Mail queue

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The mail queue is a directory that stores data and controls files for mail messages that the sendmail command delivers. By default, the mail queue is /var/spool/mqueue.

Mail messages might be queued for many reasons.

For example:

  1. The sendmail command can be configured to process the queue at certain intervals, rather than immediately. If this is so, mail messages must be stored temporarily.
  2. If a remote host does not answer a request for a mail connection, the mail system queues the message and tries again later.