How to use the command exiqgrep (with examples)

Exiqgrep is a Perl script that allows users to search and filter the Exim mail queue. It provides various options to perform searches based on sender or recipient addresses, display message IDs, and even remove messages from the queue. This article will illustrate each of these use cases with examples.

Use case 1: Match the sender address using a case-insensitive search

Code:

exiqgrep -f '<email@somedomain.com>'

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to find all messages in the Exim queue that were sent from a specific email address. By using a case-insensitive search, you ensure that the search is not affected by the letter case used in the email address.

Explanation: The -f option specifies the sender address to search for in the Exim queue. The email address should be enclosed in quotes. The command will perform a case-insensitive search and display all matching messages.

Example output:

0aRhxg-0001TF-Mw <email@somedomain.com>

Use case 2: Match the sender address and display message IDs only

Code:

exiqgrep -i -f '<email@somedomain.com>'

Motivation: This use case is useful when you only want to see the message IDs of the messages sent from a specific email address. Displaying only the message IDs can make it easier to perform further actions on these messages, such as removing them from the queue.

Explanation: The -i option is used to display only the message IDs instead of the full queue listing. This option is combined with the -f option, which specifies the sender address to search for in the Exim queue.

Example output:

0aRhxg-0001TF-Mw

Use case 3: Match the recipient address

Code:

exiqgrep -r 'email@somedomain.com'

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you need to find all messages in the Exim queue that were sent to a specific recipient email address. By matching the recipient address, you can quickly identify relevant messages.

Explanation: The -r option is used to specify the exact recipient address to search for in the Exim queue. The command will display all messages that match the provided recipient address.

Example output:

0aRhxg-0001TF-Mw <email@somedomain.com>

Use case 4: Remove all messages matching the sender address from the queue

Code:

exiqgrep -i -f '<email@somedomain.com>' | xargs exim -Mrm

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to remove all messages from the Exim queue that were sent from a specific sender email address. By combining Exiqgrep with the xargs command and the exim -Mrm command, you can efficiently remove multiple messages matching the sender address.

Explanation: The -i option is used to display only the message IDs instead of the full queue listing. The -f option specifies the sender address to search for in the Exim queue. The | (pipe) operator is used to pass the output of the exiqgrep command as input to the xargs command. The xargs command executes the exim -Mrm command for each message ID received as input, removing the messages from the queue.

Example output:

Message 0aRhxg-0001TF-Mw has been removed

Use case 5: Test for bounced messages

Code:

exiqgrep -f '^<>$'

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to test for bounced messages in the Exim queue. Bounced messages typically have an empty sender address, represented by <>. By using the ^<>$ regular expression pattern, you can search for these bounced messages.

Explanation: The -f option is used to search for a specific pattern in the Exim queue. In this case, the regular expression ^<>$ is used to match messages with an empty sender address. The command will display all messages that match the regular expression pattern.

Example output:

0aRhxg-0001TF-Mw <email@somedomain.com>

Use case 6: Display the count of bounced messages

Code:

exiqgrep -c -f '^<>$'

Motivation: This use case is useful when you need to know the count of bounced messages in the Exim queue. By specifying the -c option, you can get a quick overview of the number of bounced messages.

Explanation: The -c option is used to display the count of matching messages instead of the full queue listing. The -f option is used to search for the specific pattern ^<>$, which represents bounced messages. The command will display only the count of messages that match the specified pattern.

Example output:

1

Conclusion:

Exiqgrep is a powerful command-line tool for searching and filtering the Exim mail queue. It provides various options to match sender and recipient addresses, display message IDs, remove messages, and more. By mastering the use cases presented in this article, you can efficiently manage and manipulate the Exim queue based on your specific needs.