /usr/sbin/sendmail -L sm-mta -bd -q30m > > (You can't use ps(1) to extract this information, because sendmail is > one of those programs that futzes with its argv[][] array as it runs) > > Unless you have a -qNNN flag in there somewhere, sendmail won't be > processing any queued messages for you. Set this using the > 'sendmail_flags' variable in /etc/rc.conf if necessary, although the > value I've shown is the default. The trailing bit '30m' is how > frequently sendmail attempts to run the queue -- somewhere between 15m > and 30m is best: don't be tempted to set it too short, or you'll not > give any correspondents enough time to sort out any problems their end > before you try re-sending. > > If you end up with a load of messages stuck in > /var/spool/clientmqueue, you've got a similar problem with not running > a MSP queue daemon. The case is exactly analogous, except that the > sendmail flags are in /var/spool/clientmqueue/sm-client.pid and should > read: > > /usr/sbin/sendmail -L sm-msp-queue -Ac -q30m > > and you need to set 'sendmail_msp_queue_flags' in /etc/rc.conf to > override them. Thanks a lot Matthew. All these appear correct (exactly) with what you show. It makes it all the more mystery why these messages are getting hung up. I'm going to keep an eye on the server for a while and see if I can figure anything out. -- Bill Moran Potential Technologies http://www.potentialtech.com ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: Sendmail and /var/spool/mqueue
On Fri, Jun 18, 2004 at 09:57:22AM -0400, Bill Moran wrote: > Charles Swiger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > On Jun 17, 2004, at 2:39 PM, Bill Moran wrote: > > > What does it mean when I have a lot of files in /var/spool/mqueue? I > > > don't > > > really understand what that particular queue is for. > > > > That is the queue of unsent messages which sendmail will periodicly > > attempt to resend (every four hours, by default). You can try to flush > > them via "sendmail -v -q". > > I appreciate the input, Chuck, but now I'm more confused. > > When I did this, folks suddenly started receiving emails from two years ago. > I'm a bit confused as to _why_ sendmail would hang on to mails from years ago > without either delivering them or bouncing them? Could the queue have been > corrupt? Sounds like you aren't running a sendmail process to flush the queue regularly. Which means that any message that cannot be delivered immediately will be stuck into the /var/spool/mqueue directory and forgotten about. Look at /var/run/sendmail.pid -- the second line shows what command line sendmail was started with. Typically it will be something like: /usr/sbin/sendmail -L sm-mta -bd -q30m (You can't use ps(1) to extract this information, because sendmail is one of those programs that futzes with its argv[][] array as it runs) Unless you have a -qNNN flag in there somewhere, sendmail won't be processing any queued messages for you. Set this using the 'sendmail_flags' variable in /etc/rc.conf if necessary, although the value I've shown is the default. The trailing bit '30m' is how frequently sendmail attempts to run the queue -- somewhere between 15m and 30m is best: don't be tempted to set it too short, or you'll not give any correspondents enough time to sort out any problems their end before you try re-sending. If you end up with a load of messages stuck in /var/spool/clientmqueue, you've got a similar problem with not running a MSP queue daemon. The case is exactly analogous, except that the sendmail flags are in /var/spool/clientmqueue/sm-client.pid and should read: /usr/sbin/sendmail -L sm-msp-queue -Ac -q30m and you need to set 'sendmail_msp_queue_flags' in /etc/rc.conf to override them. Cheers, Matthew -- Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 26 The Paddocks Savill Way PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Marlow Tel: +44 1628 476614 Bucks., SL7 1TH UK pgpS2gOtTf39q.pgp Description: PGP signature
Re: Sendmail and /var/spool/mqueue
Charles Swiger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Jun 17, 2004, at 2:39 PM, Bill Moran wrote: > > What does it mean when I have a lot of files in /var/spool/mqueue? I > > don't > > really understand what that particular queue is for. > > That is the queue of unsent messages which sendmail will periodicly > attempt to resend (every four hours, by default). You can try to flush > them via "sendmail -v -q". I appreciate the input, Chuck, but now I'm more confused. When I did this, folks suddenly started receiving emails from two years ago. I'm a bit confused as to _why_ sendmail would hang on to mails from years ago without either delivering them or bouncing them? Could the queue have been corrupt? Caused quite a stir, actually ... folks were getting order requests from a year ago. > > This client is not having any problems getting/sending mail, and the > > mailq > > command only shows one mail in the queue, but I have 3867 files in this > > directory. > > Hmm. Sendmail tends to accumulate spam-related bounces which can't be > delivered because the spam used forged headers, and I've seen some > signs that sendmail doesn't always manage to clean up the queue files > of such messages after they can't be delivered for 5 days. > > [ I seem to recall that the sendmail operations guide recommends moving > mqueue to oqueue, creating a new mqueue, and then processing the oqueue > by hand. Once that is completed, delete oqueue and any leftover > files ] I think this is a good argument for Postfix ... -- Bill Moran Potential Technologies http://www.potentialtech.com ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: Sendmail and /var/spool/mqueue
> > > What does it mean when I have a lot of files in /var/spool/mqueue? I > > don't > > really understand what that particular queue is for. > > I believe the q is for messages that have failed, but have not yet > expired...don't quote me though. Pretty close. All Email messages seem to go their first - anyway, if the mailer doesn't call sendmail on them right away directly - and then sendmail or whatever picks them out of there at its periodic intervals. > > sb > > > This client is not having any problems getting/sending mail, and the mailq > > command only shows one mail in the queue, but I have 3867 files in this > > directory. Yah, all those extra messages in the mqueue are most likely ones that failed to get delivered for some non-permanent reason. You can take a look at the 'q' files and see where they are supposed to go. It is highly likely that they are bogus in some way and can be nuked. But, it is also possible that some server was temporarily down and they will get delivered when it comes back up. There should be a 'd' file for each 'q' file and vice versa. We have had occasions where some seemed to get orphanned with one file but missing the other. I don't remember if we ever figured out a reason. I always nuked any orphans. jerry > > > > -- > > Bill Moran > > Potential Technologies > > http://www.potentialtech.com > > ___ > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list > > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > > "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" > ___ > [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: Sendmail and /var/spool/mqueue
> What does it mean when I have a lot of files in /var/spool/mqueue? I > don't > really understand what that particular queue is for. I believe the q is for messages that have failed, but have not yet expired...don't quote me though. sb > > This client is not having any problems getting/sending mail, and the mailq > command only shows one mail in the queue, but I have 3867 files in this > directory. > > -- > Bill Moran > Potential Technologies > http://www.potentialtech.com > ___ > [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" > ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
