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If msmtp reports that a message is queued, the message is usually not being held by msmtp itself. Core msmtp normally submits mail immediately to an SMTP server; a wrapper such as msmtpq deliberately stores the message and retries it later. Find which executable your mail program calls, inspect the queue and its log, then test the SMTP account directly. The word “queued” alone does not reveal whether the real fault is authentication, TLS, DNS, a rejected address, a policy block, or a message-size limit.
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What “queued” means in an msmtp setup
msmtp is an SMTP client with a sendmail-compatible interface. In its default sendmail mode, it reads a message from standard input and sends it to an SMTP server for delivery. It is not, by itself, a full mail-transfer agent with a persistent outgoing spool.
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Older instructions may call the wrapper msmtpQ. The project changed that name to msmtpq; queue administration is performed with msmtp-queue. A mail user agent (MUA), script, or system service can therefore appear to be “using msmtp” while actually invoking the queueing wrapper.
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First establish which program your mail client calls
Before changing SMTP credentials, inspect the MUA’s sendmail command and any scripts that send mail. Look for a configured path ending in msmtpq, rather than assuming the presence of an msmtp configuration file proves that direct delivery is being used.
- If the MUA calls
msmtp, delivery is attempted during that invocation. A failure should normally be visible as an msmtp exit status and SMTP error. - If it calls
msmtpq, acceptance means the message was written to the queue. Delivery is a separate operation performed by the queue runner. - If a script calls
msmtp-queueor a scheduler runs it, that process controls when queued messages are retried.
Check both application settings and service files. A common source of confusion is fixing .msmtprc while the MUA is still pointing at a different executable, account, or configuration path.
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Inspect, flush, or remove queued messages
Use the queue-management commands documented by msmtpq. Run them as the same user that owns the queue unless your installation deliberately uses a shared service account.
| Command | Purpose | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
msmtp-queue -d |
Display queued messages | Confirm that the message exists, inspect its age and recipient information, and determine whether the queue is growing. |
msmtp-queue -r |
Run or flush all queued messages | Retry the entire queue after correcting connectivity or account settings. |
msmtp-queue -R |
Send selected queued messages | Retry one or more chosen messages while leaving unrelated mail untouched. |
Purge operations are available, but do not delete a message that you still need for diagnosis. Preserve the message and the queue log until you have captured the SMTP response and established whether the failure is repeatable.
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Verify the queue directory and log
The queue wrapper uses MSMTPQ_Q to select its queue directory and MSMTPQ_LOG to select its queue log. Confirm that the values seen by the sending process are the values you expect; a service account may have a different environment from your interactive shell.
The msmtpq documentation recommends creating the queue directory before use with permissions 0700. That restricts access to the account handling mail and protects queued message contents, which can include confidential data. Check that the directory exists, is writable by the queueing user, and is not on a read-only or full filesystem.
Do not confuse the queue log with the logfile configured in .msmtprc. The queue log records queue operations; msmtp’s logfile records the SMTP client’s own activity. Both can be needed to explain why a message was accepted into the queue but never retried.
Check whether connection testing is preventing delivery
msmtpq can test network availability before attempting delivery. This can avoid repeated failures while a device is offline, but an unsuccessful or overly conservative test can also leave messages queued even when the SMTP endpoint would have worked a moment later.
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Review the wrapper’s connection-test settings and any environment options that force queueing or suppress queue-related output. In particular, look for a setting that forces all mail into the queue. Forced queueing is useful for intermittent links or scheduled delivery, but it means a successful handoff to the wrapper is not evidence that an SMTP transaction has occurred.
After changing a connection-test or forced-queue setting, retry one known message with msmtp-queue -R. If the message sends, the earlier problem was queue policy rather than SMTP authentication. If it remains queued, use the queue log and direct msmtp diagnostics to find the underlying transport or server error.
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Use msmtp’s --serverinfo mode with the account settings intended for delivery. For a named account, the invocation is typically written as:
msmtp --serverinfo --account=account_nameReplace account_name with the account configured in your msmtp file. The command reports capabilities advertised by the server, including maximum message size, authentication mechanisms, TLS support, delivery-status notification (DSN) support, and the TLS certificate presented by the endpoint.
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This test separates “the queue did not run” from “the server cannot be used with this account.” If --serverinfo cannot resolve or connect to the host, flushing the queue will not help. If it connects but reports no authentication method compatible with your configuration, change the account settings or use the submission service specified by your provider.
Validate the account as one complete set of values
SMTP settings are interdependent. A correct password cannot compensate for the wrong port or TLS mode, and a trusted certificate file does not fix a rejected username. Check every value together:
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|---|---|---|
| SMTP hostname | The exact submission host supplied by the mail provider; check spelling and DNS resolution. | Host-not-found, connection, or timeout errors. |
| Port | Use the provider’s submission port. The documented example uses port 587, but the correct port is provider-specific. |
Connection refused, timeout, or an unexpected protocol response. |
| TLS mode | Match the server’s requirement for TLS. Do not assume that a port number alone selects the right mode. | TLS negotiation failure, plaintext rejection, or an immediate disconnect. |
| Trusted CA file | Point msmtp at a current certificate-authority bundle when the system trust store is insufficient. | Certificate verification failure or an untrusted issuer error. |
| Authentication method | Select a mechanism the server advertises and that the account is permitted to use. | Authentication failure or “method not supported” responses. |
| Username and password source | Confirm the account identity, password, file permissions, and any secret-injection mechanism. | Repeated credential rejection despite a reachable server. |
The provider’s requirements take precedence over generic examples. A configuration that works on port 587 with negotiated TLS is not automatically valid for another provider, region, or account type.
Capture the actual failure with a controlled debug run
Once you have identified the account and endpoint, retry one message directly with msmtp’s --debug option. Run this in a controlled environment, save the exit status and transcript, and avoid sending a real confidential message if a minimal test message is sufficient.
msmtp --debug --account=account_nameProvide the message through the same input method your MUA uses, or use the queue wrapper only after direct msmtp has been tested. The debug transcript shows the SMTP conversation: connection setup, TLS negotiation, authentication, envelope commands, server replies, and final acceptance or rejection.
Debug output can include the complete conversation and may expose password material. Store it with restrictive permissions, redact credentials and message content before sharing it, and delete copies that are no longer needed. Never paste an unredacted transcript into a public issue or support forum.
Read the server response instead of guessing from “queued”
Different SMTP failures require different fixes. Use the exact response in the msmtp output or queue log, not the generic queue status.
| Observed failure | Likely area to investigate | Appropriate next action |
|---|---|---|
| DNS failure, timeout, or connection refusal | Hostname, network route, firewall, port, or provider outage. | Correct the host or port, restore network access, then rerun --serverinfo. |
| TLS certificate or trust error | Hostname mismatch, expired certificate, missing CA bundle, or incorrect TLS mode. | Use the provider’s hostname, install or reference the correct trusted CA file, and verify the negotiated TLS settings. |
| Authentication rejected | Wrong username, password, authentication mechanism, or account policy. | Confirm credentials and select a mechanism advertised by --serverinfo; do not repeatedly flush a queue with known-bad credentials. |
| Envelope sender or recipient rejected | Address policy, sender authorization, domain restrictions, or malformed envelope data. | Correct the envelope addresses or account authorization; changing TLS will not solve an address-policy rejection. |
| Policy or rate block | Provider anti-abuse rules, relay restrictions, or sending limits. | Read the provider’s response, reduce or stop retries, and resolve the account or policy issue. |
| Message too large | Server-advertised size limit or an oversized attachment. | Compare the message size with the limit reported by --serverinfo, then reduce the message or use an approved alternative. |
After fixing the underlying error, retry a single queued message first. A successful individual retry is safer than immediately replaying a large backlog, because it confirms that the account and queue path now agree.
Choose direct msmtp or a queued wrapper deliberately
| Characteristic | Direct msmtp | msmtpq-style queue |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery timing | Attempts SMTP delivery during the sending command. | Stores the message first and delivers during a later queue run. |
| Offline behavior | The send command fails when the server is unreachable. | The message can persist until connectivity returns and a retry runs. |
| Operational control | Fewer moving parts; failures are immediate. | Queue inspection, selective retries, scheduling, and persistence are available. |
| Main diagnostic risk | An MUA may hide the immediate exit status. | A successful queue handoff can be mistaken for successful SMTP delivery. |
| Best fit | Scripts or systems that need a clear success/failure result now. | Intermittent networks or workflows that intentionally defer delivery. |
Neither mode bypasses provider requirements. Both still need a reachable submission endpoint, compatible TLS and authentication, valid envelope addresses, and messages within the server’s limits.
A repeatable recovery procedure
- Identify the executable. Confirm whether the MUA or script invokes
msmtpormsmtpq, and note the account name and configuration context. - Preserve evidence. Keep the queued message and queue log; do not purge the only copy before diagnosing it.
- Inspect the queue. Run
msmtp-queue -dand verify that the expected message is present. - Verify paths and permissions. Check
MSMTPQ_Q,MSMTPQ_LOG, ownership, write access, and the recommended0700queue-directory mode. - Review queue policy. Determine whether connection testing or a forced-queue option is preventing an immediate attempt.
- Probe the endpoint. Run
msmtp --serverinfo --account=account_nameand record the advertised TLS, authentication, certificate, DSN, and size capabilities. - Correct the account as a set. Reconcile hostname, port, TLS mode, CA trust, authentication method, username, and password source with the provider’s requirements.
- Run one protected debug attempt. Use
--debug, capture the exit status and SMTP reply, and redact secrets from the transcript. - Retry selectively. Use
msmtp-queue -Rfor a known message. Only after it succeeds should you usemsmtp-queue -rto process the remaining queue. - Clean up deliberately. Purge messages only when you no longer need them, and retain enough log information to explain any remaining failures.
Why a queue can appear stuck after the SMTP problem is fixed
- The queue runner is not being scheduled. A message can remain untouched even though direct msmtp now works.
- The runner uses a different
MSMTPQ_QorMSMTPQ_LOGvalue than your interactive test. - The queue directory is missing, inaccessible, or too broadly or narrowly permissioned for the service account.
- A connection-test rule still reports the network as unavailable and prevents the SMTP attempt.
- The MUA is writing new messages through
msmtpqwhile you are testing a different account with directmsmtp. - Repeated retries are preserving the same server rejection; flushing again cannot fix invalid credentials, certificate trust, policy blocks, or oversized mail.
Compare timestamps in the queue listing and queue log with the time of your retry. If no new queue event appears, investigate the runner, environment, or path. If a new event contains an SMTP response, follow that response rather than treating the item as an unexplained queue failure.
Practical decision rule
Use direct msmtp to prove that the endpoint and account can complete an SMTP transaction. Use msmtpq when you intentionally need persistence across offline periods or scheduled retries. When a message is labeled queued, first determine whether that is the designed handoff to a wrapper. Then use msmtp-queue -d, the queue and client logs, --serverinfo, and one carefully protected --debug run to identify the actual failure. Only the server’s response and the queue evidence can tell you whether the fix belongs in networking, TLS trust, authentication, address policy, message size, or queue scheduling.
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