Table of Contents
-This section is intended as a brief overview of how to use Mutt. There are -many other features which are described elsewhere in the manual. There -is even more information available in the Mutt FAQ and various web -pages. See the Mutt homepage for more details. -
-The keybindings described in this section are the defaults as distributed. -Your local system administrator may have altered the defaults for your site. -You can always type â?â in any menu to display the current bindings. -
-The first thing you need to do is invoke Mutt, simply by typing mutt
-at the command line. There are various command-line options, see
-either the Mutt man page or the reference.
-
+
Table of Contents
+This section is intended as a brief overview of how to use Mutt. There +are many other features which are described elsewhere in the manual. +There is even more information available in the Mutt FAQ and various web +pages. See the Mutt homepage +for more details. +
+The keybindings described in this section are the defaults as +distributed. Your local system administrator may have altered the +defaults for your site. You can always type â?â in any +menu to display the current bindings. +
+The first thing you need to do is invoke Mutt, simply by typing
+mutt at the command line. There are various
+command-line options, see either the Mutt man page or the reference.
+
Mutt is a text-based application which interacts with users through different menus which are mostly line-/entry-based or page-based. A -line-based menu is the so-called âindexâ menu (listing all messages of -the currently opened folder) or the âaliasâ menu (allowing you to -select recipients from a list). Examples for page-based menus are the -âpagerâ (showing one message at a time) or the âhelpâ menu listing -all available key bindings. +line-based menu is the so-called âindexâ menu (listing all +messages of the currently opened folder) or the âaliasâ +menu (allowing you to select recipients from a list). Examples for +page-based menus are the âpagerâ (showing one message at a +time) or the âhelpâ menu listing all available key +bindings.
The user interface consists of a context sensitive help line at the top, the menu's contents followed by a context sensitive status line and @@ -59,26 +64,26 @@ files. Mutt supports a rich config file syntax to make even complex configuration files readable and commentable.
Because Mutt allows for customizing almost all key bindings, there are -so-called âfunctionsâ which can be executed manually (using the -command line) or in macros. Macros allow the user to bind a sequence of -commands to a single key or a short key sequence instead of repeating a -sequence of actions over and over. +so-called âfunctionsâ which can be executed manually (using +the command line) or in macros. Macros allow the user to bind a sequence +of commands to a single key or a short key sequence instead of repeating +a sequence of actions over and over.
Many commands (such as saving or copying a message to another folder) can be applied to a single message or a set of messages (so-called -âtaggedâ messages). To help selecting messages, Mutt provides a rich -set of message patterns (such as recipients, sender, body contents, date -sent/received, etc.) which can be combined into complex expressions -using the boolean and and or -operations as well as negating. These patterns can also be used to (for -example) search for messages or to limit the index to show only matching -messages. -
-Mutt supports a âhookâ concept which allows the user to execute -arbitrary configuration commands and functions in certain situations -such as entering a folder, starting a new message or replying to an -existing one. These hooks can be used to highly customize Mutt's -behaviour including managing multiple identities, customizing the +âtaggedâ messages). To help selecting messages, Mutt +provides a rich set of message patterns (such as recipients, sender, +body contents, date sent/received, etc.) which can be combined into +complex expressions using the boolean and and +or operations as well as negating. These patterns +can also be used to (for example) search for messages or to limit the +index to show only matching messages. +
+Mutt supports a âhookâ concept which allows the user to +execute arbitrary configuration commands and functions in certain +situations such as entering a folder, starting a new message or replying +to an existing one. These hooks can be used to highly customize Mutt's +behavior including managing multiple identities, customizing the display for a folder or even implementing auto-archiving based on a per-folder basis and much more.
@@ -86,7 +91,7 @@ Besides an interactive mode, Mutt can also be used as a command-line
tool only send messages. It also supports a
mailx(1)-compatible interface, see Table 9.1, âCommand line optionsâ for a complete list of command-line
options.
-
The index is the screen that you usually see first when you start Mutt. It gives an overview over your emails in the currently opened mailbox. By default, this is your system mailbox. The information you @@ -95,10 +100,10 @@ its flags (new email, important email, email that has been forwarded or replied to, tagged email, ...), the date when email was sent, its sender, the email size, and the subject. Additionally, the index also shows thread hierarchies: when you reply to an email, and the other -person replies back, you can see the other's person email in a +person replies back, you can see the other person's email in a "sub-tree" below. This is especially useful for personal email between a group of people or when you've subscribed to mailing lists. -
The pager is responsible for showing the email content. On the top of the pager you have an overview over the most important email headers like the sender, the recipient, the subject, and much more @@ -114,20 +119,20 @@ To give the user a good overview, it is possible to configure Mutt to show different things in the pager with different colors. Virtually everything that can be described with a regular expression can be colored, e.g. URLs, email addresses or smileys. -
The file browser is the interface to the local or remote file system. When selecting a mailbox to open, the browser allows custom sorting of items, limiting the items shown by a regular expression and a freely adjustable format of what to display in which way. It also allows for easy navigation through the file system when selecting file(s) to attach to a message, select multiple files to attach and many more. -
The help screen is meant to offer a quick help to the user. It lists the current configuration of key bindings and their associated commands including a short description, and currently unbound functions that still need to be associated with a key binding (or alternatively, they can be called via the Mutt command prompt). -
The compose menu features a split screen containing the information which really matter before actually sending a message by mail: who gets the message as what (recipients and who gets what kind of @@ -135,14 +140,14 @@ copy). Additionally, users may set security options like deciding whether to sign, encrypt or sign and encrypt a message with/for what keys. Also, it's used to attach messages, to re-edit any attachment including the message itself. -
The alias menu is used to help users finding the recipients of messages. For users who need to contact many people, there's no need to remember addresses or names completely because it allows for searching, too. The alias mechanism and thus the alias menu also features grouping several addresses by a shorter nickname, the actual alias, so that users don't have to select each single recipient manually. -
As will be later discussed in detail, Mutt features a good and stable MIME implementation, that is, it supports sending and receiving messages of arbitrary MIME types. The attachment menu displays a message's @@ -150,86 +155,81 @@ structure in detail: what content parts are attached to which parent part (which gives a true tree structure), which type is of what type and what size. Single parts may saved, deleted or modified to offer great and easy access to message's internals. -
The most important navigation keys common to line- or entry-based menus -are shown in Table 2.1, âMost common navigation keys in entry-based menusâ and in -Table 2.2, âMost common navigation keys in page-based menusâ for page-based menus. -
Table 2.1. Most common navigation keys in entry-based menus
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| j or <Down> | <next-entry> | move to the next entry |
| k or <Up> | <previous-entry> | move to the previous entry |
| z or <PageDn> | <page-down> | go to the next page |
| Z or <PageUp> | <page-up> | go to the previous page |
| = or <Home> | <first-entry> | jump to the first entry |
| * or <End> | <last-entry> | jump to the last entry |
| q | <quit> | exit the current menu |
| ? | <help> | list all keybindings for the current menu |
Table 2.2. Most common navigation keys in page-based menus
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| J or <Return> | <next-line> | scroll down one line |
| <Backspace> | <previous-line> | sroll up one line |
| K, <Space> or <PageDn> | <next-page> | move to the next page |
| - or <PageUp> | <previous-page> | move the previous page |
| <Home> | <top> | move to the top |
| <End> | <bottom> | move to the bottom |
-Mutt has a built-in line editor for inputting text, e.g. email -addresses or filenames. The keys used to manipulate text input are -very similar to those of Emacs. See Table 2.3, âMost common line editor keysâ for a full -reference of available functions, their default key bindings, and -short descriptions. +are shown in Table 2.1, âMost common navigation keys in entry-based menusâ and in Table 2.2, âMost common navigation keys in page-based menusâ for page-based menus. +
Table 2.1. Most common navigation keys in entry-based menus
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| j or <Down> | <next-entry> | move to the next entry |
| k or <Up> | <previous-entry> | move to the previous entry |
| z or <PageDn> | <page-down> | go to the next page |
| Z or <PageUp> | <page-up> | go to the previous page |
| = or <Home> | <first-entry> | jump to the first entry |
| * or <End> | <last-entry> | jump to the last entry |
| q | <quit> | exit the current menu |
| ? | <help> | list all keybindings for the current menu |
Table 2.2. Most common navigation keys in page-based menus
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| J or <Return> | <next-line> | scroll down one line |
| <Backspace> | <previous-line> | scroll up one line |
| K, <Space> or <PageDn> | <next-page> | move to the next page |
| - or <PageUp> | <previous-page> | move the previous page |
| <Home> | <top> | move to the top |
| <End> | <bottom> | move to the bottom |
+Mutt has a built-in line editor for inputting text, e.g. email addresses +or filenames. The keys used to manipulate text input are very similar to +those of Emacs. See Table 2.3, âMost common line editor keysâ for a full +reference of available functions, their default key bindings, and short +descriptions.
Table 2.3. Most common line editor keys
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ^A or <Home> | <bol> | move to the start of the line |
| ^B or <Left> | <backward-char> | move back one char |
| Esc B | <backward-word> | move back one word |
| ^D or <Delete> | <delete-char> | delete the char under the cursor |
| ^E or <End> | <eol> | move to the end of the line |
| ^F or <Right> | <forward-char> | move forward one char |
| Esc F | <forward-word> | move forward one word |
| <Tab> | <complete> | complete filename or alias |
| ^T | <complete-query> | complete address with query |
| ^K | <kill-eol> | delete to the end of the line |
| Esc d | <kill-eow> | delete to the end of the word |
| ^W | <kill-word> | kill the word in front of the cursor |
| ^U | <kill-line> | delete entire line |
| ^V | <quote-char> | quote the next typed key |
| <Up> | <history-up> | recall previous string from history |
| <Down> | <history-down> | recall next string from history |
| <BackSpace> | <backspace> | kill the char in front of the cursor |
| Esc u | <upcase-word> | convert word to upper case |
| Esc l | <downcase-word> | convert word to lower case |
| Esc c | <capitalize-word> | capitalize the word |
| ^G | n/a | abort |
| <Return> | n/a | finish editing |
-You can remap the editor functions using the -bind command. For example, to make -the <Delete> key delete the character in front of -the cursor rather than under, you could use: +You can remap the editor functions using the bind command. For example, to +make the <Delete> key delete the character in front of the cursor +rather than under, you could use:
bind editor <delete> backspace -
Mutt maintains a history for the built-in editor. The number of items
-is controlled by the $history
-variable and can be made persistent using an external file specified
-using $history_file.
-You may cycle through them at an editor prompt by using the
-<history-up> and/or
-<history-down> commands. But notice that Mutt
-does not remember the currently entered text, it only cycles through
-history and wraps around at the end or beginning.
+is controlled by the $history variable
+and can be made persistent using an external file specified using $history_file. You may cycle through them
+at an editor prompt by using the <history-up>
+and/or <history-down> commands. But notice that
+Mutt does not remember the currently entered text, it only cycles
+through history and wraps around at the end or beginning.
Mutt maintains several distinct history lists, one for each of the following categories: -
.muttrc commands
addresses and aliases
shell commands
filenames
patterns
everything else
-Mutt automatically filters out consecutively repeated items from the history. It -also mimics the behavior of some shells by ignoring items starting -with a space. The latter feature can be useful in macros to not clobber -the history's valuable entries with unwanted entries. -
+
.muttrc commands
addresses and aliases
shell commands
filenames
patterns
everything else
+Mutt automatically filters out consecutively repeated items from the +history. It also mimics the behavior of some shells by ignoring items +starting with a space. The latter feature can be useful in macros to not +clobber the history's valuable entries with unwanted entries. +
Similar to many other mail clients, there are two modes in which mail is read in Mutt. The first is a list of messages in the mailbox, which is -called the âindexâ menu in Mutt. The second mode is the display of the -message contents. This is called the âpager.â +called the âindexâ menu in Mutt. The second mode is the +display of the message contents. This is called the +âpager.â
The next few sections describe the functions provided in each of these modes. -
+
Common keys used to navigate through and manage messages in the index are shown in Table 2.4, âMost common message index keysâ. How messages are presented -in the index menu can be customized using the -$index_format variable. +in the index menu can be customized using the $index_format variable.
Table 2.4. Most common message index keys
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
| c | change to a different mailbox |
| Esc c | change to a folder in read-only mode |
| C | copy the current message to another mailbox |
| Esc C | decode a message and copy it to a folder |
| Esc s | decode a message and save it to a folder |
| D | delete messages matching a pattern |
| d | delete the current message |
| F | mark as important |
| l | show messages matching a pattern |
| N | mark message as new |
| o | change the current sort method |
| O | reverse sort the mailbox |
| q | save changes and exit |
| s | save-message |
| T | tag messages matching a pattern |
| t | toggle the tag on a message |
| Esc t | toggle tag on entire message thread |
| U | undelete messages matching a pattern |
| u | undelete-message |
| v | view-attachments |
| x | abort changes and exit |
| <Return> | display-message |
| <Tab> | jump to the next new or unread message |
| @ | show the author's full e-mail address |
| $ | save changes to mailbox |
| / | search |
| Esc / | search-reverse |
| ^L | clear and redraw the screen |
| ^T | untag messages matching a pattern |
In addition to who sent the message and the subject, a short summary of
the disposition of each message is printed beside the message number.
-Zero or more of the âflagsâ in Table 2.5, âMessage status flagsâ
-may appear, some of which can be turned on or off using these functions:
-<set-flag> and
-<clear-flag>
-bound by default to âwâ and âWâ respectively.
+Zero or more of the âflagsâ in Table 2.5, âMessage status flagsâ may appear, some of which can be turned
+on or off using these functions: <set-flag> and
+<clear-flag> bound by default to
+âwâ and âWâ respectively.
Furthermore, the flags in Table 2.6, âMessage recipient flagsâ reflect -who the message is addressed to. They can be customized with the -$to_chars variable. -
Table 2.5. Message status flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| D | message is deleted (is marked for deletion) |
| d | message has attachments marked for deletion |
| K | contains a PGP public key |
| N | message is new |
| O | message is old |
| P | message is PGP encrypted |
| r | message has been replied to |
| S | message is signed, and the signature is successfully verified |
| s | message is signed |
| ! | message is flagged |
| * | message is tagged |
Table 2.6. Message recipient flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| + | message is to you and you only |
| T | message is to you, but also to or cc'ed to others |
| C | message is cc'ed to you |
| F | message is from you |
| L | message is sent to a subscribed mailing list |
-By default, Mutt uses its builtin pager to display the contents of +who the message is addressed to. They can be customized with the $to_chars variable. +
Table 2.5. Message status flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| D | message is deleted (is marked for deletion) |
| d | message has attachments marked for deletion |
| K | contains a PGP public key |
| N | message is new |
| O | message is old |
| P | message is PGP encrypted |
| r | message has been replied to |
| S | message is signed, and the signature is successfully verified |
| s | message is signed |
| ! | message is flagged |
| * | message is tagged |
| n | thread contains new messages (only if collapsed) |
| o | thread contains old messages (only if collapsed) |
Table 2.6. Message recipient flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| + | message is to you and you only |
| T | message is to you, but also to or CC'ed to others |
| C | message is CC'ed to you |
| F | message is from you |
| L | message is sent to a subscribed mailing list |
+By default, Mutt uses its built-in pager to display the contents of
messages (an external pager such as less(1) can be
-configured, see $pager variable).
-The pager is very similar to the Unix program less(1)
+configured, see $pager variable). The
+pager is very similar to the Unix program less(1)
though not nearly as featureful.
Table 2.7. Most common pager keys
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
| <Return> | go down one line |
| <Space> | display the next page (or next message if at the end of a message) |
| - | go back to the previous page |
| n | search for next match |
| S | skip beyond quoted text |
| T | toggle display of quoted text |
| ? | show keybindings |
| / | regular expression search |
| Esc / | backward regular expression search |
| \ | toggle highlighting of search matches |
| ^ | jump to the top of the message |
-In addition to key bindings in Table 2.7, âMost common pager keysâ,
-many of the functions from the index menu are also available in
-the pager, such as <delete-message> or <copy-message>
-(this is one advantage over using an external pager to view messages).
+In addition to key bindings in Table 2.7, âMost common pager keysâ, many of
+the functions from the index menu are also available in the pager, such
+as <delete-message> or
+<copy-message> (this is one advantage over
+using an external pager to view messages).
Also, the internal pager supports a couple other advanced features. For -one, it will accept and translate the âstandardâ nroff sequences for -bold and underline. These sequences are a series of either the letter, -backspace (â^Hâ), the letter again for bold or the letter, backspace, -â_â for denoting underline. Mutt will attempt to display these -in bold and underline respectively if your terminal supports them. If -not, you can use the bold and underline color -objects to specify a color or mono attribute for them. +one, it will accept and translate the âstandardâ nroff +sequences for bold and underline. These sequences are a series of either +the letter, backspace (â^Hâ), the letter again for bold or +the letter, backspace, â_â for denoting underline. Mutt +will attempt to display these in bold and underline respectively if your +terminal supports them. If not, you can use the bold and underline color objects to specify a +color or mono attribute for them.
Additionally, the internal pager supports the ANSI escape sequences for character attributes. Mutt translates them into the correct color and @@ -237,187 +237,181 @@ character settings. The sequences Mutt supports are:
\e[Ps;Ps;..Ps;m
-where Ps can be one of the codes shown in -Table 2.8, âANSI escape sequencesâ. +where Ps can be one of the codes shown in Table 2.8, âANSI escape sequencesâ.
Table 2.8. ANSI escape sequences
| Escape code | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | All attributes off |
| 1 | Bold on |
| 4 | Underline on |
| 5 | Blink on |
| 7 | Reverse video on |
| 3<color> | Foreground color is <color> (see Table 2.9, âColor sequencesâ) |
| 4<color> | Background color is <color> (see Table 2.9, âColor sequencesâ) |
Mutt uses these attributes for handling text/enriched
-messages, and they can also be used by an external
-autoview script for highlighting
-purposes.
-
-If you change the colors for your -display, for example by changing the color associated with color2 for -your xterm, then that color will be used instead of green. -
+messages, and they can also be used by an external autoview script for highlighting purposes. +
+If you change the colors for your display, for example by changing the +color associated with color2 for your xterm, then that color will be +used instead of green. +
Note that the search commands in the pager take regular expressions, -which are not quite the same as the more -complex patterns used by the search -command in the index. This is because patterns are used to select messages by -criteria whereas the pager already displays a selected message. -
-So-called âthreadsâ provide a hierarchy of messages where +which are not quite the same as the more complex patterns used by the search command in the +index. This is because patterns are used to select messages by criteria +whereas the pager already displays a selected message. +
+So-called âthreadsâ provide a hierarchy of messages where replies are linked to their parent message(s). This organizational form is extremely useful in mailing lists where different parts of the discussion diverge. Mutt displays threads as a tree structure.
-In Mutt, when a mailbox is sorted +In Mutt, when a mailbox is sorted by threads, there are a few additional functions available in the index and pager modes as shown in Table 2.10, âMost common thread mode keysâ.
Table 2.10. Most common thread mode keys
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ^D | <delete-thread> | delete all messages in the current thread |
| ^U | <undelete-thread> | undelete all messages in the current thread |
| ^N | <next-thread> | jump to the start of the next thread |
| ^P | <previous-thread> | jump to the start of the previous thread |
| ^R | <read-thread> | mark the current thread as read |
| Esc d | <delete-subthread> | delete all messages in the current subthread |
| Esc u | <undelete-subthread> | undelete all messages in the current subthread |
| Esc n | <next-subthread> | jump to the start of the next subthread |
| Esc p | <previous-subthread> | jump to the start of the previous subthread |
| Esc r | <read-subthread> | mark the current subthread as read |
| Esc t | <tag-thread> | toggle the tag on the current thread |
| Esc v | <collapse-thread> | toggle collapse for the current thread |
| Esc V | <collapse-all> | toggle collapse for all threads |
| P | <parent-message> | jump to parent message in thread |
-Collapsing a thread displays only the first message
-in the thread and hides the others. This is useful when threads
-contain so many messages that you can only see a handful of threads on
-the screen. See %M in $index_format.
-For example, you could use â%?M?(#%03M)&(%4l)?â in $index_format to optionally
-display the number of hidden messages if the thread is
-collapsed. The %?<char>?<if-part>&<else-part>?
-syntax is explained in detail in
-format string conditionals.
+Collapsing a thread displays only the first message in the thread and
+hides the others. This is useful when threads contain so many messages
+that you can only see a handful of threads on the screen. See %M in
+$index_format. For example, you
+could use â%?M?(#%03M)&(%4l)?â in $index_format to optionally display the
+number of hidden messages if the thread is collapsed. The
+%?<char>?<if-part>&<else-part>?
+syntax is explained in detail in format string conditionals.
Technically, every reply should contain a list of its parent messages in the thread tree, but not all do. In these cases, Mutt groups them by -subject which can be controlled using the -$strict_threads variable. -
-In addition, the index and pager -menus have these interesting functions: +subject which can be controlled using the $strict_threads variable. +
+In addition, the index and +pager menus have these interesting functions:
<create-alias> (default: a)
+<create-alias>
+(default: a)
-Creates a new alias based upon the current message (or prompts for a -new one). Once editing is complete, an alias -command is added to the file specified by -the $alias_file variable -for future use -
+Creates a new alias based upon the current message (or prompts for a new +one). Once editing is complete, an alias command is added to the +file specified by the $alias_file +variable for future use +
Mutt does not read the $alias_file upon startup so you must explicitly source the file.
<check-traditional-pgp> (default: Esc P)
This function will search the current message for content signed or
-encrypted with PGP the âtraditionalâ way, that is, without proper
-MIME tagging. Technically, this function will temporarily change
-the MIME content types of the body parts containing PGP data; this
-is similar to the <edit-type> function's
-effect.
+encrypted with PGP the âtraditionalâ way, that is, without
+proper MIME tagging. Technically, this function will temporarily change
+the MIME content types of the body parts containing PGP data; this is
+similar to the <edit-type>
+function's effect.
<edit> (default: e)
-This command (available in the index and pager) allows you to -edit the raw current message as it's present in the mail folder. -After you have finished editing, the changed message will be -appended to the current folder, and the original message will be -marked for deletion; if the message is unchanged it won't be replaced. +This command (available in the index and pager) allows you to edit the +raw current message as it's present in the mail folder. After you have +finished editing, the changed message will be appended to the current +folder, and the original message will be marked for deletion; if the +message is unchanged it won't be replaced.
<edit-type> (default:
-^E on the attachment menu, and in the pager and index menus;
-^T on the compose menu)
+^E on the attachment menu, and in the pager and index menus; ^T on the
+compose menu)
-This command is used to temporarily edit an attachment's content -type to fix, for instance, bogus character set parameters. When -invoked from the index or from the pager, you'll have the -opportunity to edit the top-level attachment's content type. On the -attachment menu, you can change any +This command is used to temporarily edit an attachment's content type to +fix, for instance, bogus character set parameters. When invoked from +the index or from the pager, you'll have the opportunity to edit the +top-level attachment's content type. On the attachment menu, you can change any attachment's content type. These changes are not persistent, and get lost upon changing folders.
-Note that this command is also available on the compose -menu. There, it's used to fine-tune the properties of attachments you are going -to send. +Note that this command is also available on the compose menu. There, it's used to +fine-tune the properties of attachments you are going to send.
<enter-command> (default: â:â)
+<enter-command>
+(default: â:â)
This command is used to execute any command you would normally put in a -configuration file. A common use is to check the settings of variables, or -in conjunction with macros to change settings on the -fly. +configuration file. A common use is to check the settings of variables, +or in conjunction with macros to change +settings on the fly.
<extract-keys> (default: ^K)
+<extract-keys>
+(default: ^K)
This command extracts PGP public keys from the current or tagged message(s) and adds them to your PGP public key ring.
<forget-passphrase> (default:
-^F)
+<forget-passphrase> (default: ^F)
-This command wipes the passphrase(s) from memory. It is useful, if -you misspelled the passphrase. +This command wipes the passphrase(s) from memory. It is useful, if you +misspelled the passphrase.
<list-reply> (default: L)
+<list-reply> (default:
+L)
-Reply to the current or tagged message(s) by extracting any addresses which
-match the regular expressions given by the lists or subscribe
-commands, but also honor any Mail-Followup-To header(s) if the
-$honor_followup_to
-configuration variable is set. Using this when replying to messages posted
-to mailing lists helps avoid duplicate copies being sent to the author of
-the message you are replying to.
+Reply to the current or tagged message(s) by extracting any addresses
+which match the regular expressions given by the lists or
+subscribe commands, but also honor any
+Mail-Followup-To header(s) if the $honor_followup_to configuration
+variable is set. Using this when replying to messages posted to mailing
+lists helps avoid duplicate copies being sent to the author of the
+message you are replying to.
<pipe-message> (default: |)
+<pipe-message>
+(default: |)
-Asks for an external Unix command and pipes the current or -tagged message(s) to it. The variables $pipe_decode, $pipe_split, -$pipe_sep and $wait_key control the exact behavior of this function. +Asks for an external Unix command and pipes the current or tagged +message(s) to it. The variables $pipe_decode, $pipe_split, $pipe_sep and $wait_key control the exact behavior of this +function.
<resend-message> (default: Esc e)
+<resend-message>
+(default: Esc e)
-Mutt takes the current message as a template for a -new message. This function is best described as "recall from arbitrary -folders". It can conveniently be used to forward MIME messages while -preserving the original mail structure. Note that the amount of headers -included here depends on the value of the $weed -variable. -
-This function is also available from the attachment menu. You can use this -to easily resend a message which was included with a bounce message +Mutt takes the current message as a template for a new message. This +function is best described as "recall from arbitrary folders". It can +conveniently be used to forward MIME messages while preserving the +original mail structure. Note that the amount of headers included here +depends on the value of the $weed variable. +
+This function is also available from the attachment menu. You can use
+this to easily resend a message which was included with a bounce message
as a message/rfc822 body part.
<shell-escape> (default: !)
+<shell-escape>
+(default: !)
-Asks for an external Unix command and executes it. The $wait_key can be used to control -whether Mutt will wait for a key to be pressed when the command returns -(presumably to let the user read the output of the command), based on -the return status of the named command. If no command is given, an -interactive shell is executed. +Asks for an external Unix command and executes it. The $wait_key can be used to control whether Mutt +will wait for a key to be pressed when the command returns (presumably +to let the user read the output of the command), based on the return +status of the named command. If no command is given, an interactive +shell is executed.
<toggle-quoted> (default: T)
+<toggle-quoted>
+(default: T)
-The pager uses the $quote_regexp variable to detect quoted text when -displaying the body of the message. This function toggles the display -of the quoted material in the message. It is particularly useful when -being interested in just the response and there is a large amount of -quoted text in the way. +The pager uses the $quote_regexp +variable to detect quoted text when displaying the body of the message. +This function toggles the display of the quoted material in the message. +It is particularly useful when being interested in just the response and +there is a large amount of quoted text in the way.
<skip-quoted> (default: S)
+<skip-quoted>
+(default: S)
This function will go to the next line of non-quoted text which comes after a line of quoted text in the internal pager. -
-The bindings shown in Table 2.11, âMost common mail sending keysâ are available in the -index and pager to start a new message. +
+The bindings shown in Table 2.11, âMost common mail sending keysâ are available in +the index and pager to start a +new message.
Table 2.11. Most common mail sending keys
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| m | <compose> | compose a new message |
| r | <reply> | reply to sender |
| g | <group-reply> | reply to all recipients |
| L | <list-reply> | reply to mailing list address |
| f | <forward> | forward message |
| b | <bounce> | bounce (remail) message |
| Esc k | <mail-key> | mail a PGP public key to someone |
-Bouncing a message sends the message as-is to the recipient you -specify. Forwarding a message allows you to add comments or -modify the message you are forwarding. These items are discussed -in greater detail in the next section âForwarding -and Bouncing Mail.â -
-Mutt will then enter the compose menu and prompt you for the
-recipients to place on the âTo:â header field when you hit m to start a new message. Next, it will ask
-you for the âSubject:â field for the message, providing a default if
-you are replying to or forwarding a message. You again
-have the chance to adjust recipients, subject, and security settings
-right before actually sending the message. See also
-$askcc,
-$askbcc,
-$autoedit,
-$bounce,
-$fast_reply,
-and $include
-for changing how and if Mutt asks these questions.
+Bouncing a message sends the message as-is to the
+recipient you specify. Forwarding a message allows
+you to add comments or modify the message you are forwarding. These
+items are discussed in greater detail in the next section âForwarding and Bouncing Mail.â
+
+Mutt will then enter the compose menu and prompt
+you for the recipients to place on the âTo:â header field
+when you hit m to start a new message. Next, it will
+ask you for the âSubject:â field for the message, providing
+a default if you are replying to or forwarding a message. You again have
+the chance to adjust recipients, subject, and security settings right
+before actually sending the message. See also $askcc, $askbcc,
+$autoedit, $bounce, $fast_reply, and $include for changing how and if Mutt asks
+these questions.
When replying, Mutt fills these fields with proper values depending on the reply type. The types of replying supported are: @@ -432,149 +426,160 @@ configuration or auto-detected. See $editor on the message body. If the $edit_headers variable is -set, the headers will be at the top of the message in your editor. Any -messages you are replying to will be added in sort order to the message, -with appropriate $attribution, -$indent_string and -$post_indent_string. -When forwarding a message, if the $mime_forward variable is -unset, a copy of the forwarded message will be included. If you have -specified a $signature, it will -be appended to the message. +will then automatically start your $editor +on the message body. If the $edit_headers variable is set, the headers +will be at the top of the message in your editor. Any messages you are +replying to will be added in sort order to the message, with appropriate +$attribution, $indent_string and $post_indent_string. When +forwarding a message, if the $mime_forward variable is unset, a copy of +the forwarded message will be included. If you have specified a $signature, it will be appended to the +message.
Once you have finished editing the body of your mail message, you are -returned to the compose menu providing the functions -shown in Table 2.12, âMost common compose menu keysâ to modify, send or postpone the -message. -
Table 2.12. Most common compose menu keys
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| a | <attach-file> | attach a file |
| A | <attach-message> | attach message(s) to the message |
| Esc k | <attach-key> | attach a PGP public key |
| d | <edit-description> | edit description on attachment |
| D | <detach-file> | detach a file |
| t | <edit-to> | edit the To field |
| Esc f | <edit-from> | edit the From field |
| r | <edit-reply-to> | edit the Reply-To field |
| c | <edit-cc> | edit the Cc field |
| b | <edit-bcc> | edit the Bcc field |
| y | <send-message> | send the message |
| s | <edit-subject> | edit the Subject |
| S | <smime-menu> | select S/MIME options |
| f | <edit-fcc> | specify an âFccâ mailbox |
| p | <pgp-menu> | select PGP options |
| P | <postpone-message> | postpone this message until later |
| q | <quit> | quit (abort) sending the message |
| w | <write-fcc> | write the message to a folder |
| i | <ispell> | check spelling (if available on your system) |
| ^F | <forget-passphrase> | wipe passphrase(s) from memory |
-The compose menu is also used to edit the attachments for a message which can be either files
-or other messages. The <attach-message> function to will prompt you for a folder to
-attach messages from. You can now tag messages in that folder and they
-will be attached to the message you are sending.
-
-Note that certain -operations like composing a new mail, replying, forwarding, etc. are -not permitted when you are in that folder. The %r in -$status_format will change to -a âAâ to indicate that you are in attach-message mode. -
-When editing the header because of $edit_headers -being set, there are a several pseudo headers available which -will not be included in sent messages but trigger special Mutt behavior. -
+returned to the compose menu providing the +functions shown in Table 2.12, âMost common compose menu keysâ to modify, send or +postpone the message. +
Table 2.12. Most common compose menu keys
| Key | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| a | <attach-file> | attach a file |
| A | <attach-message> | attach message(s) to the message |
| Esc k | <attach-key> | attach a PGP public key |
| d | <edit-description> | edit description on attachment |
| D | <detach-file> | detach a file |
| t | <edit-to> | edit the To field |
| Esc f | <edit-from> | edit the From field |
| r | <edit-reply-to> | edit the Reply-To field |
| c | <edit-cc> | edit the Cc field |
| b | <edit-bcc> | edit the Bcc field |
| y | <send-message> | send the message |
| s | <edit-subject> | edit the Subject |
| S | <smime-menu> | select S/MIME options |
| f | <edit-fcc> | specify an âFccâ mailbox |
| p | <pgp-menu> | select PGP options |
| P | <postpone-message> | postpone this message until later |
| q | <quit> | quit (abort) sending the message |
| w | <write-fcc> | write the message to a folder |
| i | <ispell> | check spelling (if available on your system) |
| ^F | <forget-passphrase> | wipe passphrase(s) from memory |
+The compose menu is also used to edit the attachments for a message
+which can be either files or other messages. The
+<attach-message> function to will prompt you
+for a folder to attach messages from. You can now tag messages in that
+folder and they will be attached to the message you are sending.
+
+Note that certain operations like composing a new mail, replying, +forwarding, etc. are not permitted when you are in that folder. The %r +in $status_format will change to a +âAâ to indicate that you are in attach-message mode. +
+When editing the header because of $edit_headers being set, there are a +several pseudo headers available which will not be included in sent +messages but trigger special Mutt behavior. +
If you specify
Fcc: filename
-as a header, Mutt will pick up filename
-just as if you had used the <edit-fcc> function in the compose menu.
-It can later be changed from the compose menu.
-
+as a header, Mutt will pick up filename just as if
+you had used the <edit-fcc> function in the
+compose menu. It can later be changed from the
+compose menu.
+
You can also attach files to your message by specifying
Attach: filename
[ description ]
-where filename is the file to attach and description is an -optional string to use as the description of the attached file. Spaces -in filenames have to be escaped using backslash (â\â). -The file can be removed as well as more added from the compose menu. -
+where filename is the file to attach and +description is an optional string to use as the +description of the attached file. Spaces in filenames have to be escaped +using backslash (â\â). The file can be removed as well as +more added from the compose menu. +
If you want to use PGP, you can specify
Pgp: [ E | S | S<id> ]
-âEâ selects encryption, âSâ selects signing and -âS<id>â selects signing with the given key, setting -$pgp_sign_as -permanently. The selection can later be changed in the compose menu. -
-When replying to messages, the In-Reply-To: header contains the -Message-Id of the message(s) you reply to. If you remove or modify its value, Mutt will not generate a -References: field, which allows you to create a new message thread, for example -to create a new message to a mailing list without having to enter the mailing list's address. -
-If you have told Mutt to PGP or S/MIME encrypt a message, it will guide you -through a key selection process when you try to send the message. -Mutt will not ask you any questions about keys which have a -certified user ID matching one of the message recipients' mail -addresses. However, there may be situations in which there are -several keys, weakly certified user ID fields, or where no matching -keys can be found. +âEâ selects encryption, âSâ selects signing +and âS<id>â selects signing with the given key, +setting $pgp_sign_as permanently. The +selection can later be changed in the compose menu. +
+When replying to messages, the In-Reply-To: header +contains the Message-Id of the message(s) you reply to. If you remove or +modify its value, Mutt will not generate a +References: field, which allows you to create a new +message thread, for example to create a new message to a mailing list +without having to enter the mailing list's address. +
+If you intend to start a new thread by replying, please make really sure +you remove the In-Reply-To: header in your +editor. Otherwise, though you'll produce a technically valid reply, some +netiquette guardians will be annoyed by this so-called âthread +hijackingâ. +
+If you have told Mutt to PGP or S/MIME encrypt a message, it will guide +you through a key selection process when you try to send the message. +Mutt will not ask you any questions about keys which have a certified +user ID matching one of the message recipients' mail addresses. +However, there may be situations in which there are several keys, weakly +certified user ID fields, or where no matching keys can be found.
In these cases, you are dropped into a menu with a list of keys from
-which you can select one. When you quit this menu, or Mutt can't
-find any matching keys, you are prompted for a user ID. You can, as
-usually, abort this prompt using ^G. When you do so, Mutt will
-return to the compose screen.
+which you can select one. When you quit this menu, or Mutt can't find
+any matching keys, you are prompted for a user ID. You can, as usually,
+abort this prompt using ^G. When you do so, Mutt
+will return to the compose screen.
-Once you have successfully finished the key selection, the message -will be encrypted using the selected public keys when sent out. +Once you have successfully finished the key selection, the message will +be encrypted using the selected public keys when sent out.
-Most fields of the entries in the key selection menu (see also $pgp_entry_format) -have obvious meanings. But some explanations on the capabilities, flags, -and validity fields are in order. +Most fields of the entries in the key selection menu (see also $pgp_entry_format) have obvious +meanings. But some explanations on the capabilities, flags, and +validity fields are in order.
-The flags sequence (â%fâ) will expand to one of the flags in -Table 2.13, âPGP key menu flagsâ. +The flags sequence (â%fâ) will expand to one of the flags +in Table 2.13, âPGP key menu flagsâ.
Table 2.13. PGP key menu flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| R | The key has been revoked and can't be used. |
| X | The key is expired and can't be used. |
| d | You have marked the key as disabled. |
| c | There are unknown critical self-signature packets. |
-The capabilities field (â%câ) expands to a two-character sequence -representing a key's capabilities. The first character gives -the key's encryption capabilities: A minus sign (â-â) means -that the key cannot be used for encryption. A dot (â.â) means that -it's marked as a signature key in one of the user IDs, but may -also be used for encryption. The letter âeâ indicates that -this key can be used for encryption. +The capabilities field (â%câ) expands to a two-character +sequence representing a key's capabilities. The first character gives +the key's encryption capabilities: A minus sign (â-â) means +that the key cannot be used for encryption. A dot (â.â) +means that it's marked as a signature key in one of the user IDs, but +may also be used for encryption. The letter âeâ indicates +that this key can be used for encryption.
The second character indicates the key's signing capabilities. Once -again, a â-â implies ânot for signingâ, â.â implies -that the key is marked as an encryption key in one of the user-ids, and -âsâ denotes a key which can be used for signing. -
-Finally, the validity field (â%tâ) indicates how well-certified a user-id -is. A question mark (â?â) indicates undefined validity, a minus -character (â-â) marks an untrusted association, a space character -means a partially trusted association, and a plus character (â+â) -indicates complete validity. -
-format=flowed-style messages (or f=f
-for short) are text/plain messages that consist of paragraphs which a receiver's
-mail client may reformat to its own needs which mostly means to
-customize line lengths regardless of what the sender sent. Technically this is
-achieved by letting lines of a âflowableâ paragraph end in spaces
+again, a â-â implies ânot for signingâ,
+â.â implies that the key is marked as an encryption key in
+one of the user-ids, and âsâ denotes a key which can be
+used for signing.
+
+Finally, the validity field (â%tâ) indicates how +well-certified a user-id is. A question mark (â?â) +indicates undefined validity, a minus character (â-â) marks +an untrusted association, a space character means a partially trusted +association, and a plus character (â+â) indicates complete +validity. +
+format=flowed-style messages (or
+f=f for short) are text/plain
+messages that consist of paragraphs which a receiver's mail client may
+reformat to its own needs which mostly means to customize line lengths
+regardless of what the sender sent. Technically this is achieved by
+letting lines of a âflowableâ paragraph end in spaces
except for the last line.
While for text-mode clients like Mutt it's the best way to assume only a standard 80x25 character cell terminal, it may be desired to let the receiver decide completely how to view a message. -
Mutt only supports setting the required format=flowed
-MIME parameter on outgoing messages if the $text_flowed
-variable is set, specifically it does not add the
-trailing spaces.
+MIME parameter on outgoing messages if the $text_flowed variable is set, specifically
+it does not add the trailing spaces.
-After editing the initial message text and before entering
-the compose menu, Mutt properly space-stuffes the message.
+After editing the initial message text and before entering the compose
+menu, Mutt properly space-stuffs the message.
Space-stuffing is required by RfC3676 defining
format=flowed and means to prepend a space to:
-
all lines starting with a space
lines starting with the word âFromâ
-followed by space
all lines starting with â>â which
-is not intended to be a quote character
-Mutt only supports space-stuffing
-for the first two types of lines but not for the third: It is impossible to
-safely detect whether a leading > character starts a
-quote or not. Furthermore, Mutt only applies space-stuffing
-once after the initial edit is finished.
+
all lines starting with a space
lines starting with the word
+âFromâ followed by
+space
all lines starting with
+â>â which is not intended to be a
+quote character
+Mutt only supports space-stuffing for the first two types of lines but
+not for the third: It is impossible to safely detect whether a leading
+> character starts a quote or not. Furthermore,
+Mutt only applies space-stuffing once after the
+initial edit is finished.
-All leading spaces are to be removed by receiving clients to restore -the original message prior to further processing. -
-As Mutt provides no additional features to compose f=f
-messages, it's completely up to the user and his editor to produce
-proper messages. Please consider your editor's documentation if you
-intend to send f=f messages.
+All leading spaces are to be removed by receiving clients to restore the
+original message prior to further processing.
+
+As Mutt provides no additional features to compose
+f=f messages, it's completely up to the user and his
+editor to produce proper messages. Please consider your editor's
+documentation if you intend to send f=f messages.
Please note that when editing messages from the compose menu several
times before really sending a mail, it's up to the user to ensure that
@@ -584,48 +589,51 @@ For example, vim provides the formatoptions setting to assist in
creating f=f messages, see :help
fo-table for details.
-
Bouncing and forwarding let you send an existing message to recipients
that you specify. Bouncing a message sends a verbatim copy of a message
to alternative addresses as if they were the message's original
-recipients specified in the Bcc header.
-Forwarding a message, on the other hand, allows you to modify the message
-before it is resent (for example, by adding your own comments). Bouncing
-is done using the <bounce> function and forwarding
-using the <forward> function bound to âbâ and âfâ
-respectively.
+recipients specified in the Bcc header. Forwarding a message, on the
+other hand, allows you to modify the message before it is resent (for
+example, by adding your own comments). Bouncing is done using the
+<bounce> function and forwarding using the
+<forward> function bound to âbâ
+and âfâ respectively.
Forwarding can be done by including the original message in the new -message's body (surrounded by indicating lines) or including it as a MIME -attachment, depending on the value of the $mime_forward variable. Decoding of attachments, -like in the pager, can be controlled by the $forward_decode and $mime_forward_decode variables, +message's body (surrounded by indicating lines) or including it as a +MIME attachment, depending on the value of the $mime_forward variable. Decoding of +attachments, like in the pager, can be controlled by the $forward_decode and $mime_forward_decode variables, respectively. The desired forwarding format may depend on the content, -therefore $mime_forward is a quadoption which, for -example, can be set to âask-noâ. +therefore $mime_forward is a +quadoption which, for example, can be set to âask-noâ.
The inclusion of headers is controlled by the current setting of the -$weed variable, unless $mime_forward is set. +$weed variable, unless $mime_forward is set.
Editing the message to forward follows the same procedure as sending or replying to a message does. -
At times it is desirable to delay sending a message that you have
-already begun to compose. When the <postpone-message> function is
-used in the compose menu, the body of your message and attachments
-are stored in the mailbox specified by the $postponed variable. This means that you can recall the
-message even if you exit Mutt and then restart it at a later time.
-
-Once a message is postponed, there are several ways to resume it. From the -command line you can use the â-pâ option, or if you compose a new -message from the index or pager you will be prompted if postponed -messages exist. If multiple messages are currently postponed, the -postponed menu will pop up and you can select which message you would -like to resume. -
-If you postpone a reply to a message, the reply setting of
-the message is only updated when you actually finish the message and
-send it. Also, you must be in the same folder with the message you
-replied to for the status of the message to be updated.
+already begun to compose. When the
+<postpone-message> function is used in the
+compose menu, the body of your message and
+attachments are stored in the mailbox specified by the $postponed variable. This means that you can
+recall the message even if you exit Mutt and then restart it at a later
+time.
+
+Once a message is postponed, there are several ways to resume it. From +the command line you can use the â-pâ option, or if you +compose a new message from the index or +pager you will be prompted if postponed messages +exist. If multiple messages are currently postponed, the +postponed menu will pop up and you can select which +message you would like to resume. +
+If you postpone a reply to a message, the reply setting of the message +is only updated when you actually finish the message and send it. Also, +you must be in the same folder with the message you replied to for the +status of the message to be updated.
-See also the $postpone quad-option. +See also the $postpone quad-option.