How to delete messages from mail queue

Here is how to remove mail from the queues of various MTAs. Suppose the queue contains the following messages:

-Queue ID- --Size-- ----Arrival Time----    ---Sender/Recipient-------
9DCE512DB8140   113016 Fri Sep  9 16:49:55  [email protected]
                                            (temporary failure)
                                            [email protected]

A94D912DB80D1    46747 Fri Sep  9 13:48:28  [email protected]
                                            (temporary failure)
                                            [email protected]

D1D0612DB8118   113626 Fri Sep  9 16:47:22  [email protected]
                                            (temporary failure)
                                            [email protected]

Delete mail from the Sendmail queue

1. Delete the files manually from /var/spool/mail/ and /var/mqueue/. Example:

   [root@Ezylinux ~]# rm -f /var/spool/mail/*.*
   [root@Ezylinux ~]# rm -f /var/mqueue/*.*

   You can also use find to locate the messages to delete. For example, to remove messages with “temporary failure” status from /var/spool/mqueue: [root@Ezylinux ~]# find /var/spool/mqueue -type f -exec grep "temporary failure" {} \; -exec rm -rf {} \;- Run sendmail as root. Delete the entire mail queue: [root@Ezylinux ~]# sendmail -v -q Specify the sender domain: [root@Ezylinux ~]# sendmail -qS -v ezylinux.com Specify the recipient domain: [root@Ezylinux ~]# sendmail -qR -v ezylinux.com

Additional command to view messages in the Sendmail queue: [root@Ezylinux ~]# mailq

Delete mail from the Postfix queue

For Postfix, use postsuper to delete messages from the mail queue.

1. Delete by queue ID using postsuper followed by QueueID, as shown below. [root@Ezylinux ~]# postsuper -d 9DCE512DB8140
2. Delete queued mail for a specified domain. Specify the sender address. For example, remove messages from [email protected] (sender) from the queue: [root@Ezylinux ~]# postqueue -p | grep -v '^ *(' | awk 'BEGIN { RS = "" } { if ($7 == "[email protected]") print $1 } ' | tr -d '*!' | postsuper -d - Specify the recipient address. For example, remove messages to [email protected] (recipient) from the queue: [root@Ezylinux ~]# postqueue -p | grep -v ’^ *(’ | awk ‘BEGIN { RS = "" } { if ($8 == “[email protected]” && $9 == "") print $1 } ’ | tr -d ’*!’ | postsuper -d -

** $7=sender, $8=recipient1, $9=recipient2 Additional command to view messages in the Postfix queue: [root@Ezylinux ~]# postqueue -p

Delete mail from the Exim queue

1. Delete by queue ID: [root@Ezylinux ~]# exim -Mrm D1D0612DB8118
2. Delete the entire mail queue: [root@Ezylinux ~]# exim -bp | awk '/^ *[0-9]+[mhd]/{print "exim -Mrm " $3}' | sh or [root@Ezylinux ~]# exim -bp | exiqgrep -i | xargs exim -Mrm
3. Delete queued mail older than 300 seconds, or 5 minutes: [root@Ezylinux ~]# exiqgrep -o 300 -i | xargs exim -Mrm

Additional command to view messages in the Exim queue: [root@Ezylinux ~]# exim -bp Zimbra Mail Server installation services