Server is retrying to send failed emails

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The Basics

  • Nextcloud Server version (e.g., 29.0.5):
    • 29.0.7
  • Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 24.04):
    • 22.04
  • Web server and version (e.g, Apache 2.4.25):
    • 2.4.52
  • Reverse proxy and version _(e.g. nginx 1.27.2)
    • replace me
  • PHP version (e.g, 8.3):
    • 8.2.25
  • Is this the first time you’ve seen this error? (Yes / No):
    • Yes
  • When did this problem seem to first start?
    • Not sure
  • Installation method (e.g. AIO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)
    • Download
  • Are you using Cloudflare, mod_security, or similar? (Yes / No)
    • No

Summary of the issue you are facing:

I’m getting a constant error on one of my Nextcloud servers that two specific emails keep trying to send but fail. In my email server, nothing exists in the outgoing queue. So it is seeming like this is a job that is hung on something in Nextcloud.

Log entries

Nextcloud

Please provide the log entries from your Nextcloud log that are generated during the time of problem (via the Copy raw option from Administration settings->Logging screen or from your nextcloud.log located in your data directory). Feel free to use a pastebin/gist service if necessary.

{"reqId":"jMxxJDCTDtBBsVr62gsd","level":2,"time":"2024-11-12T13:55:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"mail","method":"","url":"--","message":"Could not send outbox message 653: Could not send message because a previous send operation produced an unclear sent state.","userAgent":"--","version":"29.0.7.1","exception":{"Exception":"OCA\\Mail\\Exception\\ServiceException","Message":"Could not send message because a previous send operation produced an unclear sent state.","Code":0,"Trace":[{"file":"/var/www/nextcloud/apps/mail/lib/Service/OutboxService.php","line":248,"function":"process","class":"OCA\\Mail\\Send\\Chain","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/nextcloud/apps/mail/lib/BackgroundJob/OutboxWorkerJob.php","line":46,"function":"flush","class":"OCA\\Mail\\Service\\OutboxService","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/Job.php","line":80,"function":"run","class":"OCA\\Mail\\BackgroundJob\\OutboxWorkerJob","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/TimedJob.php","line":102,"function":"start","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\Job","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/TimedJob.php","line":92,"function":"start","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\TimedJob","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/nextcloud/cron.php","line":177,"function":"execute","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\TimedJob","type":"->"}],"File":"/var/www/nextcloud/apps/mail/lib/Send/Chain.php","Line":61,"message":"Could not send outbox message {id}: Could not send message because a previous send operation produced an unclear sent state.","exception":{},"CustomMessage":"Could not send outbox message 653: Could not send message because a previous send operation produced an unclear sent state."}}

Web Browser

If the problem is related to the Web interface, open your browser inspector Console and Network tabs while refreshing (reloading) and reproducing the problem. Provide any relevant output/errors here that appear.

PASTE

Web server / Reverse Proxy

The output of your Apache/nginx/system log in /var/log/____:

PASTE HERE

Configuration

Nextcloud

The output of occ config:list system or similar is best, but, if not possible, the contents of your config.php file from /path/to/nextcloud is fine (make sure to remove any identifiable information!):

PASTE HERE

Apps

The output of occ app:list (if possible).

Tips for increasing the likelihood of a response

  • Use the preformatted text formatting option in the editor for all log entries and configuration output.
  • If screenshots are useful, feel free to include them.
    • If possible, also include key error output in text form so it can be searched for.
  • Try to edit log output only minimally (if at all) so that it can be ran through analyzers / formatters by those trying to help you.

Since this is coming from the Mail app and not Nextcloud Server itself, you may need to enable additional logging and check the Mail app specific logs. See Mail app: Troubleshooting.

Thank you! That is the sort of info I was looking for but I didn’t find it yet. I will dig into this.

All I can find are the same entries I’ve had in the logs already. I’m not finding any separate horde logs anywhere. Is that old documentation or has it been relocated?

It’s still the case. Do you also have debug set to true?

Oops, forgot to set that in config. Now I’ve got them and am going through some more testing. Thanks!