From: zsd@jdvb.ca   
      
   On 2025-12-16 at 19:06 AST, Rich  wrote:   
   > Jim  wrote:   
   >> I use postfix to send outgoing email.  (My MUA is mutt, just in case that   
   >> is somehow relevant.)   
   >>   
   >> Every now and then I make the mistake of sending (i.e., trying to send)   
   >> email when I'm off-line.   
   >   
   > Email existed during the time before 24/7 connectivity, it (the SMTP   
   > protocol) already handles both senders and receivers not being   
   > network accessible 100% of the time.   
      
   Yeah.  I've been using email since 1979.  I say "mistake" because of what   
   is happening on my system these days with postfix.   
      
   >> This is a mistake, because if postfix doesn't get   
   >> the email out on first try, it seems to give up on it entirely.   
   >   
   > The server is supposed to retry a small number of times over a period   
   > of time.  I don't remember the exact values, but there are probably   
   > postfix configuration words to adjust away from the defaults.   
      
   This is how I understand it as well.  And yet...   
      
   >> -> Running sudo sendmail -v -q doesn't have any effect.   
   >   
   > That is odd.  Note, you didn't say, but, are you running the -q when   
   > you are online?  Running that will have no effect if you are offline.   
      
   Yes, thanks.  I try it when I know I am on-line and my outgoing SMTP server   
   is reachable.   
      
   >> -> Stopping and restarting the postfix daemon is equally ineffective.   
   >   
   > Again, are you doing so when you are online?   
      
   Yes.   
      
   >> My question: does anyone else (who uses postfix) see this behaviour?   
   >> -> If not, I guess I have to re-examine my configuration.   
      
   > No, but I say that from the perspective of last having postfix handle   
   > email while offline years ago.  But even back then, it handled it as   
   > expected.  If offline the emails queued.  When online, a sendmail -q   
   > would flush the waiting queue out to the internet.   
      
   >> -> If so, have you discovered any way to make postfix run the mail in   
   >> the queue?   
   >   
   > sendmail -q is the way -- but you do have to be online, and while   
   > you've implied that you are running it while online, you never   
   > explicitly said so.   
      
   Mea culpa!   
      
   Thanks for the thoughts anyway.   
      
                                   Jim   
      
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