POSTQUEUE(1)

POSTQUEUE(1) | General Commands Manual | POSTQUEUE(1)

# NAME

postqueue - Postfix queue control

# SYNOPSIS

postqueue [-v] [-c config_dir] -f
postqueue [-v] [-c config_dir] -i queue_id
postqueue [-v] [-c config_dir] -p
postqueue [-v] [-c config_dir] -s site

# DESCRIPTION

The postqueue(1) command implements the Postfix user interface for queue management. It implements operations that are traditionally available via the sendmail(1) command. See the postsuper(1) command for queue operations that require super-user privileges such as deleting a message from the queue or changing the status of a message.

The following options are recognized:

-c config_dir
  The main.cf configuration file is in the named directory instead of the default configuration directory. See also the MAIL_CONFIG environment setting below.

-f
  Flush the queue: attempt to deliver all queued mail.

  This option implements the traditional "sendmail -q" command, by contacting the Postfix qmgr(8) daemon.

  Warning: flushing undeliverable mail frequently will result in poor delivery performance of all other mail.

-i queue_id
  Schedule immediate delivery of deferred mail with the specified queue ID.

  This option implements the traditional sendmail -qI command, by contacting the flush(8) server.

  This feature is available with Postfix version 2.4 and later.

-p
  Produce a traditional sendmail-style queue listing. This option implements the traditional mailq command, by contacting the Postfix showq(8) daemon.

  Each queue entry shows the queue file ID, message size, arrival time, sender, and the recipients that still need to be delivered. If mail could not be delivered upon the last attempt, the reason for failure is shown. The queue ID string is followed by an optional status character:

  *
    The message is in the active queue, i.e. the message is selected for delivery.
  !
    The message is in the hold queue, i.e. no further delivery attempt will be made until the mail is taken off hold.

-s site
  Schedule immediate delivery of all mail that is queued for the named site. A numerical site must be specified as a valid RFC 2821 address literal enclosed in [], just like in email addresses. The site must be eligible for the "fast flush" service. See flush(8) for more information about the "fast flush" service.

  This option implements the traditional "sendmail -qRsite" command, by contacting the Postfix flush(8) daemon.

-v
  Enable verbose logging for debugging purposes. Multiple -v options make the software increasingly verbose. As of Postfix 2.3, this option is available for the super-user only.

# SECURITY

This program is designed to run with set-group ID privileges, so that it can connect to Postfix daemon processes.

# DIAGNOSTICS

Problems are logged to syslogd(8) and to the standard error stream.

# ENVIRONMENT

MAIL_CONFIG
  Directory with the main.cf file. In order to avoid exploitation of set-group ID privileges, a non-standard directory is allowed only if:
  •
    The name is listed in the standard main.cf file with the alternate_config_directories configuration parameter.
  •
    The command is invoked by the super-user.

# CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS

The following main.cf parameters are especially relevant to this program. The text below provides only a parameter summary. See postconf(5) for more details including examples.

alternate_config_directories (empty)
  A list of non-default Postfix configuration directories that may be specified with "-c config_directory" on the command line, or via the MAIL_CONFIG environment parameter.

config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
  The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf configuration files.

command_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
  The location of all postfix administrative commands.

fast_flush_domains ($relay_domains)
  Optional list of destinations that are eligible for per-destination logfiles with mail that is queued to those destinations.

import_environment (see 'postconf -d' output)
  The list of environment parameters that a Postfix process will import from a non-Postfix parent process.

queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output)
  The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory.

syslog_facility (mail)
  The syslog facility of Postfix logging.

syslog_name (see 'postconf -d' output)
  The mail system name that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that "smtpd" becomes, for example, "postfix/smtpd".

trigger_timeout (10s)
  The time limit for sending a trigger to a Postfix daemon (for example, the pickup(8) or qmgr(8) daemon).

Available in Postfix version 2.2 and later:

authorized_flush_users (static:anyone)
  List of users who are authorized to flush the queue.

authorized_mailq_users (static:anyone)
  List of users who are authorized to view the queue.

# FILES

/var/spool/postfix, mail queue

# SEE ALSO

qmgr(8), queue manager
showq(8), list mail queue
flush(8), fast flush service
sendmail(1), Sendmail-compatible user interface
postsuper(1), privileged queue operations

# README FILES

Use "postconf readme_directory" or " postconf html_directory" to locate this information.
ETRN_README, Postfix ETRN howto

# LICENSE

The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.

# HISTORY

The postqueue command was introduced with Postfix version 1.1.

# AUTHOR(S)

Wietse Venema
IBM T.J. Watson Research
P.O. Box 704
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA