Using SSH to View the Mail Queue on Dedicated or VPS
If you are using assistive technology and are unable to read any part of the HostMonster website, or otherwise have difficulties using the HostMonster website, please call 866-573-HOST and our customer service team will assist you.
Skip to main content

HostMonster Web Hosting Help

Using SSH to View the Mail Queue on Dedicated or VPS

Overview

This article will explain how to view the outgoing email queue or exim queue in SSH.

Click on any of the sections to jump to that point in the guide.



What You Need

  • The password for the root user on your server.
  • An SSH client like Terminal (Mac, Linux) or Putty (Windows).
  • A domain name that points to your server or your servers IP address.

Login through SSH

These instructions require knowing the root password for your server. If you don't know the root password or haven't set one up please see https://my.HostMonster.com/hosting/help/whm-login#root-password.

Using Terminal (Mac, Linux)

  1. Open Terminal
  2. Type the following command to login into your server through SSH:
    ssh root@exampledomain.com
    Note: Replace exampledomain.com with your domain or IP address.
  3. If you receive a message about the authenticity of the host, type yes to continue connecting.
  4. When it asks for your password, enter the root password to your server.
    Note: It's normal not to see anything on the screen change as you enter your password.

Using Putty (Windows)

To make an SSH connection on Windows, you must have a compatible SSH client such as putty. You can download putty from http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html.

  1. Open Putty
  2. Enter your domain or IP address as the hostname.
  3. Enter 22 for the port number.
  4. Protocol should be set to SSH.
  5. Click the Open button.
  6. If you receive a message about the authenticity of the host, type yes to continue connecting.
  7. When it asks for the username type:root
  8. When it asks for the password, enter the password for the root user Note: It's normal not to see anything on the screen change as you enter your password.

Checking the Queue

To see the number of emails in queue enter:
exim -bpc

To print a list of messages in queue enter:
exim -bp

Clearing the Queue

To remove a single message from the queue, enter:
exim -Mrm MessageID
Note: replace MessageID with the ID of the message you want remove.

To clear out the entire mail queue please see: Clearing the Mail Queue on VPS and Dedicated Servers

Knowledgebase Article 105,781 views bookmark tags: dedicated exim ssh vps


Was this resource helpful?

Did this resolve your issue?


Please add any other comments or suggestions about this content:





Recommended Help Content

This article will explain how to clear the outbound mail queue on a dedicated or VPS server.
Knowledgebase Article 147,666 views tags: dedi dedicated mail queue vps

This article will explain how to restart the email related services on a Dedicated or VPS server. This may be useful if you are experiencing trouble with your email.
Knowledgebase Article 143,515 views tags: dedi dedicated dovecot exim mail restart vps whm

This article will explain how to view the email logs on a Dedicated or VPS server. This may be usefull if you are experiencing trouble with your email.
Knowledgebase Article 147,677 views tags: dedi dedicated logs mail vps whm

Related Help Content

How to modify the Exim Port (Mail Transfer Agent) in the WHM
Knowledgebase Article 127,665 views tags: dedicated exim outgoing port sending server whm

This article will explain how to check the dates of your backups using SSH.
Knowledgebase Article 116,819 views tags: backup dedicated ssh vps

Explanation what SMTP settings are and guide on where to find them based on their client
Knowledgebase Article 625,697 views tags: email outgoing smtp webmail

Windows Live Mail combines the ease of use of Outlook Express, with the speed of Windows Live. This tutorial will show you how to setup your email account in Windows Live Mail.
Video "How-to" Tutorial 313,858 views tags: email emailclient mail

Sender Policy Framework records, or SPF records are a type of DNS record used to identify which mail servers should be allowed to send email from a certain domain name.
Knowledgebase Article 120,036 views tags: dedicated email prevent spf spoof spoofing vps

How can I change the outgoing SMTP port from 25 to 26?
Knowledgebase Article 596,438 views tags: email outgoing port send sending smtp

How to generate and use SSH Keys
Knowledgebase Article 271,608 views tags: dedicated ssh

This article will explain how to setup an email account in the Windows 10 mail application.
Knowledgebase Article 279,365 views tags: application client email windows

This site utilizes JavaScript to function correctly. Looks like it's disabled on your browser. Please enable it for your best experience.

For instructions on enabling JavaScript, click here