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Check mailq

Overview

Checks the mail queue. Tested with Postfix and Exim.

Hints:

  • Exim: By default, exim -bq (alias mailq) can be used only by an admin user. However, the queue_list_requires_admin option can be set false to allow any user to see the queue. Alternatively, add the icinga user to the exim group (sometimes the group is also called Debian-exim).

Fact Sheet

Fact Value
Check Plugin Download https://github.com/Linuxfabrik/monitoring-plugins/tree/main/check-plugins/mailq
Check Interval Recommendation Every 5 minutes
Can be called without parameters Yes
Compiled for Windows No
Requirements command-line tool mailq

Help

usage: mailq [-h] [-V] [--always-ok] [-c CRIT] [--test TEST] [-w WARN]

Checks the mail queue.

options:
  -h, --help           show this help message and exit
  -V, --version        show program's version number and exit
  --always-ok          Always returns OK.
  -c, --critical CRIT  Set the critical threshold for mails in the queue.
                       Default: 250
  --test TEST          For unit tests. Needs "path-to-stdout-file,path-to-
                       stderr-file,expected-retc".
  -w, --warning WARN   Set the warning threshold for mails in the queue.
                       Default: 2

Usage Examples

./mailq --warning 2 --critical 250

Output:

4 mails to deliver.

States

  • WARN on error messages from mailq.
  • WARN or CRIT if number of messages is greater than or equal to the thresholds.

Perfdata / Metrics

  • mailq: Mails in mail queue

Credits, License