version 1.5.19 (2009-01-05)
Abstract
-âAll mail clients suck. This one just sucks less.â -me, circa 1995 -
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Examples
save-hookpush in folder-hooksend-hook and my_hdrTable of Contents
+
version 1.5.20 (2009-06-14)
Abstract
+âAll mail clients suck. This one just sucks less.â â me, circa 1995 +
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Examples
Table of Contents
Mutt is a small but very powerful text-based MIME mail client. Mutt is highly configurable, and is well suited to the mail power user with advanced features like key bindings, keyboard macros, mail threading, regular @@ -46,14 +51,17 @@ All messages posted to mutt-announce are automatically forwarded to mutt-users, so you do not need to be subscribed to both lists. -
Mutt releases can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.mutt.org/mutt/. For a list of mirror sites, please refer to http://www.mutt.org/download.html. -
-The official mutt bug tracking system can be found at -http://dev.mutt.org/ +
+For nightly tarballs and version control access, please refer to the +Mutt development site. +
+The official Mutt bug tracking system can be found at +http://bugs.mutt.org/
An (unofficial) wiki can be found at http://wiki.mutt.org/. @@ -70,17 +78,17 @@ experienced users to chat about Mutt, talk about problems and share tricks.
Since translations of Mutt into other languages are highly appreciated, -the mutt developers always look for skilled translators that help +the Mutt developers always look for skilled translators that help improve and continue to maintain stale translations.
For contributing code patches for new features and bug fixes, please refer to the developer pages at http://dev.mutt.org/ for more details. -
This section lists typographical conventions followed throughout this manual. See table Table 1.1, âTypographical conventions for special termsâ for typographical conventions for special terms. -
Table 1.1. Typographical conventions for special terms
| Item | Refers to... |
|---|---|
printf(3) | UNIX manual pages, execute man 3 printf |
<PageUp> | named keys |
<create-alias> | named Mutt function |
^G | Control+G key combination |
$mail_check | Mutt configuration option |
+
Table 1.1. Typographical conventions for special terms
| Item | Refers to... |
|---|---|
printf(3) | UNIX manual pages, execute man 3 printf |
<PageUp> | named keys |
<create-alias> | named Mutt function |
^G | Control+G key combination |
| $mail_check | Mutt configuration option |
$HOME | environment variable |
Examples are presented as:
mutt -v
@@ -90,7 +98,7 @@ of options of which one is mandatory, square brackets
(â[]â) denote optional arguments, three dots
denote that the argument may be repeated arbitrary times.
-Mutt is Copyright (C) 1996-2009 Michael R. Elkins
+Mutt is Copyright © 1996-2009 Michael R. Elkins
<me@mutt.org> and others.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify @@ -106,7 +114,7 @@ GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA. -
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 @@ -116,10 +124,10 @@ 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
+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.
-
+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 @@ -134,6 +142,11 @@ finally the command line. The command line is used to display informational and error messages as well as for prompts and for entering interactive commands.
+Mutt is configured through variables which, if the user wants to +permanently use a non-default value, are written to configuration +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 @@ -157,69 +170,143 @@ existing one. These hooks can be used to highly customize Mutt's behaviour including managing multiple identities, customizing the display for a folder or even implementing auto-archiving based on a per-folder basis and much more. -
-The most important navigation keys common to all menus are shown in -Table 2.1, âMost common navigation keysâ. -
Table 2.1. Most common navigation keys
| 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 |
+
+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 +see in the index is a list of emails, each with its number on the left, +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 +"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 +information. How much information you actually see depends on your +configuration, which we'll describe below. +
+Below the headers, you see the email body which usually contains the +message. If the email contains any attachments, you will see more +information about them below the email body, or, if the attachments are +text files, you can view them directly in the pager. +
+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 +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 +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 2.2, âMost common line editor keysâ for a full +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 2.2. 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 |
+
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 +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
+is controlled by the $history
variable and can be made persistent using an external file specified
-using $history_file.
+using $history_file.
You may cycle through them at an editor prompt by using the
<history-up> and/or
-<history-down> commands.
+<history-down> commands. But notice that Mutt
+does not remember the currently entered text, it only cycles through
+history and wraps around at the end or beginning.
Mutt maintains several distinct history lists, one for each of the following categories: -
muttrc commands
addresses and aliases
shell commands
filenames
patterns
everything else
-Mutt automatically filters out repeated items from the history. It +
.muttrc commands
addresses and aliases
shell commands
filenames
patterns
everything else
+Mutt automatically filters out consecutively repeated items from the history. It also mimics the behavior of some shells by ignoring items starting with a space. The latter feature can be useful in macros to not clobber the history's valuable entries with unwanted entries. -
Similar to many other mail clients, there are two modes in which mail is -read in Mutt. The first is the index of messages in the mailbox, which is -called the âindexâ in Mutt. The second mode is the display of the +read in Mutt. The first is a list of messages in the mailbox, which is +called the âindexâ menu in Mutt. The second mode is the display of the message contents. This is called the âpager.â
The next few sections describe the functions provided in each of these modes. -
+
Common keys used to navigate through and manage messages in the index -are shown in Table 2.3, âMost common message index keysâ. How messages are presented +are shown in Table 2.4, âMost common message index keysâ. How messages are presented in the index menu can be customized using the -$index_format variable. -
Table 2.3. 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 |
+$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 2.4, âMessage status flagsâ
+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 2.5, âMessage recipient flagsâ reflect +Furthermore, the flags in Table 2.6, âMessage recipient flagsâ reflect who the message is addressed to. They can be customized with the -$to_chars variable. -
Table 2.4. Message status flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| D | message is deleted (is marked for deletion) |
| d | message has attachments marked for deletion |
| K | contains a PGP public key |
| N | message is new |
| O | message is old |
| P | message is PGP encrypted |
| r | message has been replied to |
| S | message is signed, and the signature is successfully verified |
| s | message is signed |
| ! | message is flagged |
| * | message is tagged |
Table 2.5. Message recipient flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| + | message is to you and you only |
| T | message is to you, but also to or cc'ed to others |
| C | message is cc'ed to you |
| F | message is from you |
| L | message is sent to a subscribed mailing list |
-By default, Mutt uses its builtin pager to display the contents of messages. -The pager is very similar to the Unix program less though not nearly as -featureful. -
Table 2.6. Most common pager keys
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
| <Return> | go down one line |
| <Space> | display the next page (or next message if at the end of a message) |
| - | go back to the previous page |
| n | search for next match |
| S | skip beyond quoted text |
| T | toggle display of quoted text |
| ? | show keybindings |
| / | regular expression search |
| Esc / | backward regular expression search |
| \ | toggle highlighting of search matches |
| ^ | jump to the top of the message |
-In addition to key bindings in Table 2.6, âMost common pager keysâ, +$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
+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)
+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).
@@ -227,11 +314,11 @@ the pager, such as <delete-message> or standardâ nroff sequences for
bold and underline. These sequences are a series of either the letter,
-backspace (^H), the letter again for bold or the letter, backspace,
+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.
+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 @@ -240,8 +327,8 @@ character settings. The sequences Mutt supports are: \e[Ps;Ps;..Ps;m
where Ps can be one of the codes shown in -Table 2.7, âANSI escape sequencesâ. -
Table 2.7. 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 2.8, âColor sequencesâ) |
| 4<color> | Background color is <color> (see Table 2.8, âColor sequencesâ) |
+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
@@ -254,36 +341,48 @@ 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 the pager only performs simple
-text search, whereas the index provides boolean filtering on several
-aspects of messages.
-
-When the mailbox is sorted by threads, there are -a few additional functions available in the index and pager modes -as shown in Table 2.9, âMost common thread mode keysâ. -
Table 2.9. 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 |
+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 +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 "%?M?(#%03M)&(%4l)?" in $index_format to optionally -display the number of hidden messages if the thread is collapsed. -
-See also: $strict_threads. -
+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:
<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 +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 $alias_file -upon startup so you must explicitly source the file. +upon startup so you must explicitly source the file.
<check-traditional-pgp> (default: Esc P)
@@ -322,7 +421,7 @@ to send.
This command is used to execute any command you would normally put in a configuration file. A common use is to check the settings of variables, or -in conjunction with macros to change settings on the +in conjunction with macros to change settings on the fly.
<extract-keys> (default: ^K)
@@ -339,9 +438,9 @@ you misspelled the passphrase.
<list-reply> (default: L)
Reply to the current or tagged message(s) by extracting any addresses which
-match the regular expressions given by the lists or subscribe
+match the regular expressions given by the lists or subscribe
commands, but also honor any Mail-Followup-To header(s) if the
-$honor_followup_to
+$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.
@@ -349,8 +448,8 @@ the message you are replying to.
<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. +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)
@@ -358,7 +457,7 @@ 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 +included here depends on the value of the $weed variable.
This function is also available from the attachment menu. You can use this
@@ -367,7 +466,7 @@ as a message/rfc822 body part.
<shell-escape> (default: !)
-Asks for an external Unix command and executes it. The $wait_key can be used to control +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 @@ -375,7 +474,7 @@ interactive shell is executed.
<toggle-quoted> (default: T)
-The pager uses the $quote_regexp variable to detect quoted text when +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 @@ -385,45 +484,59 @@ quoted text in the way.
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 2.10, âMost common mail sending keysâ are available in the +
+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 2.10. 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 |
+
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 chapter âForwarding +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. Next, it will ask
+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. See also
+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,
+$autoedit,
$bounce,
-$fast_reply,
-and $include
-for changing how Mutt asks these questions.
-
-Mutt will then automatically start your $editor -on the message body. If the $edit_headers -variable is set, the headers will be at the top of the message in your editor. -Any messages you are replying to will be added in sort order to the message, +$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: +
+Reply to the author directly. +
+Reply to the author as well to all recipients except you; this consults +alternates. +
+Reply to all mailing list addresses found, either specified via +configuration or auto-detected. See Section 12, âMailing Listsâ for +details. +
+After getting recipients for new messages, forwards or replies, Mutt +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 $signature, it -will be appended to the message. +$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 2.11, âMost common compose menu keysâ to modify, send or postpone the +shown in Table 2.12, âMost common compose menu keysâ to modify, send or postpone the message. -
Table 2.11. 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 |
+
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
@@ -432,27 +545,31 @@ 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
+$status_format will change to
a âAâ to indicate that you are in attach-message mode.
-
-When editing the header because of $edit_headers +
+When editing the header because of $edit_headers being set, there are a several pseudo headers available which -will not be included in sent messages. -
+will not be included in sent messages but trigger special Mutt behavior. +
If you specify - +
Fcc: filename
-
+
as a header, Mutt will pick up filename
just as if you had used the <edit-fcc> function in the compose menu.
-
You can also attach files to your message by specifying
-
-Attach: filename [ description ]
-
+
+Attach: filename
+[ description ]
+
where filename is the file to attach and description is an -optional string to use as the description of the attached file. -
+optional string to use as the description of the attached file. Spaces +in filenames have to be escaped using backslash (â\â). +The file can be removed as well as more added from the compose menu. +
If you want to use PGP, you can specify
Pgp: [ E | S | S<id> ]
@@ -460,15 +577,15 @@ If you want to use PGP, you can specify
âEâ selects encryption, âSâ selects signing and âS<id>â selects signing with the given key, setting -$pgp_sign_as -permanently. -
+$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 its value, Mutt will not generate a +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 @@ -477,22 +594,22 @@ 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
+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
+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.
-Most fields of the entries in the key selection menu (see also $pgp_entry_format) +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 (%f) will expand to one of the flags in -Table 2.12, âPGP key menu flagsâ. -
Table 2.12. 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 (%c) expands to a two-character sequence +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 @@ -505,47 +622,12 @@ again, a â-â implies ânot f 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 (%t) indicates how well-certified a user-id +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. -
-You may also have compiled mutt to co-operate with Mixmaster, an -anonymous remailer. Mixmaster permits you to send your messages -anonymously using a chain of remailers. Mixmaster support in mutt is for -mixmaster version 2.04 (beta 45 appears to be the latest) and 2.03. -It does not support earlier versions or the later so-called version 3 betas, -of which the latest appears to be called 2.9b23. -
-To use it, you'll have to obey certain restrictions. Most
-important, you cannot use the Cc and Bcc headers. To tell
-Mutt to use mixmaster, you have to select a remailer chain, using
-the mix function on the compose menu.
-
-The chain selection screen is divided into two parts. In the -(larger) upper part, you get a list of remailers you may use. In -the lower part, you see the currently selected chain of remailers. -
-You can navigate in the chain using the <chain-prev> and
-<chain-next> functions, which are by default bound to the left
-and right arrows and to the h and l keys (think vi
-keyboard bindings). To insert a remailer at the current chain
-position, use the <insert> function. To append a remailer behind
-the current chain position, use <select-entry> or <append>.
-You can also delete entries from the chain, using the corresponding
-function. Finally, to abandon your changes, leave the menu, or
-<accept> them pressing (by default) the Return key.
-
-Note that different remailers do have different capabilities, -indicated in the %c entry of the remailer menu lines (see -$mix_entry_format). Most important is -the âmiddlemanâ capability, indicated by a capital âMâ: This -means that the remailer in question cannot be used as the final -element of a chain, but will only forward messages to other -mixmaster remailers. For details on the other capabilities, please -have a look at the mixmaster documentation. -
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
@@ -553,17 +635,17 @@ 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 +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
+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.
+the compose menu, Mutt properly space-stuffes 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
@@ -577,8 +659,8 @@ quote or not. Furthermore, Mutt only applies space-stuffing
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.
@@ -591,7 +673,7 @@ 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 @@ -604,22 +686,22 @@ 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, +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 +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
+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 @@ -634,55 +716,55 @@ 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. -
Table of Contents
+See also the $postpone quad-option. +
Table of Contents
While the default configuration (or âpreferencesâ) make Mutt
usable right out of the box, it is often desirable to tailor Mutt to
suit your own tastes. When Mutt is first invoked, it will attempt to
read the âsystemâ configuration file (defaults set by your local
-system administrator), unless the â-nâ command line option is specified. This file is typically
+system administrator), unless the â-nâ command line option is specified. This file is typically
/usr/local/share/mutt/Muttrc or /etc/Muttrc. Mutt
will next look for a file named .muttrc in your home
directory. If this file does not exist and your home directory has
-a subdirectory named .mutt, mutt try to load a file named
+a subdirectory named .mutt, Mutt tries to load a file named
.mutt/muttrc.
.muttrc is the file where you will usually place your commands to configure Mutt.
-In addition, mutt supports version specific configuration files that are
+In addition, Mutt supports version specific configuration files that are
parsed instead of the default files as explained above. For instance, if
your system has a Muttrc-0.88 file in the system configuration
-directory, and you are running version 0.88 of mutt, this file will be
+directory, and you are running version 0.88 of Mutt, this file will be
sourced instead of the Muttrc file. The same is true of the user
configuration file, if you have a file .muttrc-0.88.6 in your home
-directory, when you run mutt version 0.88.6, it will source this file
+directory, when you run Mutt version 0.88.6, it will source this file
instead of the default .muttrc file. The version number is the
-same which is visible using the â-vâ command line switch or using the show-version key (default:
+same which is visible using the â-vâ command line switch or using the show-version key (default:
V) from the index menu.
An initialization file consists of a series of commands. Each line of the file may contain one or more commands. When multiple commands are used, they must be separated by a semicolon -(;). +(â;â).
The hash mark, or pound sign (â#â), is used as a âcommentâ character. You can use it to annotate your initialization file. All text after the comment character -to the end of the line is ignored. For example, +to the end of the line is ignored.
Example 3.2. Commenting configuration files
my_hdr X-Disclaimer: Why are you listening to me? # This is a comment
-Single quotes (') and double quotes (") can be used to quote strings +Single quotes (â'â) and double quotes (â"â) can be used to quote strings which contain spaces or other special characters. The difference between the two types of quotes is similar to that of many popular shell programs, namely that a single quote is used to specify a literal string (one that is not interpreted for shell variables or quoting with a backslash [see next paragraph]), while double quotes indicate a string for which should be evaluated. For example, backticks are evaluated inside of double -quotes, but not for single quotes. +quotes, but not for single quotes.
-\ quotes the next character, just as in shells such as bash and zsh. +â\â quotes the next character, just as in shells such as bash and zsh. For example, if want to put quotes â"â inside of a string, you can use â\â to force the next character to be a literal instead of interpreted character. @@ -693,30 +775,34 @@ set realname="Michael \"MuttDude\" Elkins" â\nâ and â\râ have their usual C meanings of linefeed and carriage-return, respectively.
-A \ at the end of a line can be used to split commands over -multiple lines, provided that the split points don't appear in the -middle of command names. -
+A â\â at the end of a line can be used to split commands over +multiple lines as it âescapesâ the line end, provided that the split points don't appear in the +middle of command names. Lines are first concatenated before +interpretation so that a multi-line can be commented by commenting out +the first line only. +
Example 3.4. Splitting long configuration commands over several lines
+set status_format="some very \ +long value split \ +over several lines" +
It is also possible to substitute the output of a Unix command in an initialization file. This is accomplished by enclosing the command in -backticks (``). For example, -
Example 3.4. Using external command's output in configuration files
-my_hdr X-Operating-System: `uname -a` -
-The output of the Unix command âuname -aâ will be substituted before the +backticks (``). In Example 3.5, âUsing external command's output in configuration filesâ, the output of the +Unix command âuname -aâ will be substituted before the line is parsed. -
Since initialization files are line oriented, only the first line of output from the Unix command will be substituted. -
-Both environment variables and mutt variables can be accessed by +
Example 3.5. Using external command's output in configuration files
+my_hdr X-Operating-System: `uname -a` +
+Both environment variables and Mutt variables can be accessed by prepending â$â to the name of the variable. For example, -
Example 3.5. Using environment variables in configuration files
+-will cause mutt to save outgoing messages to a folder named -âsent_on_kremvaxâ if the environment variable HOSTNAME is set to -âkremvax.â (See $record for +will cause Mutt to save outgoing messages to a folder named +âsent_on_kremvaxâ if the environment variable
$HOSTNAMEis set to +âkremvax.â (See $record for details.)Mutt expands the variable when it is assigned, not when it is used. If @@ -724,7 +810,7 @@ the value of a variable on the right-hand side of an assignment changes after the assignment, the variable on the left-hand side will not be affected.
-The commands understood by mutt are explained in the next paragraphs. +The commands understood by Mutt are explained in the next paragraphs. For a complete list, see the command reference.
All configuration files are expected to be in the current locale as @@ -733,19 +819,21 @@ which doesn't have a default value since it's determined by Mutt at startup. If a configuration file is not encoded in the same character set the $config_charset variable should be used: all lines starting with the next are recoded -from $config_charset to $charset. +from $config_charset +to $charset.
This mechanism should be avoided if possible as it has the following implications:
These variables should be set early in a configuration -file with $charset preceding $config_charset so Mutt -know what character set to convert to.
If $config_charset is set, it should be set +file with $charset preceding +$config_charset so Mutt +knows what character set to convert to.
If $config_charset is set, it should be set in each configuration file because the value is global and not per configuration file.
Because Mutt first recodes a line before it attempts to parse it, a conversion introducing question marks or other characters as part of errors (unconvertable characters, transliteration) may introduce syntax errors or silently change the meaning of certain tokens (e.g. inserting -question marks into regular expressions).
Usage:
group [
-group
name
...] {
@@ -754,7 +842,7 @@ question marks into regular expressions).
expr
-... }ungroup [
+... }ungroup [
-group
name
...] {
@@ -766,30 +854,30 @@ question marks into regular expressions).
expr
... }
-group is used to directly add either addresses or
+group is used to directly add either addresses or
regular expressions to the specified group or groups. The different
-categories of arguments to the group command can be
+categories of arguments to the group command can be
in any order. The flags -rx and
-addr specify what the following strings (that cannot
begin with a hyphen) should be interpreted as: either a regular
expression or an email address, respectively.
These address groups can also be created implicitly by the
-alias, lists,
-subscribe and
-alternates commands by specifying the
+alias, lists,
+subscribe and
+alternates commands by specifying the
optional -group option.
Once defined, these address groups can be used in patterns to search for and limit the display to messages matching a group.
-ungroup is used to remove addresses or regular
+ungroup is used to remove addresses or regular
expressions from the specified group or groups. The syntax is similar to
-the group command, however the special character
+the group command, however the special character
* can be used to empty a group of all of its
contents.
-
Usage:
alias [
+
Usage:
alias [
-group
name
...]
@@ -798,63 +886,61 @@ contents.
address
[
address
-...]
+...]unalias [
+-group
+name
+...] {
+*
+ |
+key
+... }
It's usually very cumbersome to remember or type out the address of someone you are communicating with. Mutt allows you to create âaliasesâ which map a short string to a full address.
If you want to create an alias for more than -one address, you must separate the addresses with a comma (â,â). +one address, you must separate the addresses with a comma (â,â).
The optional -group argument to
-alias causes the aliased address(es) to be added to
+alias causes the aliased address(es) to be added to
the named group.
To remove an alias or aliases (â*â means all aliases): -
unalias [
--group
-name
-...] {
-*
- |
-key
-... }
+alias muttdude me@cs.hmc.edu (Michael Elkins) alias theguys manny, moe, jackUnlike other mailers, Mutt doesn't require aliases to be defined -in a special file. The
aliascommand can appear anywhere in -a configuration file, as long as this file is sourced. Consequently, you can have multiple alias files, or -you can have all aliases defined in your muttrc. +in a special file. The alias command can appear anywhere in +a configuration file, as long as this file is sourced. Consequently, you can have multiple alias files, or +you can have all aliases defined in your.muttrc.On the other hand, the
<create-alias>function can use only one file, the one pointed to by the $alias_file variable (which isË/.muttrcby default). This file is not special either, in the sense that Mutt will happily append aliases to any file, but in -order for the new aliases to take effect you need to explicitly source this file too. --For example: -
Example 3.6. Configuring external alias files
+order for the new aliases to take effect you need to explicitly source this file too. +Example 3.7. Configuring external alias files
source /usr/local/share/Mutt.aliases source ~/.mail_aliases set alias_file=~/.mail_aliases-To use aliases, you merely use the alias at any place in mutt where mutt +To use aliases, you merely use the alias at any place in Mutt where Mutt prompts for addresses, such as the To: or Cc: prompt. You can also enter aliases in your editor at the appropriate headers if you have the -$edit_headers variable set. +$edit_headers variable set.
In addition, at the various address prompts, you can use the tab character to expand a partial alias to the full alias. If there are multiple matches, -mutt will bring up a menu with the matching aliases. In order to be -presented with the full list of aliases, you must hit tab with out a partial +Mutt will bring up a menu with the matching aliases. In order to be +presented with the full list of aliases, you must hit tab without a partial alias, such as at the beginning of the prompt or after a comma denoting multiple addresses.
In the alias menu, you can select as many aliases as you want with the
select-entrykey (default: <Return>), and use the exit key (default: q) to return to the address prompt. -Usage:
bind+Usage:
bindmapkey@@ -872,10 +958,10 @@ This is not a real menu, but is used as a fallback for all of the other menus except for the pager and editor modes. If a key is not defined in another menu, Mutt will look for a binding to use in this menu. This allows you to bind a key to a certain function in multiple menus instead of having -multiple bind statements to accomplish the same task. +multiple bind statements to accomplish the same task.alias The alias menu is the list of your personal aliases as defined in your -muttrc. It is the mapping from a short alias name to the full email +
.muttrc. It is the mapping from a short alias name to the full email address(es) of the recipient(s).attach The attachment menu is used to access the attachments on received messages. @@ -902,7 +988,7 @@ The postpone menu is similar to the index menu, except is used when recalling a message the user was composing, but saved until later.
query The query menu is the browser for results returned by -$query_command. +$query_command.
mix The mixmaster screen is used to select remailer options for outgoing messages (if Mutt is compiled with Mixmaster support). @@ -923,56 +1009,59 @@ space (âââ) or semi-colon (âfunction specifies which action to take when key is pressed. For a complete list of functions, see the reference. The special function
<noop>unbinds the specified key sequence. -Usage:
charset-hook+Usage:
charset-hookaliascharset--The
charset-hookcommand defines an alias for a character set. +The charset-hook command defines an alias for a character set. This is useful to properly display messages which are tagged with a -character set name not known to mutt. +character set name not known to Mutt.-The
iconv-hookcommand defines a system-specific name for a +The iconv-hook command defines a system-specific name for a character set. This is helpful when your systems character conversion library insists on using strange, system-specific names for character sets. -Usage:
folder-hook+Usage:
folder-hook[!]regexpcommandIt is often desirable to change settings based on which mailbox you are -reading. The folder-hook command provides a method by which you can execute +reading. The folder-hook command provides a method by which you can execute any configuration command. regexp is a regular expression specifying in which mailboxes to execute command before loading. If a mailbox -matches multiple folder-hook's, they are executed in the order given in the -muttrc. +matches multiple folder-hooks, they are executed in the order given in the +
.muttrc.Note
-If you use the â!â shortcut for $spoolfile at the beginning of the pattern, you must place it +If you use the â!â shortcut for $spoolfile at the beginning of the pattern, you must place it inside of double or single quotes in order to distinguish it from the logical not operator for the expression.
Note
Settings are not restored when you leave the mailbox. For example, a command action to perform is to change the sorting method based upon the mailbox being read: -
-folder-hook mutt set sort=threads -+ +
+folder-hook mutt "set sort=threads"+ However, the sorting method is not restored to its previous value when reading a different mailbox. To specify a default command, use the -pattern â.â before other folder-hooks adjusting a value on a per-folder basis -because folder-hooks are evaluated in the order given in the configuration file. -The following example will set the sort variable +pattern â.â before other folder-hooks adjusting a value on a per-folder basis +because folder-hooks are evaluated in the order given in the +configuration file. +
+The following example will set the sort variable to
date-sentfor all folders but tothreadsfor all folders containing âmuttâ in their name. -Example 3.7. Setting sort method based on mailbox name
-folder-hook . set sort=date-sent -folder-hook mutt set sort=threads -Usage:
macro+Example 3.8. Setting sort method based on mailbox name
+folder-hook . "set sort=date-sent" +folder-hook mutt "set sort=threads" +Usage:
macromenukey@@ -993,13 +1082,13 @@ commas. Whitespace may not be used in between the menu arguments and the commas separating them.key and sequence are expanded by the same rules as the -key bindings with some additions. The +key bindings with some additions. The first is that control characters in sequence can also be specified as ^x. In order to get a caret (â^â) you need to use ^^. Secondly, to specify a certain key such as up or to invoke a function directly, you can use the format <key name> and <function name>. For a listing of key -names see the section on key bindings. Functions +names see the section on key bindings. Functions are listed in the reference.
The advantage with using function names directly is that the macros will @@ -1009,17 +1098,17 @@ and portable, and also facilitates defining of macros in files used by more than one user (e.g., the system Muttrc).
Optionally you can specify a descriptive text after sequence, -which is shown in the help screens. +which is shown in the help screens if they contain a description.
Note
Macro definitions (if any) listed in the help screen(s), are silently truncated at the screen width, and are not wrapped. -
Usage:
colorobjectforegroundbackground-
color{ +color{header|body@@ -1029,7 +1118,7 @@ silently truncated at the screen width, and are not wrapped.backgroundregexp-
color+colorindexforeground@@ -1037,16 +1126,20 @@ silently truncated at the screen width, and are not wrapped.backgroundpattern-
uncolor+uncolor{index- { + | +header+ | +body+ } {*|pattern... }If your terminal supports color, you can spice up Mutt by creating your own color scheme. To define the color of an object (type of information), you -must specify both a foreground color and a background color (it is not +must specify both a foreground color and a background color (it is not possible to only specify one or the other).
header and body match regexp @@ -1054,7 +1147,7 @@ in the header/body of a message, index ma (see Section 2, âPatterns: Searching, Limiting and Taggingâ) in the message index.
object can be one of: -
attachment
bold (hiliting bold patterns in the body of messages)
error (error messages printed by Mutt)
hdrdefault (default color of the message header in the pager)
indicator (arrow or bar used to indicate the current item in a menu)
markers (the â+â markers at the beginning of wrapped lines in the pager)
message (informational messages)
normal
quoted (text matching $quote_regexp in the body of a message)
quoted1, quoted2, ..., quotedN (higher levels of quoting)
search (hiliting of words in the pager)
signature
status (mode lines used to display info about the mailbox or message)
tilde (the âËâ used to pad blank lines in the pager)
tree (thread tree drawn in the message index and attachment menu)
underline (hiliting underlined patterns in the body of messages)
+
attachment
bold (hiliting bold patterns in the body of messages)
error (error messages printed by Mutt)
hdrdefault (default color of the message header in the pager)
indicator (arrow or bar used to indicate the current item in a menu)
markers (the â+â markers at the beginning of wrapped lines in the pager)
message (informational messages)
normal
quoted (text matching $quote_regexp in the body of a message)
quoted1, quoted2, ..., quotedN (higher levels of quoting)
search (hiliting of words in the pager)
signature
status (mode lines used to display info about the mailbox or message)
tilde (the âËâ used to pad blank lines in the pager)
tree (thread tree drawn in the message index and attachment menu)
underline (hiliting underlined patterns in the body of messages)
foreground and background can be one of the following:
white
black
green
magenta
blue
cyan
yellow
red
default
colorx
foreground can optionally be prefixed with the keyword
brightto make @@ -1063,7 +1156,7 @@ the foreground color boldfaced (e.g.,brightred). If your terminal supports it, the special keyword default can be used as a transparent color. The value brightdefault is also valid. If Mutt is linked against the S-Lang library, you also need to set -the COLORFGBG environment variable to the default colors of your +the$COLORFGBGenvironment variable to the default colors of your terminal for this to work; for example (for Bourne-like shells):set COLORFGBG="green;black" @@ -1073,24 +1166,24 @@ The S-Lang library requires you to use th and brown keywords instead of white and yellow when setting this variable.Note
-The uncolor command can be applied to the index object only. It -removes entries from the list. You must specify the same pattern -specified in the color command for it to be removed. The pattern â*â is -a special token which means to clear the color index list of all entries. +The uncolor command can be applied to the index, header and body objects only. It +removes entries from the list. You must specify the same pattern +specified in the color command for it to be removed. The pattern â*â is +a special token which means to clear the color list of all entries.
Mutt also recognizes the keywords color0, color1, â¦, -colorN-1 (N being the number of colors supported +colorN-1 (N being the number of colors supported by your terminal). This is useful when you remap the colors for your display (for example by changing the color associated with color2 for your xterm), since color names may then lose their normal meaning. -
+
If your terminal does not support color, it is still possible change the video -attributes through the use of the âmonoâ command: -
Usage:
mono+attributes through the use of the âmonoâ command. Usage: +
monoobjectattribute-
mono{ +mono{header|body@@ -1098,26 +1191,30 @@ attributes through the use of the âmonoâ command:attributeregexp-
mono+monoindexattributepattern-
unmono+unmono{index- { + | +header+ | +body+ } {*|pattern... }-For object, see the color command. attribute +For object, see the color command. attribute can be one of the following: -
none
bold
underline
reverse
standout
Usage:
ignore+
none
bold
underline
reverse
standout
Usage:
ignorepattern[pattern-...]
unignore{ +...]unignore{*|pattern@@ -1135,38 +1232,36 @@ The âunignoreâ command will make Mutt display hea For example, if you do âignore x-â it is possible to âunignore x-mailerâ.âunignore *â will remove all tokens from the ignore list. -
-For example: -
Example 3.8. Header weeding
+Example 3.9. Header weeding
# Sven's draconian header weeding ignore * unignore from date subject to cc unignore organization organisation x-mailer: x-newsreader: x-mailing-list: unignore posted-to: -Usage:
hdr_order+Usage:
hdr_orderheader[header-...]
unhdr_order{ +...]unhdr_order{*|header... }-With the
hdr_ordercommand you can specify an order in -which mutt will attempt to present these headers to you when viewing messages. +With the hdr_order command you can specify an order in +which Mutt will attempt to present these headers to you when viewing messages.-âunhdr_order *â will clear all previous headers from the order list, +âunhdr_order *â will clear all previous headers from the order list, thus removing the header order effects set by the system-wide startup file. -
Usage:
alternates[-groupname...]regexp[regexp-...]
unalternates[ +...]unalternates[-groupname...] { @@ -1174,17 +1269,17 @@ hdr_order From Date: From: To: Cc: Subject: |regexp... }-With various functions, mutt will treat messages differently, +With various functions, Mutt will treat messages differently, depending on whether you sent them or whether you received them from someone else. For instance, when replying to a message that you -sent to a different party, mutt will automatically suggest to send -the response to the original message's recipients -- responding to -yourself won't make much sense in many cases. (See $reply_to.) +sent to a different party, Mutt will automatically suggest to send +the response to the original message's recipients â responding to +yourself won't make much sense in many cases. (See $reply_to.)
Many users receive e-mail under a number of different addresses. To -fully use mutt's features here, the program must be able to +fully use Mutt's features here, the program must be able to recognize what e-mail addresses you receive mail under. That's the -purpose of the
alternatescommand: It takes a list of regular +purpose of the alternates command: It takes a list of regular expressions, each of which can identify an address under which you receive e-mail.@@ -1194,7 +1289,7 @@ as possible to avoid mismatches. For example, if you specify:
alternates user@example-mutt will consider â
some-user@exampleâ as +Mutt will consider âsome-user@exampleâ as being your address, too which may not be desired. As a solution, in such cases addresses should be specified as:@@ -1203,40 +1298,40 @@ alternates '^user@example$' The-groupflag causes all of the subsequent regular expressions to be added to the named group.-The
unalternatescommand can be used to write exceptions to -alternatespatterns. If an address matches something in an -alternatescommand, but you nonetheless do not think it is -from you, you can list a more precise pattern under anunalternates+The unalternates command can be used to write exceptions to +alternates patterns. If an address matches something in an +alternates command, but you nonetheless do not think it is +from you, you can list a more precise pattern under an unalternates command.-To remove a regular expression from the
alternateslist, use the -unalternatescommand with exactly the same regexp. -Likewise, if the regexp for analternatescommand matches -an entry on theunalternateslist, thatunalternates-entry will be removed. If the regexp forunalternates-is â*â, all entries onalternateswill be removed. -Usage:
lists[ +To remove a regular expression from the alternates list, use the +unalternates command with exactly the same regexp. +Likewise, if the regexp for an alternates command matches +an entry on the unalternates list, that unalternates +entry will be removed. If the regexp for unalternates +is â*â, all entries on alternates will be removed. +Usage:
lists[-groupname...]regexp[regexp-...]
unlists[ +...]unlists[-groupname...] {*|regexp-... }
subscribe[ +... }subscribe[-groupname...]regexp[regexp-...]
unsubscribe[ +...]unsubscribe[-groupname...] { @@ -1246,8 +1341,15 @@ is â*â, all entriesMutt has a few nice features for handling mailing lists. In order to take advantage of them, you must specify which addresses belong to mailing lists, and which mailing -lists you are subscribed to. Once you have done this, the
<list-reply>function will work for all known lists. -Additionally, when you send a message to a subscribed list, mutt will +lists you are subscribed to. Mutt also has limited support for +auto-detecting mailing lists: it supports parsing +mailto:links in the common +List-Post:header which has the same effect as +specifying the list address via the lists command +(except the group feature). Once you have done this, the +<list-reply>+function will work for all known lists. +Additionally, when you send a message to a subscribed list, Mutt will add a Mail-Followup-To header to tell other users' mail user agents not to send copies of replies to your personal address.Note
@@ -1255,30 +1357,32 @@ The Mail-Followup-To header is a non-standard extension which is not supported by all mail user agents. Adding it is not bullet-proof against receiving personal CCs of list messages. Also note that the generation of the Mail-Followup-To header is controlled by the -$followup_to -configuration variable. +$followup_to +configuration variable since it's common practice on some mailing lists +to send Cc upons replies (which is more a group- than a list-reply).
More precisely, Mutt maintains lists of patterns for the addresses of known and subscribed mailing lists. Every subscribed mailing -list is known. To mark a mailing list as known, use the âlistsâ -command. To mark it as subscribed, use âsubscribeâ. +list is known. To mark a mailing list as known, use the list +command. To mark it as subscribed, use subscribe.
-You can use regular expressions with both commands. To mark all -messages sent to a specific bug report's address on mutt's bug +You can use regular expressions with both commands. To mark all +messages sent to a specific bug report's address on Debian's bug tracking system as list mail, for instance, you could say -âsubscribe [0-9]*@bugs.guug.deâ. Often, it's sufficient to just -give a portion of the list's e-mail address. +
+subscribe [0-9]*.*@bugs.debian.org+as it's often, it's sufficient to just give a portion of the list's e-mail address.
Specify as much of the address as you need to to remove ambiguity. For example, if you've subscribed to the Mutt mailing list, you will receive mail -addressed to mutt-users@mutt.org. So, to tell Mutt -that this is a mailing list, you could add âlists mutt-users@â to your -initialization file. To tell mutt that you are subscribed to it, -add âsubscribe mutt-usersâ to your initialization file instead. +addressed to
mutt-users@mutt.org. So, to tell Mutt +that this is a mailing list, you could addlists mutt-users@to your +initialization file. To tell Mutt that you are subscribed to it, +addsubscribe mutt-usersto your initialization file instead. If you also happen to get mail from someone whose address is -mutt-users@example.com, you could use -âlists ^mutt-users@mutt\\.org$â -or âsubscribe ^mutt-users@mutt\\.org$â to +mutt-users@example.com, you could use +lists ^mutt-users@mutt\\.org$+orsubscribe ^mutt-users@mutt\\.org$to match only mail from the actual list.The
-groupflag adds all of the subsequent regular expressions @@ -1289,8 +1393,8 @@ known and subscribed mailing-lists. Use âunlists * tokens.To remove a mailing list from the list of subscribed mailing lists, -but keep it on the list of known mailing lists, use âunsubscribeâ. -
Usage:
mbox-hook+but keep it on the list of known mailing lists, use unsubscribe. +Usage:
mbox-hook[!]patternmailbox@@ -1304,11 +1408,11 @@ read. Unlike some of the other hook commands, only the first matching pattern is used (it is not possible to save read mail in more than a single mailbox). -Usage:
mailboxes+Usage:
mailboxesmailbox[mailbox-...]
unmailboxes{ +...]unmailboxes{*|mailbox@@ -1319,7 +1423,7 @@ which will be checked for new messages periodically. folder can either be a local file or directory (Mbox/Mmdf or Maildir/Mh). If Mutt was built with POP and/or IMAP support, folder can also be a POP/IMAP folder -URL. The URL syntax is described in Section 1.2, âURL syntaxâ, +URL. The URL syntax is described in Section 1.2, âURL Syntaxâ, POP and IMAP are described in Section 3, âPOP3 Supportâ and Section 4, âIMAP Supportâ respectively.@@ -1332,13 +1436,13 @@ The âunmailboxesâ command is used to remove a tok of folders which receive mail. Use âunmailboxes *â to remove all tokens.
Note
-The folders in the
mailboxescommand are resolved when +The folders in the mailboxes command are resolved when the command is executed, so if these names contain shortcut characters (such as â=â and â!â), any variable -definition that affects these characters (like $folder and $spoolfile) -should be set before themailboxescommand. If +definition that affects these characters (like $folder and $spoolfile) +should be set before the mailboxes command. If none of these shorcuts are used, a local path should be absolute as -otherwise mutt tries to find it relative to the directory -from where mutt was started which may not always be desired. +otherwise Mutt tries to find it relative to the directory +from where Mutt was started which may not always be desired.For Mbox and Mmdf folders, new mail is detected by comparing access and/or modification times of files: Mutt assumes a folder has new mail if it wasn't @@ -1351,42 +1455,42 @@ access time update support.
In cases where new mail detection for Mbox or Mmdf folders appears to be unreliable, the -$check_mbox_size +$check_mbox_size option can be used to make Mutt track and consult file sizes for new -mail detection instead. -
Usage:
my_hdr+mail detection instead which won't work for size-neutral changes. +Usage:
my_hdrstring-
unmy_hdr{ +unmy_hdr{*|field... }-The
my_hdrcommand allows you to create your own header -fields which will be added to every message you send. +The my_hdr command allows you to create your own header +fields which will be added to every message you send and appear in the +editor if $edit_headers is set.For example, if you would like to add an âOrganization:â header field to -all of your outgoing messages, you can put the command -
Example 3.10. Defining custom headers
+all of your outgoing messages, you can put the command something like +shown in Example 3.11, âDefining custom headersâ in your.muttrc. +-in your
.muttrc. -Note
+
Note
Space characters are not allowed between the keyword and the colon (â:â). The standard for electronic mail (RFC2822) says that space is illegal there, so Mutt enforces the rule.
If you would like to add a header field to a single message, you should -either set the $edit_headers variable, +either set the $edit_headers variable, or use the
<edit-headers>function (default: âEâ) in the compose menu so that you can edit the header of your message along with the body.-To remove user defined header fields, use the
unmy_hdr+To remove user defined header fields, use the unmy_hdr command. You may specify an asterisk (â*â) to remove all header fields, or the fields to remove. For example, to remove all âToâ and âCcâ header fields, you could use:unmy_hdr to cc -Usage:
save-hook+Usage:
save-hook[!]patternmailbox@@ -1397,11 +1501,9 @@ matches pattern, seeTo provide more flexibility and good defaults, Mutt applies the -expandos of $index_format to +expandos of $index_format to mailbox after it was expanded. -
-Examples: -
Example 3.11. Using %-expandos in
save-hook+Example 3.12. Using %-expandos in save-hook
# default: save all to ~/Mail/<author name> save-hook . ~/Mail/%F @@ -1411,46 +1513,44 @@ save-hook me@(turing\\.)?cs\\.hmc\\.edu$ +elkins # save from aol.com to $folder/spam save-hook aol\\.com$ +spam-Also see the fcc-save-hook command. -
Usage:
fcc-hook+Also see the fcc-save-hook command. +Usage:
fcc-hook[!]patternmailboxThis command is used to save outgoing mail in a mailbox other than -$record. Mutt searches the initial list of +$record. Mutt searches the initial list of message recipients for the first matching regexp and uses mailbox as the default Fcc: mailbox. If no match is found the message will be saved -to $record mailbox. +to $record mailbox.
To provide more flexibility and good defaults, Mutt applies the -expandos of $index_format to +expandos of $index_format to mailbox after it was expanded.
See Message Matching in Hooks for information on the exact format of pattern. -
-Example:
fcc-hook [@.]aol\\.com$ +spammers--The above will save a copy of all messages going to the aol.com domain to -the `+spammers' mailbox by default. Also see the fcc-save-hook command. -
Usage:
fcc-save-hook+fcc-hook [@.]aol\\.com$ +spammers+...will save a copy of all messages going to the aol.com domain to +the `+spammers' mailbox by default. Also see the fcc-save-hook command. +
Usage:
fcc-save-hook[!]patternmailbox-This command is a shortcut, equivalent to doing both a fcc-hook -and a save-hook with its arguments, +This command is a shortcut, equivalent to doing both a fcc-hook +and a save-hook with its arguments, including %-expansion on mailbox according -to $index_format. -
Usage:
reply-hook+to $index_format. +Usage:
reply-hook[!]patterncommand-
send-hook+send-hook[!]patterncommand-
send2-hook+send2-hook[!]patterncommand@@ -1460,38 +1560,40 @@ upon recipients of the message. pattern the message, see Message Matching in Hooks for details. command is executed when pattern matches.-
reply-hookis matched against the message you are replying to, -instead of the message you are sending.send-hookis +reply-hook is matched against the message you are replying to, +instead of the message you are sending. send-hook is matched against all messages, both new and replies.Note
-
reply-hooks are matched before thesend-hook, regardless +reply-hooks are matched before the send-hook, regardless of the order specified in the user's configuration file.-
send2-hookis matched every time a message is changed, either +send2-hook is matched every time a message is changed, either by editing it, or by using the compose menu to change its recipients -or subject.send2-hookis executed aftersend-hook, and -can, e.g., be used to set parameters such as the $sendmail variable depending on the message's sender +or subject. send2-hook is executed after send-hook, and +can, e.g., be used to set parameters such as the $sendmail variable depending on the message's sender address.-For each type of
send-hookorreply-hook, when multiple matches -occur, commands are executed in the order they are specified in the muttrc +For each type of send-hook or reply-hook, when multiple matches +occur, commands are executed in the order they are specified in the.muttrc(for that type of hook).-Example:
send-hook mutt "set mime_forward signature=''"+Example:send-hook mutt "set mime_forward signature=''"Another typical use for this command is to change the values of the -$attribution, $signature and $locale +$attribution, $signature and $locale variables in order to change the language of the attributions and signatures based upon the recipients.
Note
-send-hook's are only executed once after getting the initial -list of recipients. Adding a recipient after replying or editing the -message will not cause any send-hook to be executed. Also note that -
my_hdrcommands which modify recipient headers, or the message's -subject, don't have any effect on the current message when executed -from a send-hook. -Usage:
message-hook+send-hook's are only executed once after getting the +initial list of recipients. Adding a recipient after replying or +editing the message will not cause any send-hook to be executed, +similarily if $autoedit is set +(as then the initial list of recipients is empty). Also note that my_hdr commands which +modify recipient headers, or the message's subject, don't have any +effect on the current message when executed from a +send-hook. +Usage:
message-hook[!]patterncommand@@ -1500,7 +1602,7 @@ This command can be used to execute arbitrary configuration commands before viewing or formatting a message based upon information about the message. command is executed if the pattern matches the message to be displayed. When multiple matches occur, commands are executed in the order -they are specified in the muttrc. +they are specified in the.muttrc.See Message Matching in Hooks for information on the exact format of pattern. @@ -1509,7 +1611,7 @@ Example:
message-hook ~A 'set pager=builtin' message-hook '~f freshmeat-news' 'set pager="less \"+/^ subject: .*\""' -Usage:
crypt-hook+Usage:
crypt-hookpatternkeyid@@ -1518,76 +1620,77 @@ When encrypting messages with PGP/GnuPG or OpenSSL, you may want to associate a key with a given e-mail address automatically, either because the recipient's public key can't be deduced from the destination address, or because, for some reasons, you need to override the key Mutt would -normally use. Thecrypt-hookcommand provides a +normally use. The crypt-hook command provides a method by which you can specify the ID of the public key to be used when encrypting messages to a certain recipient.The meaning of keyid is to be taken broadly in this context: You can either put a numerical key ID here, an e-mail address, or even just a real name. -
Usage:
push+Usage:
pushstringThis command adds the named string to the keyboard buffer. The string may contain control characters, key names and function names like the sequence -string in the macro command. You may use it to +string in the macro command. You may use it to automatically run a sequence of commands at startup, or when entering -certain folders. For example, the following command will automatically -collapse all threads when entering a folder: -
Example 3.12. Embedding
pushinfolder-hook+certain folders. For example, Example 3.13, âEmbedding push in folder-hookâ +shows how to automatically collapse all threads when entering a folder. +Usage:
execfunction[function...]This command can be used to execute any function. Functions are listed in the function reference. -âexec functionâ is equivalent to âpush <function>â. +âexec
functionâ is equivalent to +âpush <function>â.Usage:
scorepatternvalue-
unscore{ +unscore{*|pattern... }-The
scorecommands adds value to a message's score if pattern +The score commands adds value to a message's score if pattern matches it. pattern is a string in the format described in the patterns section (note: For efficiency reasons, patterns which scan information not available in the index, such asËb,ËBorËh, may not be used). value is a positive or negative integer. A message's final score is the sum total of all -matchingscoreentries. However, you may optionally prefix value with -an equal sign (=) to cause evaluation to stop at a particular entry if there is +matching score entries. However, you may optionally prefix value with +an equal sign (â=â) to cause evaluation to stop at a particular entry if there is a match. Negative final scores are rounded up to 0.-The
unscorecommand removes score entries from the list. You must -specify the same pattern specified in thescorecommand for it to be +The unscore command removes score entries from the list. You must +specify the same pattern specified in the score command for it to be removed. The pattern â*â is a special token which means to clear the list of all score entries. -Usage:
spam+Usage:
spampatternformat-
nospam{ +nospam{*|pattern}Mutt has generalized support for external spam-scoring filters. -By defining your spam patterns with the
spamandnospam+By defining your spam patterns with the spam andnospamcommands, you can limit, search, and sort your mail based on its spam attributes, as determined by the external filter. You also can display the spam attributes in your index -display using the%Hselector in the $index_format variable. (Tip: try%?H?[%H] ?+display using the%Hselector in the $index_format variable. (Tip: try%?H?[%H] ?to display spam tags only when they are defined for a given message.)Your first step is to define your external filter's spam patterns using -the
spamcommand. pattern should be a regular expression +the spam command. pattern should be a regular expression that matches a header in a mail message. If any message in the mailbox matches this regular expression, it will receive a âspam tagâ or -âspam attributeâ (unless it also matches anospampattern -- see +âspam attributeâ (unless it also matches a nospam pattern â see below.) The appearance of this attribute is entirely up to you, and is governed by the format parameter. format can be any static text, but it also can include back-references from the pattern @@ -1595,96 +1698,134 @@ expression. (A regular expression âback-reference sub-expression contained within parentheses.)%1is replaced with the first back-reference in the regex,%2with the second, etc.+To match spam tags, mutt needs the corresponding header information +which is always the case for local and POP folders but not for IMAP in +the default configuration. Depending on the spam header to be analyzed, +$imap_headers may need +to be adjusted. +
If you're using multiple spam filters, a message can have more than -one spam-related header. You can define
spampatterns for each +one spam-related header. You can define spam patterns for each filter you use. If a message matches two or more of these patterns, and -the $spam_separator variable is set to a string, then the +the $spam_separator variable is set to a string, then the message's spam tag will consist of all the format strings joined -together, with the value of $spam_separator separating +together, with the value of $spam_separator separating them.-For example, suppose I use DCC, SpamAssassin, and PureMessage. I might -define these spam settings: -
Example 3.13. Configuring spam detection
+For example, suppose one uses DCC, SpamAssassin, and PureMessage, then +the configuration might look like in Example 3.14, âConfiguring spam detectionâ. +Example 3.14. Configuring spam detection
spam "X-DCC-.*-Metrics:.*(....)=many" "90+/DCC-%1" spam "X-Spam-Status: Yes" "90+/SA" spam "X-PerlMX-Spam: .*Probability=([0-9]+)%" "%1/PM" set spam_separator=", "-If I then received a message that DCC registered with âmanyâ hits +If then a message is received that DCC registered with âmanyâ hits under the âFuz2â checksum, and that PureMessage registered with a 97% probability of being spam, that message's spam tag would read
90+/DCC-Fuz2, 97/PM. (The four characters before â=manyâ in a -DCC report indicate the checksum used -- in this case, âFuz2â.) +DCC report indicate the checksum used â in this case, âFuz2â.)-If the $spam_separator variable is unset, then each +If the $spam_separator variable is unset, then each spam pattern match supersedes the previous one. Instead of getting joined format strings, you'll get only the last one to match.
The spam tag is what will be displayed in the index when you use -
%Hin the$index_formatvariable. It's also the +%Hin the $index_format variable. It's also the string that theËHpattern-matching expression matches against for<search>and<limit>functions. And it's what sorting by spam attribute will use as a sort key.That's a pretty complicated example, and most people's actual environments will have only one spam filter. The simpler your -configuration, the more effective mutt can be, especially when it comes +configuration, the more effective Mutt can be, especially when it comes to sorting.
-Generally, when you sort by spam tag, mutt will sort lexically -- +Generally, when you sort by spam tag, Mutt will sort lexically â that is, by ordering strings alphanumerically. However, if a spam tag -begins with a number, mutt will sort numerically first, and lexically +begins with a number, Mutt will sort numerically first, and lexically only when two numbers are equal in value. (This is like UNIX's -
sort -n.) A message with no spam attributes at all -- that is, one -that didn't match any of yourspampatterns -- is sorted at +sort -n.) A message with no spam attributes at all â that is, one +that didn't match any of your spam patterns â is sorted at lowest priority. Numbers are sorted next, beginning with 0 and ranging upward. Finally, non-numeric strings are sorted, with âaâ taking lower priority than âzâ. Clearly, in general, sorting by spam tags is most effective when you can coerce your filter to give you a raw number. But -in case you can't, mutt can still do something useful. +in case you can't, Mutt can still do something useful.-The
nospamcommand can be used to write exceptions tospam-patterns. If a header pattern matches something in aspamcommand, +The nospam command can be used to write exceptions to spam +patterns. If a header pattern matches something in a spam command, but you nonetheless do not want it to receive a spam tag, you can list a -more precise pattern under anospamcommand. +more precise pattern under a nospam command.-If the pattern given to
nospamis exactly the same as the -pattern on an existingspamlist entry, the effect will be to +If the pattern given to nospam is exactly the same as the +pattern on an existing spam list entry, the effect will be to remove the entry from the spam list, instead of adding an exception. -Likewise, if the pattern for aspamcommand matches an entry -on thenospamlist, thatnospamentry will be removed. If the -pattern fornospamis â*â, all entries on both lists -will be removed. This might be the default action if you usespam-andnospamin conjunction with afolder-hook. --You can have as many
spamornospamcommands as you like. -You can even do your own primitive spam detection within mutt -- for +Likewise, if the pattern for a spam command matches an entry +on the nospam list, that nospam entry will be removed. If the +pattern for nospam is â*â, all entries on both lists +will be removed. This might be the default action if you use spam +and nospam in conjunction with a folder-hook. ++You can have as many spam or nospam commands as you like. +You can even do your own primitive spam detection within Mutt â for example, if you consider all mail from
MAILER-DAEMONto be spam, -you can use aspamcommand like this: +you can use a spam command like this:spam "^From: .*MAILER-DAEMON" "999" -+Mutt supports these types of configuration variables: +
- boolean
+A boolean expression, either âyesâ or ânoâ. +
- number
+A signed integer number in the range -32768 to 32767. +
- string
+Arbitrary text. +
- path
+A specialized string for representing paths including support for +mailbox shortcuts (see Section 7, âMailbox Shortcutsâ) as well as tilde +(âËâ) for a user's home directory and more. +
- quadoption
+Like a boolean but triggers a prompt when set to âask-yesâ +or âask-noâ with âyesâ and ânoâ +preselected respectively. +
- sort order
+A specialized string allowing only particular words as values depending +on the variable. +
- regular expression
+A regular expression, see Section 1, âRegular Expressionsâ for an introduction. +
- folder magic
+Specifies the type of folder to use: mbox, +mmdf, mh +or maildir. +Currently only used to determine the type for newly created folders. +
- e-mail address
+An e-mail address either with or without +realname. The older â
user@example.org (Joe User)â +form is supported but strongly deprecated. +- user-defined
+Arbitrary text, see Section 26.3, âUser-Defined Variablesâ for details. +
The following commands are available to manipulate and query variables:
Usage:
set{ [no|inv]variable|variable=value- } [...]
toggle+ } [...]togglevariable[variable-...]
unset+...]unsetvariable[variable-...]
reset+...]resetvariable[variable...]-This command is used to set (and unset) configuration variables. There are four basic types of variables: +This command is used to set (and unset) configuration variables. There are four basic types of variables: boolean, number, string and quadoption. boolean variables can be set (true) or unset (false). number variables can be assigned a positive integer value. @@ -1699,16 +1840,16 @@ action to be carried out as if you had answered âno.ask-yes will cause a prompt with a default answer of âyesâ and ask-no will provide a default answer of âno.â
-Prefixing a variable with ânoâ will unset it. Example:
set noaskbcc. +Prefixing a variable with ânoâ will unset it. Example:set noaskbcc.For boolean variables, you may optionally prefix the variable name with
invto toggle the value (on or off). This is useful when writing -macros. Example:set invsmart_wrap. +macros. Example:set invsmart_wrap.-The
togglecommand automatically prepends theinvprefix to all +The toggle command automatically prepends theinvprefix to all specified variables.-The
unsetcommand automatically prepends thenoprefix to all +The unset command automatically prepends thenoprefix to all specified variables.Using the
<enter-command>function in the index menu, you can query the @@ -1720,23 +1861,23 @@ set ?allow_8bit The question mark is actually only required for boolean and quadoption variables.-The
resetcommand resets all given variables to the compile time +The reset command resets all given variables to the compile time defaults (hopefully mentioned in this manual). If you use the command -setand prefix the variable with â&â this has the same -behavior as the reset command. +set and prefix the variable with â&â this has the same +behavior as the reset command.-With the
resetcommand there exists the special variable âallâ, +With the reset command there exists the special variable âallâ, which allows you to reset all variables to their system defaults. -Along with the variables listed in the -Configuration variables section, mutt +Configuration variables section, Mutt supports user-defined variables with names starting with
my_as in, for example,my_cfgdir.-The
setcommand either creates a +The set command either creates a custommy_variable or changes its -value if it does exist already. Theunsetandreset+value if it does exist already. The unset and reset commands remove the variable entirely.Since user-defined variables are expanded in the same way that @@ -1744,10 +1885,10 @@ environment variables are (except for the shell-escape command and backtick expansion), this feature can be used to make configuration files more readable. -
The following example defines and uses the variable
my_cfgdir-to abbreviate the calls of the source command: -Example 3.14. Using user-defined variables for config file readability
+to abbreviate the calls of the source command: +Example 3.15. Using user-defined variables for config file readability
set my_cfgdir = $HOME/mutt/config source $my_cfgdir/hooks @@ -1756,26 +1897,26 @@ source $my_cfgdir/macrosA custom variable can also be used in macros to backup the current value of another variable. In the following example, the value of the -$delete is changed temporarily +$delete is changed temporarily while its original value is saved as
my_delete. -After the macro has executed all commands, the original value of $delete is restored. -Example 3.15. Using user-defined variables for backing up other config option values
+After the macro has executed all commands, the original value of $delete is restored. +Example 3.16. Using user-defined variables for backing up other config option values
macro pager ,x '\ <enter-command>set my_delete=$delete<enter>\ <enter-command>set delete=yes<enter>\ ...\ <enter-command>set delete=$my_delete<enter>'-Since mutt expands such values already when parsing the configuration +Since Mutt expands such values already when parsing the configuration file(s), the value of
$my_deletein the -last example would be the value of$deleteexactly +last example would be the value of $delete exactly as it was at that point during parsing the configuration file. If -another statement would change the value for$delete+another statement would change the value for $delete later in the same or another file, it would have no effect on$my_delete. However, the expansion can be deferred to runtime, as shown in the next example, when escaping the dollar sign. -Example 3.16. Deferring user-defined variable expansion to runtime
+Example 3.17. Deferring user-defined variable expansion to runtime
macro pager <PageDown> "\ <enter-command> set my_old_pager_stop=\$pager_stop pager_stop<Enter>\ <next-page>\ @@ -1784,9 +1925,9 @@ macro pager <PageDown> "\Note that there is a space between
<enter-command>and -thesetconfiguration command, preventing mutt from -recording the macro's commands into its history. -Usage:
sourcefilenameThis command allows the inclusion of initialization commands @@ -1797,10 +1938,10 @@ from other files. For example, I place all of my aliases in If the filename begins with a tilde (âËâ), it will be expanded to the path of your home directory.
-If the filename ends with a vertical bar (|), then filename is +If the filename ends with a vertical bar (â|â), then filename is considered to be an executable program from which to read input (eg. -
source Ë/bin/myscript|). -Usage:
unhook{ +source Ë/bin/myscript|). +Usage:
unhook{*|hook-type@@ -1808,58 +1949,82 @@ considered to be an executable program from which to read input (eg. This command permits you to flush hooks you have previously defined. You can either remove all hooks by giving the â*â character as an argument, or you can remove all hooks of a specific type by saying -something likeunhook send-hook. +something likeunhook send-hook.Format strings are a general concept you'll find in several locations -through the mutt configuration, especially in the -$index_format, -$pager_format, -$status_format, -and other â*_formatâ variables. These can be very straightforward, +through the Mutt configuration, especially in the +$index_format, +$pager_format, +$status_format, +and other related variables. These can be very straightforward, and it's quite possible you already know how to use them.
The most basic format string element is a percent symbol followed by another character. For example,
%s-represents a message's Subject: header in the $index_format variable. The +represents a message's Subject: header in the $index_format variable. The âexpandosâ available are documented with each format variable, but there are general modifiers available with all formatting expandos, too. Those are our concern here.Some of the modifiers are borrowed right out of C (though you might know them from Perl, Python, shell, or another language). These are -the [-]m.n modifiers, as in
%-12.12s. As with +the[-]m.nmodifiers, as in%-12.12s. As with such programming languages, these modifiers allow you to specify the minimum and maximum size of the resulting string, as well as its justification. If the â-â sign follows the percent, the string will be left-justified instead of right-justified. If there's a number immediately following that, it's the minimum amount of space the -formatted string will occupy -- if it's naturally smaller than that, it +formatted string will occupy â if it's naturally smaller than that, it will be padded out with spaces. If a decimal point and another number -follow, that's the maximum space allowable -- the string will not be +follow, that's the maximum space allowable â the string will not be permitted to exceed that width, no matter its natural size. Each of these three elements is optional, so that all these are legal format -strings: -%-12s-%4c-%.15F-%-12.15L+strings:%-12s,%4c, +%.15Fand%-12.15L.Mutt adds some other modifiers to format strings. If you use an equals symbol (
=) as a numeric prefix (like the minus above), it will force the string to be centered within its minimum space range. For example,%=14ywill reserve 14 -characters for the %y expansion -- that's the X-Label: header, in -$index_format. If the expansion +characters for the %y expansion â that's the X-Label: header, in +$index_format. If the expansion results in a string less than 14 characters, it will be centered in a -14-character space. If the X-Label for a message were "test", that -expansion would look like â test â. +14-character space. If the X-Label for a message were âtestâ, that +expansion would look like â     test     â.There are two very little-known modifiers that affect the way that an expando is replaced. If there is an underline (â_â) character between any format modifiers (as above) and the expando letter, it will expands in all lower case. And if you use a colon (â:â), it will replace all decimal points with underlines. -
+Depending on the format string variable, some of its sequences can be +used to optionally print a string if their value is nonzero. For +example, you may only want to see the number of flagged messages if such +messages exist, since zero is not particularly meaningful. To optionally +print a string based upon one of the above sequences, the following +construct is used: +
+%?<sequence_char>?<optional_string>?+where sequence_char is an expando, and +optional_string is the string you would like printed if +sequence_char is nonzero. +optional_string may contain other +sequences as well as normal text, but you may not nest optional +strings. +
+Here is an example illustrating how to optionally print the number of +new messages in a mailbox in +$status_format: +
+%?n?%n new messages.?+You can also switch between two strings using the following construct: +
+%?<sequence_char>?<if_string>&<else_string>?+If the value of sequence_char is +non-zero, if_string will be expanded, +otherwise else_string will be expanded. +
Any format string ending in a vertical bar (â|â) will be expanded and piped through the first word in the string, using spaces as separator. The string returned will be used for display. @@ -1869,10 +2034,10 @@ replacement format string including % expandos.
All % expandos in a format string are expanded before the script is called so that: -
Example 3.17. Using external filters in format strings
+Example 3.18. Using external filters in format strings
set status_format="script.sh '%r %f (%L)'|"-will make mutt expand
%r, +will make Mutt expand%r,%fand%Lbefore calling the script. The example also shows that arguments can be quoted: the script will receive the expanded string between the single quotes @@ -1880,10 +2045,43 @@ as the only argument.A practical example is the
mutt_xtitlescript installed in thesamples-subdirectory of the mutt documentation: it can be used as filter for -$status_formatto set the current +subdirectory of the Mutt documentation: it can be used as filter for +$status_format to set the current terminal's title, if supported. -Table of Contents
- 1. Regular Expressions
- 2. Patterns: Searching, Limiting and Tagging
- 3. Using Tags
- 4. Using Hooks
- 5. External Address Queries
- 6. Mailbox Formats
- 7. Mailbox Shortcuts
- 8. Handling Mailing Lists
- 9. Handling multiple folders
- 10. Editing threads
- 11. Delivery Status Notification (DSN) Support
- 12. Start a WWW Browser on URLs
+In most format strings, Mutt supports different types of padding using +special %-expandos: +
%|X+When this occurs, Mutt will fill the rest of the +line with the character
X. For +example, filling the rest of the line with dashes is +done by setting: ++set status_format = "%v on %h: %B: %?n?%n&no? new messages %|-"- +
%>X++Since the previous expando stops at the end of line, there must be a way +to fill the gap between two items via the
%>X+expando: it puts as many charactersXin between two +items so that the rest of the line will be right-justified. For example, +to not put the version string and hostname the above example on the left +but on the right and fill the gap with spaces, one might use (note the +space after%>): ++set status_format = "%B: %?n?%n&no? new messages %> (%v on %h)"%*X++Normal right-justification will print everything to the left of the +
%>, displaying padding and whatever lies to the +right only if there's room. By contrast, âsoft-fillâ gives +priority to the right-hand side, guaranteeing space to display it and +showing padding only if there's still room. If necessary, soft-fill will +eat text leftwards to make room for rightward text. For example, to +right-justify the subject making sure as much as possible of it fits on +screen, one might use (note two spaces after%* +: the second ensures there's a space between the truncated +right-hand side and the subject): ++set index_format="%4C %Z %{%b %d} %-15.15L (%?l?%4l&%4c?)%* %s"Table of Contents
- 1. Regular Expressions
- 2. Patterns: Searching, Limiting and Tagging
- 3. Using Tags
- 4. Using Hooks
- 5. External Address Queries
- 6. Mailbox Formats
- 7. Mailbox Shortcuts
- 8. Handling Mailing Lists
- 9. Handling multiple folders
- 10. Editing Threads
- 11. Delivery Status Notification (DSN) Support
- 12. Start a WWW Browser on URLs
- 13. Miscellany
All string patterns in Mutt including those in more complex patterns must be specified using regular expressions (regexp) in the âPOSIX extendedâ syntax (which @@ -1893,7 +2091,7 @@ convenience, we have included below a brief description of this syntax. The search is case sensitive if the pattern contains at least one upper case letter, and case insensitive otherwise.
Note
-Note that â\â +â\â must be quoted if used for a regular expression in an initialization command: â\\â.
@@ -1901,7 +2099,7 @@ A regular expression is a pattern that describes a set of strings. Regular expressions are constructed analogously to arithmetic expressions, by using various operators to combine smaller expressions.
Note
-Note that the regular expression can be enclosed/delimited by either " +The regular expression can be enclosed/delimited by either " or ' which is useful if the regular expression includes a white-space character. See Syntax of Initialization Files for more information on " and ' delimiter processing. To match a @@ -1918,8 +2116,8 @@ the empty string at the beginning and end of a line.
A list of characters enclosed by â[â and â]â matches any single character in that list; if the first character of the list -is a caret â^â then it matches any character not in the -list. For example, the regular expression [0123456789] +is a caret â^â then it matches any character not in the +list. For example, the regular expression [0123456789] matches any single digit. A range of ASCII characters may be specified by giving the first and last characters, separated by a hyphen â-â. Most metacharacters lose their special meaning inside @@ -1938,8 +2136,8 @@ brackets of a character list. Note that the brackets in these class names are part of the symbolic names, and must be included in addition to the brackets delimiting the bracket list. For -example, [[:digit:]] is equivalent to -[0-9]. +example, [[:digit:]] is equivalent to +[0-9].
Two additional special sequences can appear in character lists. These apply to non-ASCII character sets, which can have single symbols (called @@ -1949,15 +2147,15 @@ sorting purposes:
- Collating Symbols
A collating symbol is a multi-character collating element enclosed in â[.â and â.]â. For example, if âchâ is a collating -element, then [[.ch.]] is a regexp that matches -this collating element, while [ch] is a regexp that +element, then [[.ch.]] is a regexp that matches +this collating element, while [ch] is a regexp that matches either âcâ or âhâ.
- Equivalence Classes
An equivalence class is a locale-specific name for a list of characters that are equivalent. The name is enclosed in â[=â and â=]â. For example, the name âeâ might be used to represent all of âèâ âéâ and âeâ. In this case, -[[=e=]] is a regexp that matches any of +[[=e=]] is a regexp that matches any of âèâ, âéâ and âeâ.
A regular expression matching a single character may be followed by one @@ -1975,52 +2173,56 @@ Repetition takes precedence over concatenation, which in turn takes precedence over alternation. A whole subexpression may be enclosed in parentheses to override these precedence rules.
Note
-If you compile Mutt with the GNU rx package, the +If you compile Mutt with the included regular expression engine, the following operators may also be used in regular expressions as described in Table 4.3, âGNU regular expression extensionsâ.
Table 4.3. GNU regular expression extensions
Expression Description \\y Matches the empty string at either the beginning or the end of a word \\B Matches the empty string within a word \\< Matches the empty string at the beginning of a word \\> Matches the empty string at the end of a word \\w Matches any word-constituent character (letter, digit, or underscore) \\W Matches any character that is not word-constituent \\` Matches the empty string at the beginning of a buffer (string) \\' Matches the empty string at the end of a buffer Please note however that these operators are not defined by POSIX, so they may or may not be available in stock libraries on various systems. -
Many of Mutt's commands allow you to specify a pattern to match (
limit,tag-pattern,delete-pattern, etc.). Table 4.4, âPattern modifiersâ shows several ways to select messages. -Table 4.4. Pattern modifiers
Pattern modifier Description ~A all messages ~b EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the message body =b STRING messages which contain STRING in the message body. If IMAP is enabled, searches for STRING on the server, rather than downloading each message and searching it locally. ~B EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the whole message ~c EXPR messages carbon-copied to EXPR %c GROUP messages carbon-copied to any member of GROUP ~C EXPR messages either to: or cc: EXPR %C GROUP messages either to: or cc: to any member of GROUP ~d [MIN]-[MAX] messages with âdate-sentâ in a Date range ~D deleted messages ~e EXPR messages which contains EXPR in the âSenderâ field %e GROUP messages which contain a member of GROUP in the âSenderâ field ~E expired messages ~F flagged messages ~f EXPR messages originating from EXPR %f GROUP messages originating from any member of GROUP ~g cryptographically signed messages ~G cryptographically encrypted messages ~h EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the message header ~H EXPR messages with a spam attribute matching EXPR ~i EXPR messages which match EXPR in the âMessage-IDâ field ~k messages which contain PGP key material ~L EXPR messages either originated or received by EXPR %L GROUP message either originated or received by any member of GROUP ~l messages addressed to a known mailing list ~m [MIN]-[MAX] messages in the range MIN to MAX *) ~n [MIN]-[MAX] messages with a score in the range MIN to MAX *) ~N new messages ~O old messages ~p messages addressed to you (consults alternates) ~P messages from you (consults alternates) ~Q messages which have been replied to ~r [MIN]-[MAX] messages with âdate-receivedâ in a Date range ~R read messages ~s EXPR messages having EXPR in the âSubjectâ field. ~S superseded messages ~t EXPR messages addressed to EXPR ~T tagged messages ~u messages addressed to a subscribed mailing list ~U unread messages ~v messages part of a collapsed thread. ~V cryptographically verified messages ~x EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the âReferencesâ field ~X [MIN]-[MAX] messages with MIN to MAX attachments *) ~y EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the âX-Labelâ field ~z [MIN]-[MAX] messages with a size in the range MIN to MAX *) ~= duplicated messages (see $duplicate_threads) ~$ unreferenced messages (requires threaded view) ~(PATTERN) messages in threads + Table 4.4. Pattern modifiers
Pattern modifier Description ~A all messages ~b EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the message body =b STRING messages which contain STRING in the message body. If IMAP is enabled, searches for STRING on the server, rather than downloading each message and searching it locally. ~B EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the whole message ~c EXPR messages carbon-copied to EXPR %c GROUP messages carbon-copied to any member of GROUP ~C EXPR messages either to: or cc: EXPR %C GROUP messages either to: or cc: to any member of GROUP ~d [MIN]-[MAX] messages with âdate-sentâ in a Date range ~D deleted messages ~e EXPR messages which contains EXPR in the âSenderâ field %e GROUP messages which contain a member of GROUP in the âSenderâ field ~E expired messages ~F flagged messages ~f EXPR messages originating from EXPR %f GROUP messages originating from any member of GROUP ~g cryptographically signed messages ~G cryptographically encrypted messages ~h EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the message header ~H EXPR messages with a spam attribute matching EXPR ~i EXPR messages which match EXPR in the âMessage-IDâ field ~k messages which contain PGP key material ~L EXPR messages either originated or received by EXPR %L GROUP message either originated or received by any member of GROUP ~l messages addressed to a known mailing list ~m [MIN]-[MAX] messages in the range MIN to MAX *) ~n [MIN]-[MAX] messages with a score in the range MIN to MAX *) ~N new messages ~O old messages ~p messages addressed to you (consults alternates) ~P messages from you (consults alternates) ~Q messages which have been replied to ~r [MIN]-[MAX] messages with âdate-receivedâ in a Date range ~R read messages ~s EXPR messages having EXPR in the âSubjectâ field. ~S superseded messages ~t EXPR messages addressed to EXPR ~T tagged messages ~u messages addressed to a subscribed mailing list ~U unread messages ~v messages part of a collapsed thread. ~V cryptographically verified messages ~x EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the âReferencesâ or âIn-Reply-Toâ field ~X [MIN]-[MAX] messages with MIN to MAX attachments *) ~y EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the âX-Labelâ field ~z [MIN]-[MAX] messages with a size in the range MIN to MAX *) **) ~= duplicated messages (see $duplicate_threads) ~$ unreferenced messages (requires threaded view) ~(PATTERN) messages in threads containing messages matching PATTERN, e.g. all threads containing messages from you: ~(~P) Where EXPR is a -regular expression. Special attention has to be -made when using regular expressions inside of patterns. Specifically, +regular expression. +
+*) The forms â<[MAX]â, â>[MIN]â, +â[MIN]-â and â-[MAX]â +are allowed, too. +
+**) The suffixes âKâ and âMâ are allowed to specify kilobyte and megabyte respectively. +
+Special attention has to be +payed when using regular expressions inside of patterns. Specifically, Mutt's parser for these patterns will strip one level of backslash (â\â), which is normally used for quoting. If it is your intention to use a backslash in the regular expression, you will need to use two backslashes -instead (â\\â). You can force mutt to treat EXPR as a simple string +instead (â\\â). You can force Mutt to treat EXPR as a simple string instead of a regular expression by using = instead of Ë in the pattern name. For example,
=b *.*will find all messages that contain the literal string â*.*â. Simple string matches are less powerful than regular expressions but can be considerably faster. This is especially true for IMAP folders, because string matches can be performed on the server instead of by fetching every message. IMAP treats=hspecially: -it must be of the form "header: substring" and will not partially +it must be of the form âheader: substringâ and will not partially match header names. The substring part may be omitted if you simply wish to find messages containing a particular header without regard to its value.-*) The forms â<[MAX]â, â>[MIN]â, -â[MIN]-â and â-[MAX]â -are allowed, too. -
Note
-Note that patterns matching 'lists' of addresses (notably c, C, p, P and t) +Patterns matching lists of addresses (notably c, C, p, P and t) match if there is at least one match in the whole list. If you want to make sure that all elements of that list match, you need to prefix your pattern with â^â. This example matches all mails which only has recipients from Germany. -
++Mutt supports two versions of so called âsimple searchesâ. These are issued if the query entered for searching, limiting and similar -operations does not seem to be a valid pattern (i.e. it does not contain +operations does not seem to contain a valid pattern modifier (i.e. it does not contain one of these characters: âËâ, â=â or â%â). If the query is supposed to contain one of these special characters, they must be escaped by prepending a backslash (â\â). @@ -2031,37 +2233,37 @@ If that is the case, Mutt will use the shown pattern modifier instead. If a keyword would conflict with your search keyword, you need to turn it into a regular expression to avoid matching the keyword table. For example, if you want to find all messages matching âflagâ -(using $simple_search) +(using $simple_search) but don't want to match flagged messages, simply search for â
[f]lagâ.Table 4.5. Simple search keywords
Keyword Pattern modifier all ~A . ~A ^ ~A del ~D flag ~F new ~N old ~O repl ~Q read ~R tag ~T unread ~U The second type of simple search is to build a complex search -pattern using $simple_search +pattern using $simple_search as a template. Mutt will insert your query properly quoted and search for the composed complex query. -
Logical AND is performed by specifying more than one criterion. For example:
~t mutt ~f elkinswould select messages which contain the word âmuttâ in the list of -recipients and that have the word âelkinsâ in the âFromâ header +recipients and that have the word âelkinsâ in the âFromâ header field.
Mutt also recognizes the following operators to create more complex search patterns:
-! -- logical NOT operator +! â logical NOT operator
-| -- logical OR operator +| â logical OR operator
-() -- logical grouping operator +() â logical grouping operator
Here is an example illustrating a complex search pattern. This pattern will select all messages which do not contain âmuttâ in the âToâ or âCcâ field and which are from âelkinsâ. -
Example 4.1. Using boolean operators in patterns
+Here is an example using white space in the regular expression (note @@ -2072,17 +2274,16 @@ or âEd +SomeoneElseâ: '~s "^Junk +From +Me$" ~f ("Jim +Somebody"|"Ed +SomeoneElse")'
Note
If a regular expression contains parenthesis, or a vertical bar -("|"), you must enclose the expression in double or single quotes since +("|"), you must enclose the expression in double or single quotes since those characters are also used to separate different parts of Mutt's pattern language. For example:
~f "me@(mutt\.org|cs\.hmc\.edu)"-Without the quotes, the parenthesis wouldn't end. This would be separated to two OR'd patterns: Ëf me@(mutt\.org and cs\.hmc\.edu). They are never what you want. -
Mutt supports two types of dates, absolute and relative. -
-Absolute. Dates must be in DD/MM/YY format (month and year are +
+Dates must be in DD/MM/YY format (month and year are optional, defaulting to the current month and year). An example of a valid range of dates is:
@@ -2094,7 +2295,7 @@ messages before the given date will be se date will be selected. If you specify a single date with no dash (â-â), only messages sent on the given date will be selected.-Error Margins. You can add error margins to absolute dates. +You can add error margins to absolute dates. An error margin is a sign (+ or -), followed by a digit, followed by one of the units in Table 4.6, âDate unitsâ. As a special case, you can replace the sign by a â*â character, which is equivalent to giving identical plus and minus error margins. @@ -2103,15 +2304,15 @@ Example: To select any messages two weeks around January 15, 2001, you'd use the following pattern:
Limit to messages matching: ~d 15/1/2001*2w --Relative. This type of date is relative to the current date, and may +
+This type of date is relative to the current date, and may be specified as:
->offset (messages older than offset units) +>offset for messages older than offset units
-<offset (messages newer than offset units) +<offset for messages newer than offset units
-=offset (messages exactly offset units old) +=offset for messages exactly offset units old
offset is specified as a positive number with one of the units from Table 4.6, âDate unitsâ.
@@ -2120,10 +2321,10 @@ Example: to select messages less than 1 month old, you would use Limit to messages matching: ~d <1m
Note
All dates used when searching are relative to the -local time zone, so unless you change the setting of your $index_format to include a -
%[...]format, these are not the dates shown +local time zone, so unless you change the setting of your $index_format to include a +%[...]format, these are not the dates shown in the main index. -Sometimes it is desirable to perform an operation on a group of messages all at once rather than one at a time. An example might be to save messages to a mailing list to a separate folder, or to @@ -2136,17 +2337,17 @@ matching syntax.
Once you have tagged the desired messages, you can use the âtag-prefixâ operator, which is the â;â (semicolon) key by default. -When the âtag-prefixâ operator is used, the next operation will +When the âtag-prefixâ operator is used, the next operation will be applied to all tagged messages if that operation can be used in that -manner. If the $auto_tag +manner. If the $auto_tag variable is set, the next operation applies to the tagged messages automatically, without requiring the âtag-prefixâ.
-In macros or push commands, -you can use the âtag-prefix-condâ operator. If there are no tagged -messages, mutt will "eat" the rest of the macro to abort it's execution. -Mutt will stop "eating" the macro when it encounters the âend-condâ -operator; after this operator the rest of the macro will be executed as +In macros or push commands, +you can use the
<tag-prefix-cond>operator. If there are no tagged +messages, Mutt will âeatâ the rest of the macro to abort it's execution. +Mutt will stop âeatingâ the macro when it encounters the<end-cond>+operator; after this operator the rest of the macro will be executed as normal.A hook is a concept found in many other programs which allows you to @@ -2155,37 +2356,55 @@ you may wish to tailor your configuration based upon which mailbox you are reading, or to whom you are sending mail. In the Mutt world, a hook consists of a regular expression or pattern along with a -configuration option/command. See +configuration option/command. See:
for specific details on each type of hook available.
Note
If a hook changes configuration settings, these changes remain -effective until the end of the current mutt session. As this is generally -not desired, a default hook needs to be added before all other hooks to -restore configuration defaults. Here is an example with send-hook and the -my_hdr directive: -
Example 4.2. Combining
send-hookandmy_hdr+effective until the end of the current Mutt session. As this is generally +not desired, a âdefaultâ hook needs to be added before all +other hooks of that type to restore configuration defaults. +Example 4.3. Specifying a âdefaultâ hook
send-hook . 'unmy_hdr From:' send-hook ~C'^b@b\.b$' my_hdr from: c@c.c -+In Example 4.3, âSpecifying a default hookâ, by default the value of +$from +and $realname +is not overridden. When sending messages either To: or Cc: +to
<b@b.b>, the From: header is changed to +<c@c.c>. ++Hooks that act upon messages (message-hook, reply-hook, +send-hook, send2-hook, save-hook, fcc-hook) are evaluated in a slightly different manner. For the other types of hooks, a regular expression is sufficient. But in dealing with messages a finer grain of control is @@ -2196,7 +2415,7 @@ Mutt allows the use of the limiting or searching the mailbox, except that you are restricted to those -operators which match information mutt extracts from the header of +operators which match information Mutt extracts from the header of the message (i.e., from, to, cc, date, subject, etc.).
For example, if you wanted to set your return address based upon sending @@ -2211,14 +2430,14 @@ However, it is not required that you write the pattern to match using the full searching language. You can still specify a simple regular expression like the other hooks, in which case Mutt will translate your pattern into the full language, using the translation specified by the -$default_hook variable. The +$default_hook variable. The pattern is translated at the time the hook is declared, so the value of -$default_hook that is in effect +$default_hook that is in effect at that time will be used.
Mutt supports connecting to external directory databases such as LDAP, -ph/qi, bbdb, or NIS through a wrapper script which connects to mutt -using a simple interface. Using the $query_command variable, you specify the wrapper +ph/qi, bbdb, or NIS through a wrapper script which connects to Mutt +using a simple interface. Using the $query_command variable, you specify the wrapper command to use. For example:
set query_command = "mutt_ldap_query.pl '%s'" @@ -2236,7 +2455,7 @@ me@cs.hmc.edu Michael Elkins mutt dude blong@fiction.net Brandon Long mutt and more roessler@does-not-exist.org Thomas Roessler mutt pgp-There are two mechanisms for accessing the query function of mutt. One +There are two mechanisms for accessing the query function of Mutt. One is to do a query from the index menu using the
<query>function (default: Q). This will prompt for a query, then bring up the query menu which will list the matching responses. From the query menu, you can select @@ -2247,80 +2466,107 @@ responses. The other mechanism for accessing the query function is for address completion, similar to the alias completion. In any prompt for address entry, you can use the<complete-query>function (default: ^T) to run a -query based on the current address you have typed. Like aliases, mutt +query based on the current address you have typed. Like aliases, Mutt will look for what you have typed back to the last space or comma. If -there is a single response for that query, mutt will expand the address -in place. If there are multiple responses, mutt will activate the query +there is a single response for that query, Mutt will expand the address +in place. If there are multiple responses, Mutt will activate the query menu. At the query menu, you can select one or more addresses to be added to the prompt.-Mutt supports reading and writing of four different mailbox formats: +Mutt supports reading and writing of four different local mailbox formats: mbox, MMDF, MH and Maildir. The mailbox type is autodetected, so there is no need to use a flag for different mailbox types. When creating new -mailboxes, Mutt uses the default specified with the $mbox_type variable. +mailboxes, Mutt uses the default specified with the +$mbox_type variable. A +short description of the formats follows.
-mbox. This is the most widely used mailbox format for UNIX. All +mbox. This is a widely used mailbox format for UNIX. All messages are stored in a single file. Each message has a line of the form:
From me@cs.hmc.edu Fri, 11 Apr 1997 11:44:56 PSTto denote the start of a new message (this is often referred to as the -âFrom_â line). -
-MMDF. This is a variant of the mbox format. Each message is -surrounded by lines containing â^A^A^A^Aâ (four control-A's). -
-MH. A radical departure from mbox and MMDF, a mailbox +âFrom_â line). The mbox format requires mailbox +locking, is prone to mailbox corruption with concurrently writing +clients or misinterpreted From_ lines. Depending on the +environment, new mail detection can be unreliable. Mbox folders are fast +to open and easy to archive. +
+MMDF. This is a variant of +the mbox format. Each message is surrounded by +lines containing â^A^A^A^Aâ (four +control-A's). The same problems as for mbox apply (also with finding the +right message separator as four control-A's may appear in message +bodies). +
+MH. A radical departure from mbox and MMDF, a mailbox consists of a directory and each message is stored in a separate file. The filename indicates the message number (however, this is may not correspond to the message number Mutt displays). Deleted messages are -renamed with a comma (,) prepended to the filename. Mutt +renamed with a comma (â,â) prepended to the filename. Mutt detects this type of mailbox by looking for either
.mh_sequences-or.xmhcache(needed to distinguish normal directories from MH -mailboxes). --Maildir. The newest of the mailbox formats, used by the Qmail MTA (a +or
.xmhcachefiles (needed to distinguish normal directories from MH +mailboxes). MH is more robust with concurrent clients writing the mailbox, +but still may suffer from lost flags; message corruption is less likely +to occur than with mbox/mmdf. It's usually slower to open compared to +mbox/mmdf since many small files have to be read (Mutt provides +Section 7.1, âHeader Cachingâ to greatly speed this process up). +Depending on the environment, MH is not very disk-space efficient. ++Maildir. The newest of the mailbox formats, used by the Qmail MTA (a replacement for sendmail). Similar to MH, except that it adds three subdirectories of the mailbox: tmp, new and cur. Filenames for the messages are chosen in such a way they are unique, even when two programs are writing the mailbox over NFS, which means that no file locking -is needed. +is needed and corruption is very unlikely. Maildir maybe +slower to open without caching in Mutt, it too is not very +disk-space efficient depending on the environment. Since no additional +files are used for metadata (which is embedded in the message filenames) +and Maildir is locking-free, it's easy to sync across different machines +using file-level synchronization tools.
There are a number of built in shortcuts which refer to specific mailboxes. These shortcuts can be used anywhere you are prompted for a file or mailbox -path. +path or in path-related configuration variables. Note that these only +work at the beginning of a string.
-! -- refers to your $spoolfile (incoming) mailbox +! â refers to your $spoolfile (incoming) mailbox
-> -- refers to your $mbox file +> â refers to your $mbox file
-< -- refers to your $record file +< â refers to your $record file
-^ -- refers to the current mailbox +^ â refers to the current mailbox
-- or !! -- refers to the file you've last visited +- or !! â refers to the file you've last visited
-Ë -- refers to your home directory +Ë â refers to your home directory
-= or + -- refers to your $folder directory += or + â refers to your $folder directory
-@alias -- refers to the default save folder as determined by the address of the alias -
+@alias â refers to the default save folder as determined by the address of the alias +
+For example, to store a copy of outgoing messages in the folder they +were composed in, +a folder-hook can +be used to set $record: +
+folder-hook . 'set record=^'Mutt has a few configuration options that make dealing with large amounts of mail easier. The first thing you must do is to let Mutt know what addresses you consider to be mailing lists (technically this does not have to be a mailing list, but that is what it is most often used for), and what lists you are subscribed to. This is -accomplished through the use of the lists and subscribe commands in your muttrc. +accomplished through the use of the lists and subscribe commands in your
.muttrc.Now that Mutt knows what your mailing lists are, it can do several things, the first of which is the ability to show the name of a list through which you received a message (i.e., of a subscribed list) in the index menu display. This is useful to distinguish between -personal and list mail in the same mailbox. In the $index_format variable, the escape â%Lâ -will return the string âTo <list>â when âlistâ appears in the +personal and list mail in the same mailbox. In the $index_format variable, the expando â%Lâ +will print the string âTo <list>â when âlistâ appears in the âToâ field, and âCc <list>â when it appears in the âCcâ -field (otherwise it returns the name of the author). +field (otherwise it prints the name of the author).
Often times the âToâ and âCcâ fields in mailing list messages tend to get quite large. Most people do not bother to remove the @@ -2333,7 +2579,7 @@ specified by
Mail-Followup-To, see below).Mutt also supports the
Mail-Followup-Toheader. When you send a message to a list of recipients which includes one or several -subscribed mailing lists, and if the $followup_to option is set, mutt will generate +subscribed mailing lists, and if the $followup_to option is set, Mutt will generate a Mail-Followup-To header which contains all the recipients to whom you send this message, but not your address. This indicates that group-replies or list-replies (also known as âfollowupsâ) to this @@ -2342,9 +2588,9 @@ message, and not separately to you - you'll receive your copy through one of the mailing lists you are subscribed to.Conversely, when group-replying or list-replying to a message which -has a
Mail-Followup-Toheader, mutt will respect this header if -the $honor_followup_to configuration -variable is set. Using list-reply will in this case also make sure +has aMail-Followup-Toheader, Mutt will respect this header if +the $honor_followup_to configuration +variable is set. Using list-reply will in this case also make sure that the reply goes to the mailing list, even if it's not specified in the list of recipients in theMail-Followup-To.Note
@@ -2357,7 +2603,7 @@ The other method some mailing list admins use is to generate a than the author of the message. This can create problems when trying to reply directly to the author in private, since most mail clients will automatically reply to the address given in the âReply-Toâ -field. Mutt uses the $reply_to +field. Mutt uses the $reply_to variable to help decide which address to use. If set to ask-yes or ask-no, you will be prompted as to whether or not you would like to use the address given in @@ -2367,15 +2613,15 @@ present.
The âX-Label:â header field can be used to further identify mailing lists or list subject matter (or just to annotate messages -individually). The $index_format variable's â%yâ and -â%Yâ escapes can be used to expand âX-Label:â fields in the +individually). The $index_format variable's â%yâ and +â%Yâ expandos can be used to expand âX-Label:â fields in the index, and Mutt's pattern-matcher can match regular expressions to âX-Label:â fields with the âËyâ selector. âX-Label:â is not a standard message header field, but it can easily be inserted by procmail and other mail filtering agents.
-Lastly, Mutt has the ability to sort the mailbox into -threads. A thread is a group of messages which all relate to the same +Lastly, Mutt has the ability to sort the mailbox into +threads. A thread is a group of messages which all relate to the same subject. This is usually organized into a tree-like structure where a message and all of its replies are represented graphically. If you've ever used a threaded news client, this is the same concept. It makes dealing @@ -2383,21 +2629,21 @@ with large volume mailing lists easier because you can easily delete uninteresting threads and quickly find topics of value.
Mutt supports setups with multiple folders, allowing all of them to -be monitored for new mail (see Section 14, âMonitoring incoming mailâ for details). +be monitored for new mail (see Section 14, âMonitoring Incoming Mailâ for details).
When in the index menu and being idle (also see -$timeout), Mutt periodically checks +$timeout), Mutt periodically checks for new mail in all folders which have been configured via the -
mailboxescommand. The interval depends on the folder +mailboxes command. The interval depends on the folder type: for local/IMAP folders it consults -$mail_check and -$pop_checkinterval +$mail_check and +$pop_checkinterval for POP folders.Outside the index menu the directory browser supports checking for new mail using the
<check-new>function which is unbound by default. Pressing TAB will bring up a -menu showing the files specified by themailboxescommand, +menu showing the files specified by the mailboxes command, and indicate which contain new messages. Mutt will automatically enter this mode when invoked from the command line with the-yoption.@@ -2408,31 +2654,31 @@ the bottom of the screen.
For the index, by default Mutt displays the number of mailboxes with new mail in the status bar, please refer to the -$index_format +$status_format variable for details.
When changing folders, Mutt fills the prompt with the first folder from the mailboxes list containing new mail (if any), pressing space will cycle through folders with new mail. -
Mutt has the ability to dynamically restructure threads that are broken either by misconfigured software or bad behavior from some -correspondents. This allows to clean your mailboxes formats) from these +correspondents. This allows to clean your mailboxes from these annoyances which make it hard to follow a discussion. -
-Some mailers tend to "forget" to correctly set the "In-Reply-To:" and -"References:" headers when replying to a message. This results in broken +
+Some mailers tend to âforgetâ to correctly set the âIn-Reply-To:â and +âReferences:â headers when replying to a message. This results in broken discussions because Mutt has not enough information to guess the correct threading. You can fix this by tagging the reply, then moving to the parent message and using the
<link-threads>function (bound to & by default). The -reply will then be connected to this "parent" message. +reply will then be connected to this parent message.You can also connect multiple children at once, tagging them and using the -tag-prefix command (';') or the auto_tag option. -
+
<tag-prefix>command (';') or the $auto_tag option. +On mailing lists, some people are in the bad habit of starting a new -discussion by hitting "reply" to any message from the list and changing +discussion by hitting âreplyâ to any message from the list and changing the subject to a totally unrelated one. You can fix such threads by using the
<break-thread>function (bound by default to #), which will turn the subthread starting from the @@ -2442,21 +2688,21 @@ RFC1894 defines a set of MIME content types for relaying information about the status of electronic mail messages. These can be thought of as âreturn receipts.â-To support DSN, there are two variables. $dsn_notify is used to request receipts for +To support DSN, there are two variables. $dsn_notify is used to request receipts for different results (such as failed message, message delivered, etc.). -$dsn_return requests how much +$dsn_return requests how much of your message should be returned with the receipt (headers or full message).
-When using $sendmail for mail +When using $sendmail for mail delivery, you need to use either Berkeley sendmail 8.8.x (or greater) a MTA supporting DSN command line options compatible to Sendmail: The -N and -R options can be used by the mail client to make requests as to what type of status messages should be returned. Please consider your MTA documentation whether DSN is supported.
-For SMTP delivery using $smtp_url, it depends on the -capabilities announced by the server whether mutt will attempt to +For SMTP delivery using $smtp_url, it depends on the +capabilities announced by the server whether Mutt will attempt to request DSN or not.
Table of Contents
+
+This section documents various features that fit nowhere else. +
- +Address normalization +
+Mutt normalizes all e-mail addresses to the simplest form possible. If +an address contains a realname, the form +Joe User <joe@example.com> is used and the +pure e-mail address without angle brackets otherwise, i.e. just +joe@example.com. +
+This normalization affects all headers Mutt generates including aliases. +
- +Initial folder selection +
+The folder Mutt opens at startup is determined as follows: the folder +specified in the
$MAILDIRis taken +into account. If that isn't present either, Mutt takes the user's +mailbox in the mailspool as determined at compile-time (which may also +reside in the home directory). The +$spoolfile setting overrides +this selection. Highest priority has the mailbox given with the +-fcommand line option. +Table of Contents
Quite a bit of effort has been made to make Mutt the premier text-mode MIME MUA. Every effort has been made to provide the functionality that the discerning MIME user requires, and the conformance to the standards @@ -2481,7 +2751,7 @@ the external commands to use for handling specific MIME types. There are three areas/menus in Mutt which deal with MIME, they are the pager (while viewing a message), the attachment menu and the compose menu. -
+
When you select a message from the index and view it in the pager, Mutt decodes the message to a text representation. Mutt internally supports a number of MIME types, including
text/plain, text/enriched, @@ -2503,12 +2773,12 @@ If Mutt cannot deal with a MIME type, it will display a message like:[-- image/gif is unsupported (use 'v' to view this part) --]-The default binding for
view-attachmentsis `v', which displays the +The default binding for<view-attachments>is âvâ, which displays the attachment menu for a message. The attachment menu displays a list of the attachments in a message. From the attachment menu, you can save, print, pipe, delete, and view attachments. You can apply these operations to a group of attachments at once, by tagging the attachments -and by using the âtag-prefixâ operator. You can also reply to the +and by using the<tag-prefix>operator. You can also reply to the current message from this menu, and only the current attachment (or the attachments tagged) will be quoted in your reply. You can view attachments as text, or view them using the mailcap viewer definition. @@ -2535,23 +2805,23 @@ Attachments appear as follows:The '-' denotes that Mutt will delete the file after sending (or postponing, or canceling) the message. It can be toggled with the -
toggle-unlinkcommand (default: u). The next field is the MIME -content-type, and can be changed with theedit-typecommand +<toggle-unlink>command (default: u). The next field is the MIME +content-type, and can be changed with the<edit-type>command (default: ^T). The next field is the encoding for the attachment, which allows a binary message to be encoded for transmission on 7bit -links. It can be changed with theedit-encodingcommand +links. It can be changed with the<edit-encoding>command (default: ^E). The next field is the size of the attachment, rounded to kilobytes or megabytes. The next field is the filename, -which can be changed with therename-filecommand (default: R). +which can be changed with the<rename-file>command (default: R). The final field is the description of the attachment, and can be -changed with theedit-descriptioncommand (default: d). -When you add an attachment to your mail message, Mutt searches your -personal mime.types file at
${HOME}/.mime.types, and then -the system mime.types file at/usr/local/share/mutt/mime.typesor +personalmime.typesfile at${HOME}/.mime.types, and then +the systemmime.typesfile at/usr/local/share/mutt/mime.typesor/etc/mime.types-The mime.types file consist of lines containing a MIME type and a space +The
mime.typesfile consist of lines containing a MIME type and a space separated list of extensions. For example:application/postscript ps eps @@ -2566,23 +2836,23 @@ attach, it will look at the file. If the file is free of binary information, Mutt will assume that the file is plain text, and mark it astext/plain. If the file contains binary information, then Mutt will mark it asapplication/octet-stream. You can change the MIME -type that Mutt assigns to an attachment by using theedit-type+type that Mutt assigns to an attachment by using the<edit-type>command from the compose menu (default: ^T). The MIME type is actually a major mime type followed by the sub-type, separated by a '/'. 6 major types: application, text, image, video, audio, and model have been approved after various internet discussions. Mutt recognizes all of these if the -appropriate entry is found in the mime.types file. It also recognizes other +appropriate entry is found in themime.typesfile. It also recognizes other major mime types, such as the chemical type that is widely used in the molecular modeling community to pass molecular data in various forms to various molecular viewers. Non-recognized mime types should only be used if the recipient of the message is likely to be expecting such attachments. -Mutt supports RFC 1524 MIME Configuration, in particular the Unix specific format specified in Appendix A of RFC 1524. This file format is commonly referred to as the mailcap format. Many MIME compliant programs utilize the mailcap format, allowing you to specify handling for all MIME types in one place for all programs. Programs known to -use this format include Netscape, XMosaic, lynx and metamail. +use this format include Firefox, lynx and metamail.
In order to handle various MIME types that Mutt can not handle internally, Mutt parses a series of external configuration files to @@ -2591,7 +2861,7 @@ is a colon delimited list containing the following files:
$HOME/.mailcap
$PKGDATADIR/mailcap
$SYSCONFDIR/mailcap
/etc/mailcap
/usr/etc/mailcap
/usr/local/etc/mailcapwhere
$HOMEis your home directory. The$PKGDATADIRand the -$SYSCONFDIRdirectories depend on where mutt +$SYSCONFDIRdirectories depend on where Mutt is installed: the former is the default for shared data, the latter for system configuration files.@@ -2603,7 +2873,7 @@ mutt -nF /dev/null -Q mailcap_path In particular, the metamail distribution will install a mailcap file, usually as
/usr/local/etc/mailcap, which contains some baseline entries. -+
A mailcap file consists of a series of lines which are comments, blank, or definitions.
@@ -2669,13 +2939,13 @@ text/html; lynx %s text/*; more
This is the simplest form of a mailcap file. -
The interpretation of shell meta-characters embedded in MIME parameters can lead to security problems in general. Mutt tries to quote parameters in expansion of %s syntaxes properly, and avoids risky characters by -substituting them, see the $mailcap_sanitize variable. +substituting them, see the $mailcap_sanitize variable.
-Although mutt's procedures to invoke programs with mailcap seem to be +Although Mutt's procedures to invoke programs with mailcap seem to be safe, there are other applications parsing mailcap, maybe taking less care of it. Therefore you should pay attention to the following rules:
@@ -2695,7 +2965,7 @@ since it is not itself subject to any further expansion):
text/test-mailcap-bug; cat %s; copiousoutput; test=charset=%{charset} \ && test "`echo $charset | tr '[A-Z]' '[a-z]'`" != iso-8859-1 -In addition to the required content-type and view command fields, you can add semi-colon ';' separated fields to set flags and other options. Mutt recognizes the following optional fields: @@ -2712,11 +2982,11 @@ text/html; lynx -dump %s ; copiousoutput This will cause lynx to format the text/html output as text/plain and Mutt will use your standard pager to display the results.
needsterminal -Mutt uses this flag when viewing attachments with auto_view, in order to decide whether it should honor the setting -of the $wait_key variable or +Mutt uses this flag when viewing attachments with auto_view, in order to decide whether it should honor the setting +of the $wait_key variable or not. When an attachment is viewed using an interactive program, and the corresponding mailcap entry has a needsterminal flag, Mutt will use -$wait_key and the exit status +$wait_key and the exit status of the program to decide if it will ask you to press a key after the external program has exited. In all other situations it will not prompt you for a key. @@ -2726,7 +2996,7 @@ specific MIME type. Mutt supports this from the compose menu.
composetyped=<command> This flag specifies the command to use to create a new attachment of a specific MIME type. This command differs from the compose command in -that mutt will expect standard MIME headers on the data. This can be +that Mutt will expect standard MIME headers on the data. This can be used to specify parameters, filename, description, etc. for a new attachment. Mutt supports this from the compose menu.
print=<command> @@ -2755,14 +3025,14 @@ then the test failed, and Mutt continues searching for the right entry. Note that the content-type must match before Mutt performs the test. For example:
-text/html; netscape -remote 'openURL(%s)' ; test=RunningX +text/html; firefox -remote 'openURL(%s)' ; test=RunningX text/html; lynx %sIn this example, Mutt will run the program RunningX which will return 0 if the X Window manager is running, and non-zero if it isn't. If -RunningX returns 0, then Mutt will call netscape to display the -text/html object. If RunningX doesn't return 0, then Mutt will go on -to the next entry and use lynx to display the text/html object. +RunningX returns 0, then Mutt will call firefox to display the +
text/htmlobject. If RunningX doesn't return 0, then Mutt will go on +to the next entry and use lynx to display thetext/htmlobject.When searching for an entry in the mailcap file, Mutt will search for the most useful entry for its purpose. For instance, if you are @@ -2777,24 +3047,24 @@ image/gif; ; print= anytopnm %s | pnmtops | lpr; \ Mutt will skip the
image/*entry and use theimage/gifentry with the print command.-In addition, you can use this with auto_view +In addition, you can use this with auto_view to denote two commands for viewing an attachment, one to be viewed automatically, the other to be viewed interactively from the attachment menu. In addition, you can then use the test feature to determine which viewer to use interactively depending on your environment.
-text/html; netscape -remote 'openURL(%s)' ; test=RunningX +text/html; firefox -remote 'openURL(%s)' ; test=RunningX text/html; lynx %s; nametemplate=%s.html text/html; lynx -dump %s; nametemplate=%s.html; copiousoutput-For auto_view, Mutt will choose the third +For auto_view, Mutt will choose the third entry because of the copiousoutput tag. For interactive viewing, Mutt will run the program RunningX to determine if it should use the first entry. If the program returns non-zero, Mutt will use the second entry for interactive viewing.
The various commands defined in the mailcap files are passed to the -
/bin/shshell using the system() function. Before the +/bin/shshell using thesystem(3)function. Before the command is passed to/bin/sh -c, it is parsed to expand various special parameters with information from Mutt. The keywords Mutt expands are: @@ -2826,15 +3096,15 @@ This will be replaced by a % Mutt does not currently support the %F and %n keywords specified in RFC 1524. The main purpose of these parameters is for multipart messages, which is handled internally by Mutt. -This mailcap file is fairly simple and standard:
# I'm always running X :) video/*; xanim %s > /dev/null image/*; xv %s > /dev/null -# I'm always running netscape (if my computer had more memory, maybe) -text/html; netscape -remote 'openURL(%s)' +# I'm always running firefox (if my computer had more memory, maybe) +text/html; firefox -remote 'openURL(%s)'This mailcap file shows quite a number of examples:
@@ -2842,12 +3112,12 @@ This mailcap file shows quite a number of examples: # send that to /dev/null so I don't see it video/*; xanim %s > /dev/null -# Send html to a running netscape by remote -text/html; netscape -remote 'openURL(%s)'; test=RunningNetscape +# Send html to a running firefox by remote +text/html; firefox -remote 'openURL(%s)'; test=RunningFirefox -# If I'm not running netscape but I am running X, start netscape on the +# If I'm not running firefox but I am running X, start firefox on the # object -text/html; netscape %s; test=RunningX +text/html; firefox %s; test=RunningX # Else use lynx to view it as text text/html; lynx %s @@ -2858,7 +3128,7 @@ text/html; lynx -dump %s; copiousoutput # I use enscript to print text in two columns to a page text/*; more %s; print=enscript -2Gr %s -# Netscape adds a flag to tell itself to view jpegs internally +# Firefox adds a flag to tell itself to view jpegs internally image/jpeg;xv %s; x-mozilla-flags=internal # Use xv to view images if I'm running X @@ -2874,6 +3144,16 @@ pbmtoascii -1x2 ) 2>&1 ; copiousoutput # Send excel spreadsheets to my NT box application/ms-excel; open.pl %s+Usage: +
auto-view+mimetype+ [ +mimetype+...]unauto-view{ +*+ | +mimetype+... }In addition to explicitly telling Mutt to view an attachment with the MIME viewer defined in the mailcap file, Mutt has support for automatically viewing MIME attachments while in the pager. @@ -2883,10 +3163,9 @@ To work, you must define a viewer in the mailcap file which uses the Usually, you also use the entry to convert the attachment to a text representation which you can view in the pager.
-You then use the
auto_viewmuttrc command to list the -content-types that you wish to view automatically. --For instance, if you set auto_view to: +You then use the auto_view
.muttrccommand to list the +content-types that you wish to view automatically. For instance, if you +set it to:auto_view text/html application/x-gunzip \ application/postscript image/gif application/x-tar-gz @@ -2901,47 +3180,53 @@ application/x-gunzip; gzcat; copiousoutput application/x-tar-gz; gunzip -c %s | tar -tf - ; copiousoutput application/postscript; ps2ascii %s; copiousoutput-âunauto_viewâ can be used to remove previous entries from the autoview list. -This can be used with message-hook to autoview messages based on size, etc. -âunauto_view *â will remove all previous entries. +unauto_view can be used to remove previous entries from the autoview list. +This can be used with message-hook to autoview messages based on size, etc. +âunauto_view *â will remove all previous entries.
Mutt has some heuristics for determining which attachment of a -multipart/alternative type to display. First, mutt will check the -alternative_order list to determine if one of the available types -is preferred. The alternative_order list consists of a number of -mimetypes in order, including support for implicit and explicit -wildcards, for example: +
multipart/alternativetype to display. First, Mutt will check the +alternative_order list +to determine if one of the available types is preferred. It consists of +a number of mimetypes in order, including support for implicit and +explicit wildcards, for example:alternative_order text/enriched text/plain text application/postscript image/*-Next, mutt will check if any of the types have a defined -auto_view, and use that. Failing -that, Mutt will look for any text type. As a last attempt, mutt will +Next, Mutt will check if any of the types have a defined +auto_view, and use that. Failing +that, Mutt will look for any text type. As a last attempt, Mutt will look for any type it knows how to handle.
-To remove a MIME type from the
alternative_orderlist, use the -unalternative_ordercommand. +To remove a MIME type from the alternative_order list, use the +unalternative_order command.If you ever lose track of attachments in your mailboxes, Mutt's attachment-counting and -searching support might be for you. You can make your message index display the number of qualifying attachments in each message, or search for messages by attachment count. You also can configure what kinds of attachments qualify for this feature with the -attachments and unattachments commands. +attachments and unattachments commands.
-In order to provide this information, mutt needs to fully MIME-parse +In order to provide this information, Mutt needs to fully MIME-parse all messages affected first. This can slow down operation especially for remote mail folders such as IMAP because all messages have to be downloaded first regardless whether the user really wants to view them or not.
The syntax is: -
-attachments {+|-}disposition mime-type -unattachments {+|-}disposition mime-type -attachments ? --Disposition is the attachment's Content-disposition type -- either +
attachments+{ + | - }disposition+ +mime-type+unattachments+{ + | - }disposition+ +mime-type+attachments+?++disposition is the attachment's Content-Disposition type â either
inlineorattachment. You can abbreviate this toIorA.@@ -2951,7 +3236,7 @@ type to qualify. If it's a -, you're saying that this disposition and MIME type is an exception to previous + rules. There are examples below of how this is useful.
-Mime-type is, unsurprisingly, the MIME type of the attachment you want +mime-type is, unsurprisingly, the MIME type of the attachment you want to affect. A MIME type is always of the format
major/minor, wheremajordescribes the broad category of document you're looking at, andminordescribes the specific type within that category. The major @@ -2959,11 +3244,11 @@ part of mime-type must be literal text (or the special token â*/.*â matches any MIME type.)-The MIME types you give to the attachments directive are a kind of -pattern. When you use the attachments directive, the patterns you -specify are added to a list. When you use unattachments, the pattern +The MIME types you give to the attachments directive are a kind of +pattern. When you use the attachments directive, the patterns you +specify are added to a list. When you use unattachments, the pattern is removed from the list. The patterns are not expanded and matched -to specific MIME types at this time -- they're just text in a list. +to specific MIME types at this time â they're just text in a list. They're only matched when actually evaluating a message.
Some examples might help to illustrate. The examples that are not @@ -3016,25 +3301,35 @@ attachments +I text/plain attachments -A message/external-body attachments -I message/external-body
-Entering the command â
attachments ?â +Entering the command âattachments ?â as a command will list your current settings in Muttrc format, so that it can be pasted elsewhere.+Usage: +
mime-lookup+mimetype+ [ +mimetype+...]unmime-lookup{ +*+ | +mimetype+... }Mutt's mime_lookup list specifies a list of mime-types that should not be treated according to their mailcap entry. This option is designed to -deal with binary types such as application/octet-stream. When an attachment's +deal with binary types such as
application/octet-stream. When an attachment's mime-type is listed in mime_lookup, then the extension of the filename will -be compared to the list of extensions in the mime.types file. The mime-type +be compared to the list of extensions in themime.typesfile. The mime-type associated with this extension will then be used to process the attachment according to the rules in the mailcap file and according to any other configuration -options (such as auto_view) specified. Common usage would be: +options (such as auto_view) specified. Common usage would be:mime_lookup application/octet-stream application/X-Lotus-Manuscript-In addition, the unmime_lookup command may be used to disable this feature -for any particular mime-type if it had been set, for example, in a global -muttrc. -
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Mutt supports several of optional features which can be enabled or disabled at compile-time by giving the configure script certain arguments. These are listed in the âOptional featuresâ section of @@ -3043,42 +3338,42 @@ the configure --help output. Which features are enabled or disabled can later be determined from the output of
mutt -v. If a compile option starts with â+â it is enabled and disabled if prefixed with â-â. For example, if -mutt was compiled using GnuTLS for encrypted communication instead of +Mutt was compiled using GnuTLS for encrypted communication instead of OpenSSL,mutt -vwould contain:--USE_SSL_OPENSSL +USE_SSL_GNUTLSMutt optionally supports the IMAP, POP3 and SMTP protocols which require to access servers using URLs. The canonical syntax for specifying URLs -in mutt is (an item enclosed in
[]means it is optional and +in Mutt is (an item enclosed in[]means it is optional and may be omitted):proto[s]://[username[:password]@]server[:port]/[path]-
protois the communication protocol: +proto is the communication protocol:imapfor IMAP,popfor POP3 and -smtpfor SMTP. If âsâ for âsecure communicationâ -is appended, mutt will attempt to establish an encrypted communication -using SSL or TLS. If no explicit port is given, mutt will use the -system's default for the given protocol. --Since all protocols by mutt support authentication, the username may be -given directly in the URL instead of using the
pop_useror -imap_uservariables. It may contain the â@â symbol -being used by many mail systems as part of the login name. A password can be -given, too but is not recommended if the URL is specified in a configuration -file on disk. +smtpfor SMTP. If âsâ for âsecure +communicationâ is appended, Mutt will attempt to establish an +encrypted communication using SSL or TLS. ++Since all protocols supported by Mutt support/require authentication, +login credentials may be specified in the URL. This has the advantage +that multiple IMAP, POP3 or SMTP servers may be specified (which isn't +possible using, for example, +$imap_user). The username +may contain the â@â symbol being used by many mail systems +as part of the login name. A password can be given, too but is not +recommended if the URL is specified in a configuration file on disk. +
+If no port number is given, Mutt will use the system's default for the +given protocol (usually consulting
/etc/services).The optional path is only relevant for IMAP. -
-For IMAP for example, you can select an alternative port by specifying it with the -server:
imap://imapserver:port/INBOX. You can also specify different -username for each folder:imap://username@imapserver[:port]/INBOX-orimap://username2@imapserver[:port]/path/to/folder. -Replacingimap://byimaps://-would make mutt attempt to connect using SSL or TLS on a different port -to encrypt the communication. -+If Mutt is compiled with IMAP, POP3 and/or SMTP support, it can also be compiled with support for SSL or TLS using either OpenSSL or GnuTLS ( by running the configure script with the --enable-ssl=... option for OpenSSL or @@ -3086,36 +3381,45 @@ by running the configure script with the attempt to encrypt communication with remote servers if these protocols are suffixed with âsâ for âsecure communicationâ.
-If Mutt was compiled with POP3 support (by running the configure +If Mutt is compiled with POP3 support (by running the configure script with the --enable-pop flag), it has the ability to work with mailboxes located on a remote POP3 server and fetch mail for local browsing.
Remote POP3 servers can be accessed using URLs with the
popprotocol for unencrypted andpopsfor encrypted -communication, see Section 1.2, âURL syntaxâ for details. +communication, see Section 1.2, âURL Syntaxâ for details.Polling for new mail is more expensive over POP3 than locally. For this reason the frequency at which Mutt will check for mail remotely can be controlled by the -$pop_checkinterval +$pop_checkinterval variable, which defaults to every 60 seconds. +
+POP is read-only which doesn't allow for some features like editing +messages or changing flags. However, using +Section 7.1, âHeader Cachingâ and Section 7.2, âBody Cachingâ +Mutt simulates the new/old/read flags as well as flagged and replied. +Mutt applies some logic on top of remote messages but cannot change +them so that modifications of flags are lost when +messages are downloaded from the POP server (either by Mutt or other +tools).
-Another way to access your POP3 mail is the
<fetch-mail$function -(default: G). It allows to connect to $pop_host, fetch all your new mail and place it in the -local $spoolfile. After this +Another way to access your POP3 mail is the<fetch-mail>function +(default: G). It allows to connect to $pop_host, fetch all your new mail and place it in the +local $spoolfile. After this point, Mutt runs exactly as if the mail had always been local.Note
If you only need to fetch all messages to a local mailbox you should consider using a specialized program, such as -
fetchmail,getmailor similar. +fetchmail(1),getmail(1)or similar.If Mutt was compiled with IMAP support (by running the configure script with the --enable-imap flag), it has the ability to work with folders located on a remote IMAP server.
You can access the remote inbox by selecting the folder by its URL -(see Section 1.2, âURL syntaxâ for details) using the +(see Section 1.2, âURL Syntaxâ for details) using the
imaporimapsprotocol. Alternatively, a pine-compatible notation is also supported, ie{[username@]imapserver[:port][/ssl]}path/to/folder@@ -3127,30 +3431,30 @@ paths accordingly. When browsing folders on an IMAP server, you can toggle whether to look at only the folders you are subscribed to, or all folders with the toggle-subscribed command. See also the -$imap_list_subscribed variable. +$imap_list_subscribed variable.Polling for new mail on an IMAP server can cause noticeable delays. So, you'll want to carefully tune the -$mail_check +$mail_check and -$timeout -variables. Personally I use +$timeout +variables. Reasonable values are:
set mail_check=90 set timeout=15-with relatively good results over my slow modem line. +with relatively good results even over slow modem lines.
Note
Note that if you are using mbox as the mail store on UW servers prior to v12.250, the server has been reported to disconnect a client if another client selects the same folder. -
+As of version 1.2, Mutt supports browsing mailboxes on an IMAP server. This is mostly the same as the local file browser, with the following differences:
-In lieu of file permissions, mutt displays the string "IMAP", -possibly followed by the symbol "+", indicating +In lieu of file permissions, Mutt displays the string âIMAPâ, +possibly followed by the symbol â+â, indicating that the entry contains both messages and subfolders. On Cyrus-like servers folders will often contain both messages and subfolders. @@ -3162,10 +3466,10 @@ the messages in that folder, you must use
view-file(bound tospaceby default).You can create, delete and rename mailboxes with the -
create-mailbox,delete-mailbox, and -rename-mailboxcommands (default bindings:C, +<create-mailbox>,<delete-mailbox>, and +<rename-mailbox>commands (default bindings:C,dandr, respectively). You may also -subscribeandunsubscribeto mailboxes (normally +<subscribe>and<unsubscribe>to mailboxes (normally these are bound tosandu, respectively).Mutt supports four authentication methods with IMAP servers: SASL, @@ -3174,7 +3478,7 @@ NTLM authentication for you poor exchange users out there, but it has yet to be integrated into the main tree). There is also support for the pseudo-protocol ANONYMOUS, which allows you to log in to a public IMAP server without having an account. To use ANONYMOUS, simply make -your username blank or "anonymous". +your username blank or âanonymousâ.
SASL is a special super-authenticator, which selects among several protocols (including GSSAPI, CRAM-MD5, ANONYMOUS, and DIGEST-MD5) the most secure @@ -3182,56 +3486,62 @@ method available on your host and the server. Using some of these methods (including DIGEST-MD5 and possibly GSSAPI), your entire session will be encrypted and invisible to those teeming network snoops. It is the best option if you have it. To use it, you must have the Cyrus SASL library -installed on your system and compile mutt with the --with-sasl flag. +installed on your system and compile Mutt with the --with-sasl flag.
Mutt will try whichever methods are compiled in and available on the server, in the following order: SASL, ANONYMOUS, GSSAPI, CRAM-MD5, LOGIN.
There are a few variables which control authentication:
-$imap_user - controls +$imap_user - controls the username under which you request authentication on the IMAP server, for all authenticators. This is overridden by an explicit username in the mailbox path (ie by using a mailbox name of the form
{user@host}).-$imap_pass - a +$imap_pass - a password which you may preset, used by all authentication methods where a password is needed.
-$imap_authenticators - a colon-delimited list of IMAP +$imap_authenticators - a colon-delimited list of IMAP authentication methods to try, in the order you wish to try them. If -specified, this overrides mutt's default (attempt everything, in the order +specified, this overrides Mutt's default (attempt everything, in the order listed above).
Besides supporting traditional mail delivery through a -sendmail-compatible program, mutt supports delivery through SMTP if it +sendmail-compatible program, Mutt supports delivery through SMTP if it was configured and built with
--enable-smtp.If the configuration variable -$smtp_url is set, mutt +$smtp_url is set, Mutt will contact the given SMTP server to deliver messages; if it is unset, -mutt will use the program specified by $sendmail. +Mutt will use the program specified by $sendmail.
-For details on the URL syntax, please see Section 1.2, âURL syntaxâ. +For details on the URL syntax, please see Section 1.2, âURL Syntaxâ.
The built-in SMTP support supports encryption (the
smtpsprotocol using SSL or TLS) as well as SMTP authentication using SASL. The authentication mechanisms -for SASL are specified in $smtp_authenticators -defaulting to an empty list which makes mutt try all available methods +for SASL are specified in $smtp_authenticators +defaulting to an empty list which makes Mutt try all available methods from most-secure to least-secure. -+Usage: +
account-hook+pattern+ +command+If you happen to have accounts on multiple IMAP, POP and/or SMTP servers, you may find managing all the authentication settings inconvenient and -error-prone. The account-hook command may help. This hook works like -folder-hook but is invoked whenever you access a remote mailbox +error-prone. The account-hook command may help. This hook works like +folder-hook but is invoked whenever Mutt needs to access a remote mailbox (including inside the folder browser), not just when you open the -mailbox which includes (for example) polling for new mail, storing Fcc +mailbox. This includes (for example) polling for new mail, storing Fcc messages and saving messages to a folder. As a consequence, -account-hook should only be used to set connection-related settings such +account-hook should only be used to set connection-related settings such as passwords or tunnel commands but not settings such as sender address or name (because in general it should be considered unpredictable -which account-hook was last used). +which account-hook was last used).
Some examples:
@@ -3239,15 +3549,45 @@ account-hook . 'unset imap_user; unset imap_pass; unset tunnel' account-hook imap://host1/ 'set imap_user=me1 imap_pass=foo' account-hook imap://host2/ 'set tunnel="ssh host2 /usr/libexec/imapd"' account-hook smtp://user@host3/ 'set tunnel="ssh host3 /usr/libexec/smtpd"' -+
+To manage multiple accounts with, for example, different values of +$record or sender addresses, +folder-hook +has to be be used together with +the mailboxes command. +
Example 6.2. Managing multiple accounts
+mailboxes imap://user@host1/INBOX +folder-hook imap://user@host1/ 'set folder=imap://host1/ ; set record=+INBOX/Sent' + +mailboxes imap://user@host2/INBOX +folder-hook imap://user@host2/ 'set folder=imap://host2/ ; set record=+INBOX/Sent' ++In example +Example 6.2, âManaging multiple accountsâ the folders are defined using +mailboxes so Mutt polls them for new +mail. Each folder-hook triggers when +one mailbox below each IMAP account is opened and sets +$folder to the account's root +folder. Next, it sets $record to +the INBOX/Sent folder below the newly +set $folder. Please notice that the +value the â+â +mailbox shortcut refers to depends on +the current value +of $folder and therefore has to be set +separatedly per account. Setting other values +like $from +or $signature is analogous to setting +$record. +
Mutt contains two types of local caching: (1) the so-called âheader cachingâ and (2) the so-called âbody cachingâ which are both described in this section.
Header caching is optional as it depends on external libraries, body -caching is always enabled if mutt is compiled with POP and/or IMAP +caching is always enabled if Mutt is compiled with POP and/or IMAP support as these use it (body caching requires no external library). -
+
Mutt provides optional support for caching message headers for the following types of folders: IMAP, POP, Maildir and MH. Header caching greatly improves speed because for remote folders, headers @@ -3260,87 +3600,168 @@ Header caching can be enabled via the configure script and the by default because external database libraries are required: one of tokyocabinet, qdbm, gdbm or bdb must be present.
-If enabled, $header_cache can be +If enabled, $header_cache can be used to either point to a file or a directory. If set to point to a file, one database file for all folders will be used (which may result in lower performance), but one file per folder if it points to a directory. -
-For the one-file-per-folder case, database files for remote folders -will be named according to their URL while database files for local -folders will be named by the MD5 checksums of their path. These database -files may be safely removed if a system is short on space. You -can compute the name of the header cache file for a particular local folder -through a command like the following: -
-$ printf '%s' '/path/to/folder' | md5sum --The
md5sumcommand may also be -namedmd5, depending on your operating system. -Both cache methods can be combined using the same directory for storage (and for IMAP/POP even provide meaningful file names) which simplifies manual maintenance tasks.
-In addition to caching message headers only, mutt can also cache +In addition to caching message headers only, Mutt can also cache whole message bodies. This results in faster display of messages for POP and IMAP folders because messages usually have to be downloaded only once.
-For configuration, the variable $message_cachedir must point to a -directory. There, mutt will create a hierarchy of subdirectories +For configuration, the variable $message_cachedir must point to a +directory. There, Mutt will create a hierarchy of subdirectories named like:
proto:user@hostnamewhereprotois either âpopâ or âimap.â Within -there for each folder, mutt stores messages in single files (just -like Maildir) so that with manual symlink creation these cache -directories can be examined with mutt as read-only Maildir folders. -+there for each folder, Mutt stores messages in single files. All files can be removed as needed if the consumed disk space -becomes an issue as mutt will silently fetch missing items again. +becomes an issue as Mutt will silently fetch missing items again.
Mutt does not (yet) support maintenance features for header cache database files so that files have to be removed in case they grow too big. It depends on the database library used for header caching whether disk space freed by removing messages is re-used.
-For body caches, mutt can keep the local cache in sync with the +For body caches, Mutt can keep the local cache in sync with the remote mailbox if the -$message_cache_clean +$message_cache_clean variable is set. Cleaning means to remove messages from the cache which are no longer present in the mailbox which only happens when other mail -clients or instances of mutt using a different body cache location +clients or instances of Mutt using a different body cache location delete messages (Mutt itself removes deleted messages from the cache when syncing a mailbox). As cleaning can take a noticeable amount of time, it should not be set in general but only occasionally. -
Mutt supports the âName <user@host>â address syntax for reading and writing messages, the older âuser@host (Name)â syntax is only supported when reading messages. The --enable-exact-address switch can be given to configure to build it with write-support for the latter syntax.
EXACT_ADDRESSin the output ofmutt -vindicates whether it's supported. -Table of Contents
+You may also have compiled Mutt to co-operate with Mixmaster, an +anonymous remailer. Mixmaster permits you to send your messages +anonymously using a chain of remailers. Mixmaster support in Mutt is for +mixmaster version 2.04 (beta 45 appears to be the latest) and 2.03. +It does not support earlier versions or the later so-called version 3 betas, +of which the latest appears to be called 2.9b23. +
+To use it, you'll have to obey certain restrictions. Most +important, you cannot use the
CcandBccheaders. To tell +Mutt to use mixmaster, you have to select a remailer chain, using +the mix function on the compose menu. ++The chain selection screen is divided into two parts. In the +(larger) upper part, you get a list of remailers you may use. In +the lower part, you see the currently selected chain of remailers. +
+You can navigate in the chain using the
<chain-prev>and +<chain-next>functions, which are by default bound to the left +and right arrows and to thehandlkeys (think vi +keyboard bindings). To insert a remailer at the current chain +position, use the<insert>function. To append a remailer behind +the current chain position, use<select-entry>or<append>. +You can also delete entries from the chain, using the corresponding +function. Finally, to abandon your changes, leave the menu, or +<accept>them pressing (by default) theReturnkey. ++Note that different remailers do have different capabilities, +indicated in the %c entry of the remailer menu lines (see +$mix_entry_format). Most important is +the âmiddlemanâ capability, indicated by a capital âMâ: This +means that the remailer in question cannot be used as the final +element of a chain, but will only forward messages to other +mixmaster remailers. For details on the other capabilities, please +have a look at the mixmaster documentation. +
Table of Contents
+First of all, Mutt contains no security holes included by intention but +may contain unknown security holes. As a consequence, please run Mutt +only with as few permissions as possible. Especially, do not run Mutt as +the super user. +
+When configuring Mutt, there're some points to note about secure setups +so please read this chapter carefully. +
+Although Mutt can be told the various passwords for accounts, please +never store passwords in configuration files. Besides the fact that the +system's operator can always read them, you could forget to mask it out +when reporting a bug or asking for help via a mailing list. Even worse, +your mail including your password could be archived by internet search +engines, mail-to-news gateways etc. It may already be too late before +you notice your mistake. +
+Mutt uses many temporary files for viewing messages, verifying digital +signatures, etc. As long as being used, these files are visible by other +users and maybe even readable in case of misconfiguration. Also, a +different location for these files may be desired which can be changed +via the $tmpdir variable. +
+Message-Id: headers contain a local part that is to be created in a +unique fashion. In order to do so, Mutt will âleakâ some +information to the outside world when sending messages: the generation +of this header includes a step counter which is increased (and rotated) +with every message sent. In a longer running mutt session, others can +make assumptions about your mailing habbits depending on the number of +messages sent. If this is not desired, the header can be manually +provided using $edit_headers (though not +recommended). +
+As Mutt be can be set up to be the mail client to handle +
mailto:style links in websites, there're security +considerations, too. Arbitrary header fields can be embedded in these +links which could override existing header fields or attach arbitrary +files using the Attach: +psuedoheader. This may be problematic if the $edit-headers variable is +unset, i.e. the user doesn't want to see header +fields while editing the message and doesn't pay enough attention to the +compose menu's listing of attachments. ++For example, following a link like +
+mailto:joe@host?Attach=~/.gnupg/secring.gpg+will send out the user's private gnupg keyring to +
joe@hostif the user doesn't follow the information +on screen carefully enough. ++Mutt in many places has to rely on external applications or for +convenience supports mechanisms involving external applications. +
+One of these is the
mailcapmechanism as defined by +RfC1524. Details about a secure use of the mailcap mechanisms is given +in Section 3.2, âSecure Use of Mailcapâ. ++Besides the mailcap mechanism, Mutt uses a number of other external +utilities for operation, for example to provide crypto support, in +backtick expansion in configuration files or format string filters. The +same security considerations apply for these as for tools involved via +mailcap. +
Table of Contents
Mutt's performance when reading mailboxes can be improved in two ways:
For remote folders (IMAP and POP) as well as folders using -one-file-per message storage (Maildir and MH), mutt's +one-file-per message storage (Maildir and MH), Mutt's performance can be greatly improved using -header caching. -Using a single database per folder may further increase -performance. +header caching. +using a single database per folder.
-Mutt provides the $read_inc -and $write_inc +Mutt provides the $read_inc +and $write_inc variables to specify at which rate to update progress -counters. If these values are too low, mutt may spend more +counters. If these values are too low, Mutt may spend more time on updating the progress counter than it spends on actually reading/writing folders.
For example, when opening a maildir folder with a few thousand messages, the default value for -$read_inc +$read_inc may be too low. It can be tuned on on a folder-basis using -folder-hooks: +folder-hooks:
# use very high $read_inc to speed up reading hcache'd maildirs folder-hook . 'set read_inc=1000' @@ -3353,18 +3774,18 @@ even per-folder settings of the increment variables may not be desirable as they produce either too few or too much progress updates. Thus, Mutt allows to limit the number of progress updates per second it'll actually send to the terminal using the -$time_inc variable.+$time_inc variable.
Reading messages from remote folders such as IMAP an POP can be -slow especially for large mailboxes since mutt only caches a very +slow especially for large mailboxes since Mutt only caches a very limited number of recently viewed messages (usually 10) per session (so that it will be gone for the next session.)
To improve performance and permanently cache whole messages, -please refer to mutt's so-called -body caching for details. -
+please refer to Mutt's so-called +body caching for details. +
When searching mailboxes either via a search or a limit action, for -some patterns mutt distinguishes between regular expression and string +some patterns Mutt distinguishes between regular expression and string searches. For regular expressions, patterns are prefixed with âËâ and with â=â for string searches.
@@ -3380,14 +3801,14 @@ address via
=Luser@instead ofËLuser@. This is especially true for searching message bodies since a larger amount of input has to be searched.-Please note that string search is an exact case-sensitive search -while a regular expression search with only lower-case letters performs -a case-insensitive search. -
Table of Contents
- 1. Command line options
- 2. Configuration Commands
- 3. Configuration variables
- 3.1. abort_nosubject
- 3.2. abort_unmodified
- 3.3. alias_file
- 3.4. alias_format
- 3.5. allow_8bit
- 3.6. allow_ansi
- 3.7. arrow_cursor
- 3.8. ascii_chars
- 3.9. askbcc
- 3.10. askcc
- 3.11. assumed_charset
- 3.12. attach_charset
- 3.13. attach_format
- 3.14. attach_sep
- 3.15. attach_split
- 3.16. attribution
- 3.17. autoedit
- 3.18. auto_tag
- 3.19. beep
- 3.20. beep_new
- 3.21. bounce
- 3.22. bounce_delivered
- 3.23. braille_friendly
- 3.24. check_mbox_size
- 3.25. charset
- 3.26. check_new
- 3.27. collapse_unread
- 3.28. uncollapse_jump
- 3.29. compose_format
- 3.30. config_charset
- 3.31. confirmappend
- 3.32. confirmcreate
- 3.33. connect_timeout
- 3.34. content_type
- 3.35. copy
- 3.36. crypt_use_gpgme
- 3.37. crypt_use_pka
- 3.38. crypt_autopgp
- 3.39. crypt_autosmime
- 3.40. date_format
- 3.41. default_hook
- 3.42. delete
- 3.43. delete_untag
- 3.44. digest_collapse
- 3.45. display_filter
- 3.46. dotlock_program
- 3.47. dsn_notify
- 3.48. dsn_return
- 3.49. duplicate_threads
- 3.50. edit_headers
- 3.51. editor
- 3.52. encode_from
- 3.53. envelope_from_address
- 3.54. escape
- 3.55. fast_reply
- 3.56. fcc_attach
- 3.57. fcc_clear
- 3.58. folder
- 3.59. folder_format
- 3.60. followup_to
- 3.61. force_name
- 3.62. forward_decode
- 3.63. forward_edit
- 3.64. forward_format
- 3.65. forward_quote
- 3.66. from
- 3.67. gecos_mask
- 3.68. hdrs
- 3.69. header
- 3.70. help
- 3.71. hidden_host
- 3.72. hide_limited
- 3.73. hide_missing
- 3.74. hide_thread_subject
- 3.75. hide_top_limited
- 3.76. hide_top_missing
- 3.77. history
- 3.78. history_file
- 3.79. honor_followup_to
- 3.80. hostname
- 3.81. ignore_linear_white_space
- 3.82. ignore_list_reply_to
- 3.83. imap_authenticators
- 3.84. imap_check_subscribed
- 3.85. imap_delim_chars
- 3.86. imap_headers
- 3.87. imap_idle
- 3.88. imap_keepalive
- 3.89. imap_list_subscribed
- 3.90. imap_login
- 3.91. imap_pass
- 3.92. imap_passive
- 3.93. imap_peek
- 3.94. imap_pipeline_depth
- 3.95. imap_servernoise
- 3.96. imap_user
- 3.97. implicit_autoview
- 3.98. include
- 3.99. include_onlyfirst
- 3.100. indent_string
- 3.101. index_format
- 3.102. ispell
- 3.103. keep_flagged
- 3.104. locale
- 3.105. mail_check
- 3.106. mailcap_path
- 3.107. mailcap_sanitize
- 3.108. header_cache
- 3.109. maildir_header_cache_verify
- 3.110. header_cache_pagesize
- 3.111. header_cache_compress
- 3.112. maildir_trash
- 3.113. mark_old
- 3.114. markers
- 3.115. mask
- 3.116. mbox
- 3.117. mbox_type
- 3.118. metoo
- 3.119. menu_context
- 3.120. menu_move_off
- 3.121. menu_scroll
- 3.122. meta_key
- 3.123. mh_purge
- 3.124. mh_seq_flagged
- 3.125. mh_seq_replied
- 3.126. mh_seq_unseen
- 3.127. mime_forward
- 3.128. mime_forward_decode
- 3.129. mime_forward_rest
- 3.130. mix_entry_format
- 3.131. mixmaster
- 3.132. move
- 3.133. message_cachedir
- 3.134. message_cache_clean
- 3.135. message_format
- 3.136. narrow_tree
- 3.137. net_inc
- 3.138. pager
- 3.139. pager_context
- 3.140. pager_format
- 3.141. pager_index_lines
- 3.142. pager_stop
- 3.143. crypt_autosign
- 3.144. crypt_autoencrypt
- 3.145. pgp_ignore_subkeys
- 3.146. crypt_replyencrypt
- 3.147. crypt_replysign
- 3.148. crypt_replysignencrypted
- 3.149. crypt_timestamp
- 3.150. pgp_use_gpg_agent
- 3.151. crypt_verify_sig
- 3.152. smime_is_default
- 3.153. smime_ask_cert_label
- 3.154. smime_decrypt_use_default_key
- 3.155. pgp_entry_format
- 3.156. pgp_good_sign
- 3.157. pgp_check_exit
- 3.158. pgp_long_ids
- 3.159. pgp_retainable_sigs
- 3.160. pgp_autoinline
- 3.161. pgp_replyinline
- 3.162. pgp_show_unusable
- 3.163. pgp_sign_as
- 3.164. pgp_strict_enc
- 3.165. pgp_timeout
- 3.166. pgp_sort_keys
- 3.167. pgp_mime_auto
- 3.168. pgp_auto_decode
- 3.169. pgp_decode_command
- 3.170. pgp_getkeys_command
- 3.171. pgp_verify_command
- 3.172. pgp_decrypt_command
- 3.173. pgp_clearsign_command
- 3.174. pgp_sign_command
- 3.175. pgp_encrypt_sign_command
- 3.176. pgp_encrypt_only_command
- 3.177. pgp_import_command
- 3.178. pgp_export_command
- 3.179. pgp_verify_key_command
- 3.180. pgp_list_secring_command
- 3.181. pgp_list_pubring_command
- 3.182. forward_decrypt
- 3.183. smime_timeout
- 3.184. smime_encrypt_with
- 3.185. smime_keys
- 3.186. smime_ca_location
- 3.187. smime_certificates
- 3.188. smime_decrypt_command
- 3.189. smime_verify_command
- 3.190. smime_verify_opaque_command
- 3.191. smime_sign_command
- 3.192. smime_sign_opaque_command
- 3.193. smime_encrypt_command
- 3.194. smime_pk7out_command
- 3.195. smime_get_cert_command
- 3.196. smime_get_signer_cert_command
- 3.197. smime_import_cert_command
- 3.198. smime_get_cert_email_command
- 3.199. smime_default_key
- 3.200. ssl_client_cert
- 3.201. ssl_force_tls
- 3.202. ssl_starttls
- 3.203. certificate_file
- 3.204. ssl_usesystemcerts
- 3.205. entropy_file
- 3.206. ssl_use_sslv2
- 3.207. ssl_use_sslv3
- 3.208. ssl_use_tlsv1
- 3.209. ssl_min_dh_prime_bits
- 3.210. ssl_ca_certificates_file
- 3.211. pipe_split
- 3.212. pipe_decode
- 3.213. pipe_sep
- 3.214. pop_authenticators
- 3.215. pop_auth_try_all
- 3.216. pop_checkinterval
- 3.217. pop_delete
- 3.218. pop_host
- 3.219. pop_last
- 3.220. pop_reconnect
- 3.221. pop_user
- 3.222. pop_pass
- 3.223. post_indent_string
- 3.224. postpone
- 3.225. postponed
- 3.226. preconnect
- 3.227. print
- 3.228. print_command
- 3.229. print_decode
- 3.230. print_split
- 3.231. prompt_after
- 3.232. query_command
- 3.233. query_format
- 3.234. quit
- 3.235. quote_regexp
- 3.236. read_inc
- 3.237. read_only
- 3.238. realname
- 3.239. recall
- 3.240. record
- 3.241. reply_regexp
- 3.242. reply_self
- 3.243. reply_to
- 3.244. resolve
- 3.245. reverse_alias
- 3.246. reverse_name
- 3.247. reverse_realname
- 3.248. rfc2047_parameters
- 3.249. save_address
- 3.250. save_empty
- 3.251. save_history
- 3.252. save_name
- 3.253. score
- 3.254. score_threshold_delete
- 3.255. score_threshold_flag
- 3.256. score_threshold_read
- 3.257. send_charset
- 3.258. sendmail
- 3.259. sendmail_wait
- 3.260. shell
- 3.261. sig_dashes
- 3.262. sig_on_top
- 3.263. signature
- 3.264. simple_search
- 3.265. smart_wrap
- 3.266. smileys
- 3.267. sleep_time
- 3.268. smtp_authenticators
- 3.269. smtp_pass
- 3.270. smtp_url
- 3.271. sort
- 3.272. sort_alias
- 3.273. sort_aux
- 3.274. sort_browser
- 3.275. sort_re
- 3.276. spam_separator
- 3.277. spoolfile
- 3.278. status_chars
- 3.279. status_format
- 3.280. status_on_top
- 3.281. strict_threads
- 3.282. suspend
- 3.283. text_flowed
- 3.284. thread_received
- 3.285. thorough_search
- 3.286. tilde
- 3.287. time_inc
- 3.288. timeout
- 3.289. tmpdir
- 3.290. to_chars
- 3.291. tunnel
- 3.292. use_8bitmime
- 3.293. use_domain
- 3.294. use_envelope_from
- 3.295. use_from
- 3.296. use_idn
- 3.297. use_ipv6
- 3.298. user_agent
- 3.299. visual
- 3.300. wait_key
- 3.301. weed
- 3.302. wrap
- 3.303. wrap_search
- 3.304. wrapmargin
- 3.305. write_inc
- 3.306. write_bcc
- 4. Functions
Table of Contents
- 1. Command-Line Options
- 2. Configuration Commands
- 3. Configuration Variables
- 3.1. abort_nosubject
- 3.2. abort_unmodified
- 3.3. alias_file
- 3.4. alias_format
- 3.5. allow_8bit
- 3.6. allow_ansi
- 3.7. arrow_cursor
- 3.8. ascii_chars
- 3.9. askbcc
- 3.10. askcc
- 3.11. assumed_charset
- 3.12. attach_charset
- 3.13. attach_format
- 3.14. attach_sep
- 3.15. attach_split
- 3.16. attribution
- 3.17. auto_tag
- 3.18. autoedit
- 3.19. beep
- 3.20. beep_new
- 3.21. bounce
- 3.22. bounce_delivered
- 3.23. braille_friendly
- 3.24. certificate_file
- 3.25. charset
- 3.26. check_mbox_size
- 3.27. check_new
- 3.28. collapse_unread
- 3.29. compose_format
- 3.30. config_charset
- 3.31. confirmappend
- 3.32. confirmcreate
- 3.33. connect_timeout
- 3.34. content_type
- 3.35. copy
- 3.36. crypt_autoencrypt
- 3.37. crypt_autopgp
- 3.38. crypt_autosign
- 3.39. crypt_autosmime
- 3.40. crypt_replyencrypt
- 3.41. crypt_replysign
- 3.42. crypt_replysignencrypted
- 3.43. crypt_timestamp
- 3.44. crypt_use_gpgme
- 3.45. crypt_use_pka
- 3.46. crypt_verify_sig
- 3.47. date_format
- 3.48. default_hook
- 3.49. delete
- 3.50. delete_untag
- 3.51. digest_collapse
- 3.52. display_filter
- 3.53. dotlock_program
- 3.54. dsn_notify
- 3.55. dsn_return
- 3.56. duplicate_threads
- 3.57. edit_headers
- 3.58. editor
- 3.59. encode_from
- 3.60. entropy_file
- 3.61. envelope_from_address
- 3.62. escape
- 3.63. fast_reply
- 3.64. fcc_attach
- 3.65. fcc_clear
- 3.66. folder
- 3.67. folder_format
- 3.68. followup_to
- 3.69. force_name
- 3.70. forward_decode
- 3.71. forward_decrypt
- 3.72. forward_edit
- 3.73. forward_format
- 3.74. forward_quote
- 3.75. from
- 3.76. gecos_mask
- 3.77. hdrs
- 3.78. header
- 3.79. header_cache
- 3.80. header_cache_compress
- 3.81. header_cache_pagesize
- 3.82. help
- 3.83. hidden_host
- 3.84. hide_limited
- 3.85. hide_missing
- 3.86. hide_thread_subject
- 3.87. hide_top_limited
- 3.88. hide_top_missing
- 3.89. history
- 3.90. history_file
- 3.91. honor_disposition
- 3.92. honor_followup_to
- 3.93. hostname
- 3.94. ignore_linear_white_space
- 3.95. ignore_list_reply_to
- 3.96. imap_authenticators
- 3.97. imap_check_subscribed
- 3.98. imap_delim_chars
- 3.99. imap_headers
- 3.100. imap_idle
- 3.101. imap_keepalive
- 3.102. imap_list_subscribed
- 3.103. imap_login
- 3.104. imap_pass
- 3.105. imap_passive
- 3.106. imap_peek
- 3.107. imap_pipeline_depth
- 3.108. imap_servernoise
- 3.109. imap_user
- 3.110. implicit_autoview
- 3.111. include
- 3.112. include_onlyfirst
- 3.113. indent_string
- 3.114. index_format
- 3.115. ispell
- 3.116. keep_flagged
- 3.117. locale
- 3.118. mail_check
- 3.119. mailcap_path
- 3.120. mailcap_sanitize
- 3.121. maildir_header_cache_verify
- 3.122. maildir_trash
- 3.123. mark_old
- 3.124. markers
- 3.125. mask
- 3.126. mbox
- 3.127. mbox_type
- 3.128. menu_context
- 3.129. menu_move_off
- 3.130. menu_scroll
- 3.131. message_cache_clean
- 3.132. message_cachedir
- 3.133. message_format
- 3.134. meta_key
- 3.135. metoo
- 3.136. mh_purge
- 3.137. mh_seq_flagged
- 3.138. mh_seq_replied
- 3.139. mh_seq_unseen
- 3.140. mime_forward
- 3.141. mime_forward_decode
- 3.142. mime_forward_rest
- 3.143. mix_entry_format
- 3.144. mixmaster
- 3.145. move
- 3.146. narrow_tree
- 3.147. net_inc
- 3.148. pager
- 3.149. pager_context
- 3.150. pager_format
- 3.151. pager_index_lines
- 3.152. pager_stop
- 3.153. pgp_auto_decode
- 3.154. pgp_autoinline
- 3.155. pgp_check_exit
- 3.156. pgp_clearsign_command
- 3.157. pgp_decode_command
- 3.158. pgp_decrypt_command
- 3.159. pgp_encrypt_only_command
- 3.160. pgp_encrypt_sign_command
- 3.161. pgp_entry_format
- 3.162. pgp_export_command
- 3.163. pgp_getkeys_command
- 3.164. pgp_good_sign
- 3.165. pgp_ignore_subkeys
- 3.166. pgp_import_command
- 3.167. pgp_list_pubring_command
- 3.168. pgp_list_secring_command
- 3.169. pgp_long_ids
- 3.170. pgp_mime_auto
- 3.171. pgp_replyinline
- 3.172. pgp_retainable_sigs
- 3.173. pgp_show_unusable
- 3.174. pgp_sign_as
- 3.175. pgp_sign_command
- 3.176. pgp_sort_keys
- 3.177. pgp_strict_enc
- 3.178. pgp_timeout
- 3.179. pgp_use_gpg_agent
- 3.180. pgp_verify_command
- 3.181. pgp_verify_key_command
- 3.182. pipe_decode
- 3.183. pipe_sep
- 3.184. pipe_split
- 3.185. pop_auth_try_all
- 3.186. pop_authenticators
- 3.187. pop_checkinterval
- 3.188. pop_delete
- 3.189. pop_host
- 3.190. pop_last
- 3.191. pop_pass
- 3.192. pop_reconnect
- 3.193. pop_user
- 3.194. post_indent_string
- 3.195. postpone
- 3.196. postponed
- 3.197. preconnect
- 3.198. print
- 3.199. print_command
- 3.200. print_decode
- 3.201. print_split
- 3.202. prompt_after
- 3.203. query_command
- 3.204. query_format
- 3.205. quit
- 3.206. quote_regexp
- 3.207. read_inc
- 3.208. read_only
- 3.209. realname
- 3.210. recall
- 3.211. record
- 3.212. reply_regexp
- 3.213. reply_self
- 3.214. reply_to
- 3.215. resolve
- 3.216. reverse_alias
- 3.217. reverse_name
- 3.218. reverse_realname
- 3.219. rfc2047_parameters
- 3.220. save_address
- 3.221. save_empty
- 3.222. save_history
- 3.223. save_name
- 3.224. score
- 3.225. score_threshold_delete
- 3.226. score_threshold_flag
- 3.227. score_threshold_read
- 3.228. search_context
- 3.229. send_charset
- 3.230. sendmail
- 3.231. sendmail_wait
- 3.232. shell
- 3.233. sig_dashes
- 3.234. sig_on_top
- 3.235. signature
- 3.236. simple_search
- 3.237. sleep_time
- 3.238. smart_wrap
- 3.239. smileys
- 3.240. smime_ask_cert_label
- 3.241. smime_ca_location
- 3.242. smime_certificates
- 3.243. smime_decrypt_command
- 3.244. smime_decrypt_use_default_key
- 3.245. smime_default_key
- 3.246. smime_encrypt_command
- 3.247. smime_encrypt_with
- 3.248. smime_get_cert_command
- 3.249. smime_get_cert_email_command
- 3.250. smime_get_signer_cert_command
- 3.251. smime_import_cert_command
- 3.252. smime_is_default
- 3.253. smime_keys
- 3.254. smime_pk7out_command
- 3.255. smime_sign_command
- 3.256. smime_sign_opaque_command
- 3.257. smime_timeout
- 3.258. smime_verify_command
- 3.259. smime_verify_opaque_command
- 3.260. smtp_authenticators
- 3.261. smtp_pass
- 3.262. smtp_url
- 3.263. sort
- 3.264. sort_alias
- 3.265. sort_aux
- 3.266. sort_browser
- 3.267. sort_re
- 3.268. spam_separator
- 3.269. spoolfile
- 3.270. ssl_ca_certificates_file
- 3.271. ssl_client_cert
- 3.272. ssl_force_tls
- 3.273. ssl_min_dh_prime_bits
- 3.274. ssl_starttls
- 3.275. ssl_use_sslv2
- 3.276. ssl_use_sslv3
- 3.277. ssl_use_tlsv1
- 3.278. ssl_usesystemcerts
- 3.279. ssl_verify_dates
- 3.280. ssl_verify_host
- 3.281. status_chars
- 3.282. status_format
- 3.283. status_on_top
- 3.284. strict_threads
- 3.285. suspend
- 3.286. text_flowed
- 3.287. thorough_search
- 3.288. thread_received
- 3.289. tilde
- 3.290. time_inc
- 3.291. timeout
- 3.292. tmpdir
- 3.293. to_chars
- 3.294. tunnel
- 3.295. uncollapse_jump
- 3.296. use_8bitmime
- 3.297. use_domain
- 3.298. use_envelope_from
- 3.299. use_from
- 3.300. use_idn
- 3.301. use_ipv6
- 3.302. user_agent
- 3.303. visual
- 3.304. wait_key
- 3.305. weed
- 3.306. wrap
- 3.307. wrap_search
- 3.308. wrapmargin
- 3.309. write_bcc
- 3.310. write_inc
- 4. Functions
Running
muttwith no arguments will make Mutt attempt to read your spool mailbox. However, it is possible to read other mailboxes and to send messages from the command line as well. -Table 8.1. Command line options
Option Description -A expand an alias -a attach a file to a message -b specify a blind carbon-copy (BCC) address -c specify a carbon-copy (Cc) address -D print the value of all mutt variables to stdout -e specify a config command to be run after initialization files are read -f specify a mailbox to load -F specify an alternate file to read initialization commands -h print help on command line options -H specify a draft file from which to read a header and body -i specify a file to include in a message composition -m specify a default mailbox type -n do not read the system Muttrc -p recall a postponed message -Q query a configuration variable -R open mailbox in read-only mode -s specify a subject (enclose in quotes if it contains spaces) -v show version number and compile-time definitions -x simulate the mailx(1) compose mode -y show a menu containing the files specified by the mailboxes command -z exit immediately if there are no messages in the mailbox -Z open the first folder with new message,exit immediately if none +
Table 9.1. Command line options
Option Description -A expand an alias -a attach a file to a message -b specify a blind carbon-copy (BCC) address -c specify a carbon-copy (Cc) address -D print the value of all Mutt variables to stdout -e specify a config command to be run after initialization files are read -f specify a mailbox to load -F specify an alternate file to read initialization commands -h print help on command line options -H specify a draft file from which to read a header and body -i specify a file to include in a message composition -m specify a default mailbox type -n do not read the system Muttrc -p recall a postponed message -Q query a configuration variable -R open mailbox in read-only mode -s specify a subject (enclose in quotes if it contains spaces) -v show version number and compile-time definitions -x simulate the mailx(1) compose mode -y show a menu containing the files specified by the mailboxes command -z exit immediately if there are no messages in the mailbox -Z open the first folder with new message, exit immediately if none To read messages in a mailbox
mutt[-nz] [-Fmuttrc@@ -3399,8 +3820,6 @@ To read messages in a mailbox To compose a new message
mutt[-n] [-Fmuttrc-] [-a-file] [-caddress] [-i@@ -3408,34 +3827,36 @@ To compose a new message ] [-ssubject] [ -[ +-afile-...] - -- + [...] +-- ]address- [ -address-...]+...
Mutt also supports a âbatchâ mode to send prepared messages. Simply redirect input from the file you wish to send. For example, -
-
mutt -s "data set for run #2" professor@bigschool.edu -< Ë/run2.dat--This command will send a message to âprofessor@bigschool.eduâ with a subject +
+mutt -s "data set for run #2" professor@bigschool.edu < Ë/run2.dat+will send a message to
<professor@bigschool.edu>with a subject of âdata set for run #2â. In the body of the message will be the contents of the file âË/run2.datâ.-All files passed with -a file will be attached as a MIME -part to the message. To attach several files, use â--â to separate files and -recipient addresses:
mutt -a *.png -- some@one.org--The following are the commands understood by mutt. -
account-hook+All files passed with-afile will be attached as a MIME +part to the message. To attach a single or several files, use â--â to separate files and +recipient addresses: ++mutt -a image.png -- some@one.org+or +
+mutt -a *.png -- some@one.orgNote
+The
-aoption must be last in the option list. ++The following are the commands understood by Mutt: +
account-hookpatterncommand-
alias[ +
alias[-groupname...] @@ -3444,21 +3865,21 @@ The following are the commands understood by mutt.address[address-...]
alternates[ +... }
alternates[-groupname...]regexp[regexp-...]
unalternates[ +...]unalternates[-groupname...] { @@ -3469,39 +3890,47 @@ The following are the commands understood by mutt.mimetype[mimetype-...]
unalternative-order{ +...]unalternative-order{*|mimetype-... }
auto-view+... }
attachments+{ + | - }disposition+ +mime-type+unattachments+{ + | - }disposition+ +mime-type+
auto-viewmimetype[mimetype-...]
unauto-view{ +...]unauto-view{*|mimetype-... }
bind+... }
bindmapkeyfunction-
charset-hookaliascharset-
iconv-hookcharsetlocal-charset-
color+
colorobjectforegroundbackground-
exec+... }
crypt-hook+pattern+ +keyid+
execfunction[function-...]
fcc-hook+...]
fcc-hook[!]patternmailbox-
fcc-save-hook[!]patternmailbox-
folder-hook[!]regexpcommand-
group[ +
group[-groupname...] { @@ -3548,7 +3987,7 @@ The following are the commands understood by mutt. ... |-addrexpr-... }
hdr_order+... }
hdr_orderheader[header-...]
unhdr_order{ +...]unhdr_order{*|header-... }
ignore+... }
ignorepattern[pattern-...]
lists[ +... }
lists[-groupname]regexp[regexp-...]
macro+... }
macromenukey@@ -3597,19 +4036,19 @@ The following are the commands understood by mutt.sequence[description-]
mailboxes+]
mailboxesmailbox[mailbox-...]
unmailboxes{ +...]unmailboxes{*|mailbox-... }
mbox-hook+... }
mbox-hook[!]patternmailbox-
message-hook[!]patterncommand@@ -3617,7 +4056,7 @@ The following are the commands understood by mutt.mimetype[mimetype-...]
unmime-lookup{ +...]unmime-lookup{*|mimetype@@ -3625,7 +4064,7 @@ The following are the commands understood by mutt.objectattribute-
my_hdr+... }
my_hdrstring-
crypt-hook-pattern- -keyid-
push+... }
pushstring-
reset-variable- [ -variable-...]
save-hook[!]patternmailbox-
score+
scorepatternvalue-
send-hook[!]patterncommand@@ -3690,17 +4125,25 @@ The following are the commands understood by mutt.variable|variable=value- } [...]
sourcefilename-
spam+
spampatternformat-
unsubscribe[ +...]unsubscribe[-groupname...] {*|regexp-... }
toggle-variable- [ -variable-...]
unhook{ +... }
unhook{*|hook-type- }Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â ask-yesIf set to yes, when composing messages and no subject is given at the subject prompt, composition will be aborted. If set to @@ -3746,22 +4185,22 @@ encoded in the character set specified by set or the current character set otherwise.
Note: Mutt will not automatically source this file; you must -explicitly use the âsourceâ command for it to be executed in case +explicitly use the âsourceâ command for it to be executed in case this option points to a dedicated alias file.
The default for this option is the currently used muttrc file, or âË/.muttrcâ if no user muttrc was found.
Type:Â string
Default: â%4n %2f %t %-10a   %râ-Specifies the format of the data displayed for the âaliasâ menu. The +Specifies the format of the data displayed for the âaliasâ menu. The following
printf(3)-style sequences are available: -
- %a
alias name -
- %f
flags - currently, a âdâ for an alias marked for deletion -
- %n
index number -
- %r
address which alias expands to -
- %t
character which indicates if the alias is tagged for inclusion -
Type:Â boolean
+
%a alias name + %f flags - currently, a âdâ for an alias marked for deletion + %n index number + %r address which alias expands to + %t character which indicates if the alias is tagged for inclusion + Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesControls whether 8-bit data is converted to 7-bit using either Quoted- Printable or Base64 encoding when sending mail. @@ -3776,10 +4215,9 @@ message could include a line like
[-- PGP output follows ... -and give it the same color as your attachment color (see also -$crypt_timestamp). +$crypt_timestamp).
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, an arrow (â->â) will be used to indicate the current entry @@ -3812,20 +4250,21 @@ For example, Japanese users might prefer this:
set assumed_charset="iso-2022-jp:euc-jp:shift_jis:utf-8" -However, only the first content is valid for the message body.
Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This variable is a colon-separated list of character encoding -schemes for text file attachments. +schemes for text file attachments. Mutt uses this setting to guess +which encoding files being attached are encoded in to convert them to +a proper character set given in $send_charset. +
If unset, the value of $charset will be used instead. For example, the following configuration would work for Japanese text handling:
set attach_charset="iso-2022-jp:euc-jp:shift_jis:utf-8" -Note: for Japanese users, âiso-2022-*â must be put at the head of the value as shown above if included. @@ -3834,28 +4273,28 @@ Default:Â â
%u%D%I %t%4n %T%.40d%&g This variable describes the format of the âattachmentâ menu. The followingprintf(3)-style sequences are understood: -
- %C
charset -
- %c
requires charset conversion (ânâ or âcâ) -
- %D
deleted flag -
- %d
description -
- %e
MIME content-transfer-encoding -
- %f
filename -
- %I
disposition (âIâ for inline, âAâ for attachment) -
- %m
major MIME type -
- %M
MIME subtype -
- %n
attachment number -
- %Q
âQâ, if MIME part qualifies for attachment counting -
- %s
size -
- %t
tagged flag -
- %T
graphic tree characters -
- %u
unlink (=to delete) flag -
- %X
number of qualifying MIME parts in this part and its children +
%C charset + %c requires charset conversion (ânâ or âcâ) + %D deleted flag + %d description + %e MIME content-transfer-encoding + %f filename + %I disposition (âIâ for inline, âAâ for attachment) + %m major MIME type + %M MIME subtype + %n attachment number + %Q âQâ, if MIME part qualifies for attachment counting + %s size + %t tagged flag + %T graphic tree characters + %u unlink (=to delete) flag + %X number of qualifying MIME parts in this part and its children (please see the âattachmentsâ section for possible speed effects) - - %>X
right justify the rest of the string and pad with character âXâ -
- %|X
pad to the end of the line with character âXâ -
- %*X
soft-fill with character âXâ as pad -
-For an explanation of âsoft-fillâ, see the $index_format documentation. +
%>X right justify the rest of the string and pad with character âXâ + %|X pad to the end of the line with character âXâ + %*X soft-fill with character âXâ as pad + +For an explanation of âsoft-fillâ, see the $index_format documentation.
Type:Â string
Default:Â â\nâThe separator to add between attachments when operating (saving, @@ -3871,22 +4310,26 @@ Mutt will operate on the attachments one by one. Default:Â â
On %d, %n wrote:âThis is the string that will precede a message which has been included in a reply. For a full listing of defined
printf(3)-like sequences see -the section on $index_format. -Type:Â boolean
+the section on $index_format. +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+When set, functions in the index menu which affect a message +will be applied to all tagged messages (if there are any). When +unset, you must first use the
<tag-prefix>function (bound to â;â +by default) to make the next function apply to all tagged messages. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â no-When set along with $edit_headers, Mutt will skip the initial +When set along with $edit_headers, Mutt will skip the initial send-menu (prompting for subject and recipients) and allow you to immediately begin editing the body of your message. The send-menu may still be accessed once you have finished editing the body of your message.
-Also see $fast_reply. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-When set, functions in the index menu which affect a message -will be applied to all tagged messages (if there are any). When -unset, you must first use the
<tag-prefix>function (bound to â;â -by default) to make the next function apply to all tagged messages. +Note: when this option is set, you cannot use send-hooks that depend +on the recipients when composing a new (non-reply) message, as the initial +list of recipients is empty. ++Also see $fast_reply.
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen this variable is set, mutt will beep when an error occurs. @@ -3912,30 +4355,46 @@ of the current line in menus, even when the unset, making it easier for blind persons using Braille displays to follow these menus. The option is unset by default because many visual terminals don't permit making the cursor invisible. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-When this variable is set, mutt will use file size attribute instead of -access time when checking for new mail in mbox and mmdf folders. +
Type:Â path
+Default: âË/.mutt_certificatesâ+This variable specifies the file where the certificates you trust +are saved. When an unknown certificate is encountered, you are asked +if you accept it or not. If you accept it, the certificate can also +be saved in this file and further connections are automatically +accepted.
-This variable is unset by default and should only be enabled when -new mail detection for these folder types is unreliable or doesn't work. +You can also manually add CA certificates in this file. Any server +certificate that is signed with one of these CA certificates is +also automatically accepted.
-Note that enabling this variable should happen before any âmailboxesâ -directives occur in configuration files regarding mbox or mmdf folders -because mutt needs to determine the initial new mail status of such a -mailbox by performing a fast mailbox scan when it is defined. -Afterwards the new mail status is tracked by file size changes. -
Type:Â string
+Example: + ++set certificate_file=~/.mutt/certificates +Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Character set your terminal uses to display and enter textual data. -It is also the fallback for $send_charset. +It is also the fallback for $send_charset.
Upon startup Mutt tries to derive this value from environment variables such as
$LC_CTYPEor$LANG.Note: It should only be set in case Mutt isn't abled to determine the character set used correctly. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+When this variable is set, mutt will use file size attribute instead of +access time when checking for new mail in mbox and mmdf folders. +
+This variable is unset by default and should only be enabled when +new mail detection for these folder types is unreliable or doesn't work. +
+Note that enabling this variable should happen before any âmailboxesâ +directives occur in configuration files regarding mbox or mmdf folders +because mutt needs to determine the initial new mail status of such a +mailbox by performing a fast mailbox scan when it is defined. +Afterwards the new mail status is tracked by file size changes. +
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesNote: this option only affects maildir and MH style mailboxes. @@ -3946,26 +4405,22 @@ take quite some time since it involves scanning the directory and checking each file to see if it has already been looked at. If this variable is unset, no check for new mail is performed while the mailbox is open. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen unset, Mutt will not collapse a thread if it contains any unread messages. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-When set, Mutt will jump to the next unread message, if any, -when the current thread is uncollapsed.
Type:Â string
Default: â-- Mutt: Compose  [Approx. msg size: %l   Atts: %a]%>-âControls the format of the status line displayed in the âcomposeâ -menu. This string is similar to $status_format, but has its own +menu. This string is similar to $status_format, but has its own set of
printf(3)-like sequences: -
- %a
total number of attachments -
- %h
local hostname -
- %l
approximate size (in bytes) of the current message -
- %v
Mutt version string -
-See the text describing the $status_format option for more +
%a total number of attachments + %h local hostname + %l approximate size (in bytes) of the current message + %v Mutt version string + +See the text describing the $status_format option for more information on how to set $compose_format.
Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)@@ -3998,48 +4453,102 @@ Sets the default Content-Type for the body of newly composed messages.
Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â yesThis variable controls whether or not copies of your outgoing messages -will be saved for later references. Also see $record, -$save_name, $force_name and âfcc-hookâ. -
Type:Â boolean
+will be saved for later references. Also see $record, +$save_name, $force_name and âfcc-hookâ. +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+Setting this variable will cause Mutt to always attempt to PGP +encrypt outgoing messages. This is probably only useful in +connection to the âsend-hookâ command. It can be overridden +by use of the pgp menu, when encryption is not required or +signing is requested as well. If $smime_is_default is set, +then OpenSSL is used instead to create S/MIME messages and +settings can be overridden by use of the smime menu instead. +(Crypto only) +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+This variable controls whether or not mutt may automatically enable +PGP encryption/signing for messages. See also $crypt_autoencrypt, +$crypt_replyencrypt, +$crypt_autosign, $crypt_replysign and $smime_is_default. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+Setting this variable will cause Mutt to always attempt to +cryptographically sign outgoing messages. This can be overridden +by use of the pgp menu, when signing is not required or +encryption is requested as well. If $smime_is_default is set, +then OpenSSL is used instead to create S/MIME messages and settings can +be overridden by use of the smime menu instead of the pgp menu. +(Crypto only) +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+This variable controls whether or not mutt may automatically enable +S/MIME encryption/signing for messages. See also $crypt_autoencrypt, +$crypt_replyencrypt, +$crypt_autosign, $crypt_replysign and $smime_is_default. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+If set, automatically PGP or OpenSSL encrypt replies to messages which are +encrypted. +(Crypto only) +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+If set, automatically PGP or OpenSSL sign replies to messages which are +signed. +
+Note: this does not work on messages that are encrypted +and signed! +(Crypto only) +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+If set, automatically PGP or OpenSSL sign replies to messages +which are encrypted. This makes sense in combination with +$crypt_replyencrypt, because it allows you to sign all +messages which are automatically encrypted. This works around +the problem noted in $crypt_replysign, that mutt is not able +to find out whether an encrypted message is also signed. +(Crypto only) +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+If set, mutt will include a time stamp in the lines surrounding +PGP or S/MIME output, so spoofing such lines is more difficult. +If you are using colors to mark these lines, and rely on these, +you may unset this setting. +(Crypto only) +
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noThis variable controls the use of the GPGME-enabled crypto backends. If it is set and Mutt was built with gpgme support, the gpgme code for S/MIME and PGP will be used instead of the classic code. Note that you need to set this option in .muttrc; it won't have any effect when used interactively. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noControls whether mutt uses PKA (see http://www.g10code.de/docs/pka-intro.de.pdf) during signature verification (only supported by the GPGME backend). -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-This variable controls whether or not mutt may automatically enable -PGP encryption/signing for messages. See also $crypt_autoencrypt, -$crypt_replyencrypt, -$crypt_autosign, $crypt_replysign and $smime_is_default. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â yes-This variable controls whether or not mutt may automatically enable -S/MIME encryption/signing for messages. See also $crypt_autoencrypt, -$crypt_replyencrypt, -$crypt_autosign, $crypt_replysign and $smime_is_default. -
Type:Â string
+If âyesâ, always attempt to verify PGP or S/MIME signatures. +If âask-*â, ask whether or not to verify the signature. +If \Fiânoâ, never attempt to verify cryptographic signatures. +(Crypto only) +Type:Â string
Default: â!%a, %b %d, %Y at %I:%M:%S%p %ZâThis variable controls the format of the date printed by the â%dâ -sequence in $index_format. This is passed to the
strftime(3)+sequence in $index_format. This is passed to thestrftime(3)function to process the date, see the man page for the proper syntax.Unless the first character in the string is a bang (â!â), the month and week day names are expanded according to the locale specified in -the variable $locale. If the first character in the string is a +the variable $locale. If the first character in the string is a bang, the bang is discarded, and the month and week day names in the rest of the string are expanded in the C locale (that is in US English). -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default: âËf %s !ËP | (ËP ËC %s)â-This variable controls how âmessage-hookâ, âreply-hookâ, âsend-hookâ, -âsend2-hookâ, âsave-hookâ, and âfcc-hookâ will +This variable controls how âmessage-hookâ, âreply-hookâ, âsend-hookâ, +âsend2-hookâ, âsave-hookâ, and âfcc-hookâ will be interpreted if they are specified with only a simple regexp, instead of a matching pattern. The hooks are expanded when they are declared, so a hook will be interpreted according to the value of this @@ -4048,33 +4557,33 @@ variable at the time the hook is declared. The default value matches if the message is either from a user matching the regular expression given, or if it is from you (if the from address matches -âalternatesâ) and is to or cc'ed to a user matching the given +âalternatesâ) and is to or cc'ed to a user matching the given regular expression. -
Type:Â quadoption
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â ask-yesControls whether or not messages are really deleted when closing or synchronizing a mailbox. If set to yes, messages marked for deleting will automatically be purged without prompting. If set to no, messages marked for deletion will be kept in the mailbox. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesIf this option is set, mutt will untag messages when marking them for deletion. This applies when you either explicitly delete a message, or when you save it to another folder. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesIf this option is set, mutt's received-attachments menu will not show the subparts of individual messages in a multipart/digest. To see these subparts, press âvâ on that menu. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default:Â (empty)When set, specifies a command used to filter messages. When a message -is viewed it is passed as standard input to $display_filter, and the +is viewed it is passed as standard input to $display_filter, and the filtered message is read from the standard output. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default:Â â/usr/local/bin/mutt_dotlockâContains the path of the
mutt_dotlock(8)binary to be used by mutt. -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This variable sets the request for when notification is returned. The string consists of a comma separated list (no spaces!) of one or more @@ -4087,14 +4596,13 @@ Example:
set dsn_notify="failure,delay" --Note: when using $sendmail for delivery, you should not enable +Note: when using $sendmail for delivery, you should not enable this unless you are either using Sendmail 8.8.x or greater or a MTA providing a
sendmail(1)-compatible interface supporting the-Noption for DSN. For SMTP delivery, DSN support is autodetected so that it depends on the server whether DSN will be used or not. -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This variable controls how much of your message is returned in DSN messages. It may be set to either hdrs to return just the @@ -4104,98 +4612,103 @@ Example:
set dsn_return=hdrs --Note: when using $sendmail for delivery, you should not enable +Note: when using $sendmail for delivery, you should not enable this unless you are either using Sendmail 8.8.x or greater or a MTA providing a
sendmail(1)-compatible interface supporting the-Roption for DSN. For SMTP delivery, DSN support is autodetected so that it depends on the server whether DSN will be used or not. -Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yes-This variable controls whether mutt, when $sort is set to threads, threads +This variable controls whether mutt, when $sort is set to threads, threads messages with the same Message-Id together. If it is set, it will indicate that it thinks they are duplicates of each other with an equals sign in the thread tree. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noThis option allows you to edit the header of your outgoing messages along with the body of your message.
Note that changes made to the References: and Date: headers are ignored for interoperability reasons. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default:Â (empty)This variable specifies which editor is used by mutt. It defaults to the value of the
$VISUAL, or$EDITOR, environment variable, or to the string âviâ if neither of those are set. -Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, mutt will quoted-printable encode messages when they contain the string âFrom â (note the trailing space) in the beginning of a line. This is useful to avoid the tampering certain mail delivery and transport agents tend to do with messages (in order to prevent tools from misinterpreting the line as a mbox message separator). -
Type: e-mail address
+Type:Â path
+Default:Â (empty)+The file which includes random data that is used to initialize SSL +library functions. +
Type: e-mail address
Default:Â (empty)Manually sets the envelope sender for outgoing messages. -This value is ignored if $use_envelope_from is unset. -
Type:Â string
+This value is ignored if $use_envelope_from is unset. +Type:Â string
Default: âËâEscape character to use for functions in the builtin editor. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, the initial prompt for recipients and subject are skipped when replying to messages, and the initial prompt for subject is skipped when forwarding messages.
-Note: this variable has no effect when the $autoedit +Note: this variable has no effect when the $autoedit variable is set. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â yesThis variable controls whether or not attachments on outgoing messages are saved along with the main body of your message. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen this variable is set, FCCs will be stored unencrypted and unsigned, even when the actual message is encrypted and/or signed. (PGP only) -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default: âË/MailâSpecifies the default location of your mailboxes. A â+â or â=â at the beginning of a pathname will be expanded to the value of this variable. Note that if you change this variable (from the default) value you need to make sure that the assignment occurs before you use â+â or â=â for any other variables since expansion takes place -when handling the âmailboxesâ command. -
Type:Â string
+when handling the âmailboxesâ command. +Type:Â string
Default: â%2C %t %N %F %2l %-8.8u %-8.8g %8s %d %fâThis variable allows you to customize the file browser display to your -personal taste. This string is similar to $index_format, but has +personal taste. This string is similar to $index_format, but has its own set of
printf(3)-like sequences: -
- %C
current file number -
- %d
date/time folder was last modified -
- %f
filename -
- %F
file permissions -
- %g
group name (or numeric gid, if missing) -
- %l
number of hard links -
- %N
N if folder has new mail, blank otherwise -
- %s
size in bytes -
- %t
â*â if the file is tagged, blank otherwise -
- %u
owner name (or numeric uid, if missing) -
- %>X
right justify the rest of the string and pad with character âXâ -
- %|X
pad to the end of the line with character âXâ -
- %*X
soft-fill with character âXâ as pad -
-For an explanation of âsoft-fillâ, see the $index_format documentation. -
Type:Â boolean
+
%C current file number + %d date/time folder was last modified + %f filename (â/â is appended to directory names, +â@â to symbolic links and â*â to executable +files) + %F file permissions + %g group name (or numeric gid, if missing) + %l number of hard links + %N N if folder has new mail, blank otherwise + %s size in bytes + %t â*â if the file is tagged, blank otherwise + %u owner name (or numeric uid, if missing) + %>X right justify the rest of the string and pad with character âXâ + %|X pad to the end of the line with character âXâ + %*X soft-fill with character âXâ as pad + +For an explanation of âsoft-fillâ, see the $index_format documentation. +
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesControls whether or not the âMail-Followup-To:â header field is generated when sending mail. When set, Mutt will generate this field when you are replying to a known mailing list, specified with -the âsubscribeâ or âlistsâ commands. +the âsubscribeâ or âlistsâ commands.
This field has two purposes. First, preventing you from receiving duplicate copies of replies to messages which you send @@ -4209,41 +4722,48 @@ email address for unsubscribed lists. Without this header, a group reply to your message sent to a subscribed list will be sent to both the list and your address, resulting in two copies of the same email for you. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â no-This variable is similar to $save_name, except that Mutt will +This variable is similar to $save_name, except that Mutt will store a copy of your outgoing message by the username of the address you are sending to even if that mailbox does not exist.
-Also see the $record variable. -
Type:Â boolean
+Also see the $record variable. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesControls the decoding of complex MIME messages into
text/plainwhen forwarding a message. The message header is also RFC2047 decoded. -This variable is only used, if $mime_forward is unset, -otherwise $mime_forward_decode is used instead. -Type:Â quadoption
+This variable is only used, if $mime_forward is unset, +otherwise $mime_forward_decode is used instead. +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+Controls the handling of encrypted messages when forwarding a message. +When set, the outer layer of encryption is stripped off. This +variable is only used if $mime_forward is set and +$mime_forward_decode is unset. +(PGP only) +
Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â yesThis quadoption controls whether or not the user is automatically placed in the editor when forwarding messages. For those who always want to forward with no modification, use a setting of ânoâ. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â â[%a:Â %s]âThis variable controls the default subject when forwarding a message. -It uses the same format sequences as the $index_format variable. -
Type:Â boolean
+It uses the same format sequences as the $index_format variable. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, forwarded messages included in the main body of the -message (when $mime_forward is unset) will be quoted using -$indent_string. -
Type: e-mail address
+message (when $mime_forward is unset) will be quoted using +$indent_string. +Type: e-mail address
Default:Â (empty)When set, this variable contains a default from address. It -can be overridden using âmy_hdrâ (including from a âsend-hookâ) and -$reverse_name. This variable is ignored if $use_from is unset. +can be overridden using âmy_hdrâ (including from a âsend-hookâ) and +$reverse_name. This variable is ignored if $use_from is unset.
This setting defaults to the contents of the environment variable
Type: regular expression
+Type: regular expression
Default:Â â^[^,]*âA regular expression used by mutt to parse the GECOS field of a password entry when expanding the alias. The default value @@ -4251,23 +4771,47 @@ will return the string up to the first â,â encoun If the GECOS field contains a string like âlastname, firstnameâ then you should set it to â
.*â.-This can be useful if you see the following behavior: you address a e-mail +This can be useful if you see the following behavior: you address an e-mail to user ID âstevefâ whose full name is âSteve Franklinâ. If mutt expands -âstevefâ to â"Franklin" stevef@foo.barâ then you should set the $gecos_mask to +âstevefâ to â"Franklin" stevef@foo.barâ then you should set the $gecos_mask to a regular expression that will match the whole name so mutt will expand âFranklinâ to âFranklin, Steveâ. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yes-When unset, the header fields normally added by the âmy_hdrâ +When unset, the header fields normally added by the âmy_hdrâ command are not created. This variable must be unset before composing a new message or replying in order to take effect. If set, the user defined header fields are added to every new message. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, this variable causes Mutt to include the header of the message you are replying to into the edit buffer. -The $weed setting applies. -
Type:Â boolean
+The $weed setting applies. +Type:Â path
+Default:Â (empty)+This variable points to the header cache database. +If pointing to a directory Mutt will contain a header cache +database file per folder, if pointing to a file that file will +be a single global header cache. By default it is unset so no header +caching will be used. +
+Header caching can greatly improve speed when opening POP, IMAP +MH or Maildir folders, see âcachingâ for details. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+When mutt is compiled with qdbm or tokyocabinet as header cache backend, +this option determines whether the database will be compressed. +Compression results in database files roughly being one fifth +of the usual diskspace, but the uncompression can result in a +slower opening of cached folder(s) which in general is still +much faster than opening non header cached folders. +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â â16384â+When mutt is compiled with either gdbm or bdb4 as the header cache backend, +this option changes the database page size. Too large or too small +values can waste space, memory, or CPU time. The default should be more +or less optimal for most use cases. +
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen set, help lines describing the bindings for the major functions provided by each menu are displayed on the first line of the screen. @@ -4277,48 +4821,57 @@ function is bound to a sequence rather than a single keystroke. Also, the help line may not be updated if a binding is changed while Mutt is running. Since this variable is primarily aimed at new users, neither of these should present a major problem. -
3.71. hidden_host
Type:Â boolean
+3.83. hidden_host
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â no-When set, mutt will skip the host name part of $hostname variable +When set, mutt will skip the host name part of $hostname variable when adding the domain part to addresses. This variable does not affect the generation of Message-IDs, and it will not lead to the cut-off of first-level domains. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, mutt will not show the presence of messages that are hidden by limiting, in the thread tree. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen set, mutt will not show the presence of missing messages in the thread tree. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen set, mutt will not show the subject of messages in the thread tree that have the same subject as their parent or closest previously displayed sibling. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, mutt will not show the presence of messages that are hidden by limiting, at the top of threads in the thread tree. Note that when -$hide_limited is set, this option will have no effect. -
Type:Â boolean
+$hide_limited is set, this option will have no effect. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen set, mutt will not show the presence of missing messages at the -top of threads in the thread tree. Note that when $hide_missing is +top of threads in the thread tree. Note that when $hide_missing is set, this option will have no effect. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 10This variable controls the size (in number of strings remembered) of the string history buffer per category. The buffer is cleared each time the variable is set. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default: âË/.mutthistoryâThe file in which Mutt will save its history. -
Type:Â quadoption
+Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+When set, Mutt will not display attachments with a +disposition of âattachmentâ inline even if it could +render the part to plain text. These MIME parts can only +be viewed from the attachment menu. +
+If unset, Mutt will render all MIME parts it can +properly transform to plain text. +
Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â yesThis variable controls whether or not a Mail-Followup-To header is honored when group-replying to a message. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Specifies the fully-qualified hostname of the system mutt is running on containing the host's name and the DNS domain it belongs to. It is used @@ -4327,30 +4880,30 @@ Message-Id headers.
Its value is determined at startup as follows: If the node's name as returned by the
uname(3)function contains the hostname and the -domain, these are used to construct $hostname. If there is no +domain, these are used to construct $hostname. If there is no domain part returned, Mutt will look for a âdomainâ or âsearchâ line in/etc/resolv.confto determine the domain. Optionally, Mutt can be compiled with a fixed domain name in which case a detected one is not used.-Also see $use_domain and $hidden_host. -
Type:Â boolean
+Also see $use_domain and $hidden_host. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noThis option replaces linear-white-space between encoded-word and text to a single space to prevent the display of MIME-encoded âSubject:â field from being divided into multiple lines. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noAffects the behaviour of the
<reply>function when replying to messages from mailing lists (as defined by the âsubscribeâ or -âlistsâ commands). When set, if the âReply-To:â field is +âlistsâ commands). When set, if the âReply-To:â field is set to the same value as the âTo:â field, Mutt assumes that the âReply-To:â field was set by the mailing list to automate responses to the list, and will ignore this field. To direct a response to the mailing list when this option is set, use the<list-reply>function;<group-reply>will reply to both the sender and the list. -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This is a colon-delimited list of authentication methods mutt may attempt to use to log in to an IMAP server, in the order mutt should @@ -4364,23 +4917,22 @@ Example:
set imap_authenticators="gssapi:cram-md5:login" -Note: Mutt will only fall back to other authentication methods if the previous methods are unavailable. If a method is available but authentication fails, mutt will not connect to the IMAP server. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, mutt will fetch the set of subscribed folders from your server on connection, and add them to the set of mailboxes -it polls for new mail just as if you had issued individual âmailboxesâ +it polls for new mail just as if you had issued individual âmailboxesâ commands. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â â/.âThis contains the list of characters which you would like to treat as folder separators for displaying IMAP paths. In particular it helps in using the â=â shortcut for your folder variable. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Mutt requests these header fields in addition to the default headers (âDate:â, âFrom:â, âSubject:â, âTo:â, âCc:â, âMessage-Id:â, @@ -4392,14 +4944,14 @@ headers for spam detection. Note: This is a space separated list, items should be uppercase and not contain the colon, e.g. âX-BOGOSITY X-SPAM-STATUSâ for the âX-Bogosity:â and âX-Spam-Status:â header fields. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, mutt will attempt to use the IMAP IDLE extension to check for new mail in the current mailbox. Some servers (dovecot was the inspiration for this option) react badly to mutt's implementation. If your connection seems to freeze up periodically, try unsetting this. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 900This variable specifies the maximum amount of time in seconds that mutt will wait before polling open IMAP connections, to prevent the server @@ -4408,39 +4960,39 @@ well within the RFC-specified minimum amount of time (30 minutes) before a server is allowed to do this, but in practice the RFC does get violated every now and then. Reduce this number if you find yourself getting disconnected from your IMAP server due to inactivity. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noThis variable configures whether IMAP folder browsing will look for only subscribed folders or all folders. This can be toggled in the IMAP browser with the
<toggle-subscribed>function. -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Your login name on the IMAP server.
-This variable defaults to the value of $imap_user. -
Type:Â string
+This variable defaults to the value of $imap_user. +Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Specifies the password for your IMAP account. If unset, Mutt will -prompt you for your password when you invoke the
<fetch-mail>function +prompt you for your password when you invoke the<imap-fetch-mail>function or try to open an IMAP folder.Warning: you should only use this option when you are on a fairly secure machine, because the superuser can read your muttrc even if you are the only one who can read the file. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen set, mutt will not open new IMAP connections to check for new mail. Mutt will only check for new mail over existing IMAP connections. This is useful if you don't want to be prompted to user/password pairs on mutt invocation, or if opening the connection is slow. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen set, mutt will avoid implicitly marking your mail as read whenever you fetch a message from the server. This is generally a good thing, but can make closing an IMAP folder somewhat slower. This option exists to appease speed freaks. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 15Controls the number of IMAP commands that may be queued up before they are sent to the server. A deeper pipeline reduces the amount of time @@ -4449,47 +5001,46 @@ more responsive. But not all servers correctly handle pipelined commands, so if you have problems you might want to try setting this variable to 0.
Note: Changes to this variable have no effect on open connections. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen set, mutt will display warning messages from the IMAP server as error messages. Since these messages are often harmless, or generated due to configuration problems on the server which are out of the users' hands, you may wish to suppress them at some point. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)The name of the user whose mail you intend to access on the IMAP server.
This variable defaults to your user name on the local machine. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIf set to âyesâ, mutt will look for a mailcap entry with the â
copiousoutputâ flag set for every MIME attachment it doesn't have an internal viewer defined for. If such an entry is found, mutt will use the viewer defined in that entry to convert the body part to text form. -Type:Â quadoption
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â ask-yesControls whether or not a copy of the message(s) you are replying to is included in your reply. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noControls whether or not Mutt includes only the first attachment of the message you are replying. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â â>ÂâSpecifies the string to prepend to each line of text quoted in a message to which you are replying. You are strongly encouraged not to change this value, as it tends to agitate the more fanatical netizens.
-This option is a format string, please see the description of -$index_format for supported
printf(3)-style sequences. +The value of this option is ignored if $text_flowed is set, too because +the quoting mechanism is strictly defined for format=flowed.-Because for
format=lowedstyle messages the quoting mechanism -is strictly defined, this setting is ignored if $text_flowed is -set. -Type:Â string
+This option is a format string, please see the description of +$index_format for supportedprintf(3)-style sequences. +Type:Â string
Default: â%4C %Z %{%b %d} %-15.15L (%?l?%4l&%4c?) %sâThis variable allows you to customize the message index display to your personal taste. @@ -4498,63 +5049,63 @@ your personal taste. function
printf(3)to format output (see the man page for more details). The following sequences are defined in Mutt: -
- %a
address of the author -
- %A
reply-to address (if present; otherwise: address of author) -
- %b
filename of the original message folder (think mailbox) -
- %B
the list to which the letter was sent, or else the folder name (%b). -
- %c
number of characters (bytes) in the message -
- %C
current message number -
- %d
date and time of the message in the format specified by -$date_format converted to sender's time zone -
- %D
date and time of the message in the format specified by -$date_format converted to the local time zone -
- %e
current message number in thread -
- %E
number of messages in current thread -
- %f
sender (address + real name), either From: or Return-Path: -
- %F
author name, or recipient name if the message is from you -
- %H
spam attribute(s) of this message -
- %i
message-id of the current message -
- %l
number of lines in the message (does not work with maildir, +
%a address of the author + %A reply-to address (if present; otherwise: address of author) + %b filename of the original message folder (think mailbox) + %B the list to which the letter was sent, or else the folder name (%b). + %c number of characters (bytes) in the message + %C current message number + %d date and time of the message in the format specified by +$date_format converted to sender's time zone + %D date and time of the message in the format specified by +$date_format converted to the local time zone + %e current message number in thread + %E number of messages in current thread + %f sender (address + real name), either From: or Return-Path: + %F author name, or recipient name if the message is from you + %H spam attribute(s) of this message + %i message-id of the current message + %l number of lines in the message (does not work with maildir, mh, and possibly IMAP folders) - - %L
If an address in the âTo:â or âCc:â header field matches an address +
%L If an address in the âTo:â or âCc:â header field matches an address defined by the users âsubscribeâ command, this displays "To <list-name>", otherwise the same as %F. - - %m
total number of message in the mailbox -
- %M
number of hidden messages if the thread is collapsed. -
- %N
message score -
- %n
author's real name (or address if missing) -
- %O
original save folder where mutt would formerly have +
%m total number of message in the mailbox + %M number of hidden messages if the thread is collapsed. + %N message score + %n author's real name (or address if missing) + %O original save folder where mutt would formerly have stashed the message: list name or recipient name if not sent to a list - - %P
progress indicator for the builtin pager (how much of the file has been displayed) -
- %s
subject of the message -
- %S
status of the message (âNâ/âDâ/âdâ/â!â/ârâ/*) -
- %t
âTo:â field (recipients) -
- %T
the appropriate character from the $to_chars string -
- %u
user (login) name of the author -
- %v
first name of the author, or the recipient if the message is from you -
- %X
number of attachments +
%P progress indicator for the builtin pager (how much of the file has been displayed) + %s subject of the message + %S status of the message (âNâ/âDâ/âdâ/â!â/ârâ/*) + %t âTo:â field (recipients) + %T the appropriate character from the $to_chars string + %u user (login) name of the author + %v first name of the author, or the recipient if the message is from you + %X number of attachments (please see the âattachmentsâ section for possible speed effects) - - %y
âX-Label:â field, if present -
- %Y
âX-Label:â field, if present, and (1) not at part of a thread tree, +
%y âX-Label:â field, if present + %Y âX-Label:â field, if present, and (1) not at part of a thread tree, (2) at the top of a thread, or (3) âX-Label:â is different from preceding message's âX-Label:â. - - %Z
message status flags -
- %{fmt}
the date and time of the message is converted to sender's +
%Z message status flags + %{fmt} the date and time of the message is converted to sender's time zone, and âfmtâ is expanded by the library function strftime(3); a leading bang disables locales -- %[fmt]
the date and time of the message is converted to the local +
%[fmt] the date and time of the message is converted to the local time zone, and âfmtâ is expanded by the library function strftime(3); a leading bang disables locales -- %(fmt)
the local date and time when the message was received. +
%(fmt) the local date and time when the message was received. âfmtâ is expanded by the library function strftime(3); a leading bang disables locales -- %<fmt>
the current local time. âfmtâ is expanded by the library +
%<fmt> the current local time. âfmtâ is expanded by the library function strftime(3); a leading bang disables locales. -- %>X
right justify the rest of the string and pad with character âXâ -
- %|X
pad to the end of the line with character âXâ -
- %*X
soft-fill with character âXâ as pad -
+
%>X right justify the rest of the string and pad with character âXâ + %|X pad to the end of the line with character âXâ + %*X soft-fill with character âXâ as pad + âSoft-fillâ deserves some explanation: Normal right-justification will print everything to the left of the â%>â, displaying padding and whatever lies to the right only if there's room. By contrast, @@ -4564,28 +5115,28 @@ necessary, soft-fill will eat text leftwards to make room for rightward text.
Note that these expandos are supported in -âsave-hookâ, âfcc-hookâ and âfcc-save-hookâ, too. -
Type:Â path
+âsave-hookâ, âfcc-hookâ and âfcc-save-hookâ, too. +Type:Â path
Default:Â âispellâHow to invoke ispell (GNU's spell-checking software). -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIf set, read messages marked as flagged will not be moved -from your spool mailbox to your $mbox mailbox, or as a result of -a âmbox-hookâ command. -
Type:Â string
+from your spool mailbox to your $mbox mailbox, or as a result of +a âmbox-hookâ command. +Type:Â string
Default:Â âCâThe locale used by
strftime(3)to format dates. Legal values are the strings your system accepts for the locale environment variable$LC_TIME. -Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 5This variable configures how often (in seconds) mutt should look for -new mail. Also see the $timeout variable. -
Type:Â string
+new mail. Also see the $timeout variable. +Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This variable specifies which files to consult when attempting to display MIME bodies not directly supported by Mutt. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesIf set, mutt will restrict possible characters in mailcap % expandos to a well-defined set of safe characters. This is the safe setting, @@ -4593,90 +5144,85 @@ but we are not sure it doesn't break some more advanced MIME stuff.
DON'T CHANGE THIS SETTING UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY SURE WHAT YOU ARE DOING! -
Type:Â path
-Default:Â (empty)-This variable points to the header cache database. -If pointing to a directory Mutt will contain a header cache -database file per folder, if pointing to a file that file will -be a single global header cache. By default it is unset so no header -caching will be used. -
-Header caching can greatly improve speed when opening POP, IMAP -MH or Maildir folders, see âcachingâ for details. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesCheck for Maildir unaware programs other than mutt having modified maildir files when the header cache is in use. This incurs one
stat(2)per message every time the folder is opened (which can be very slow for NFS folders). -Type:Â string
-Default:Â â16384â-When mutt is compiled with either gdbm or bdb4 as the header cache backend, -this option changes the database page size. Too large or too small -values can waste space, memory, or CPU time. The default should be more -or less optimal for most use cases. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-When mutt is compiled with qdbm or tokyocabinet as header cache backend, -this option determines whether the database will be compressed. -Compression results in database files roughly being one fifth -of the usual diskspace, but the uncompression can result in a -slower opening of cached folder(s) which in general is still -much faster than opening non header cached folders. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIf set, messages marked as deleted will be saved with the maildir trashed flag instead of unlinked. Note: this only applies to maildir-style mailboxes. Setting it will have no effect on other mailbox types. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesControls whether or not mutt marks new unread messages as old if you exit a mailbox without reading them. With this option set, the next time you start mutt, the messages will show up with an âOâ next to them in the index menu, indicating that they are old. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesControls the display of wrapped lines in the internal pager. If set, a â+â marker is displayed at the beginning of wrapped lines.
-Also see the $smart_wrap variable. -
Type: regular expression
+Also see the $smart_wrap variable. +Type: regular expression
Default:Â â!^\.[^.]âA regular expression used in the file browser, optionally preceded by the not operator â!â. Only files whose names match this mask will be shown. The match is always case-sensitive. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default: âË/mboxâ-This specifies the folder into which read mail in your $spoolfile +This specifies the folder into which read mail in your $spoolfile folder will be appended.
-Also see the $move variable. -
Type: folder magic
+Also see the $move variable. +Type: folder magic
Default:Â mboxThe default mailbox type used when creating new folders. May be any of -âmboxâ, âMMDFâ, âMHâ and âMaildirâ. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If unset, Mutt will remove your address (see the âalternatesâ -command) from the list of recipients when replying to a message. -
Type:Â number
+âmboxâ, âMMDFâ, âMHâ and âMaildirâ. This is overriden by the +-mcommand-line option. +Type:Â number
Default:Â 0This variable controls the number of lines of context that are given -when scrolling through menus. (Similar to $pager_context.) -
Type:Â boolean
+when scrolling through menus. (Similar to $pager_context.) +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen unset, the bottom entry of menus will never scroll up past the bottom of the screen, unless there are less entries than lines. When set, the bottom entry may move off the bottom. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, menus will be scrolled up or down one line when you attempt to move across a screen boundary. If unset, the screen is cleared and the next or previous page of the menu is displayed (useful for slow links to avoid many redraws). -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+If set, mutt will clean out obsolete entries from the message cache when +the mailbox is synchronized. You probably only want to set it +every once in a while, since it can be a little slow +(especially for large folders). +
Type:Â path
+Default:Â (empty)+Set this to a directory and mutt will cache copies of messages from +your IMAP and POP servers here. You are free to remove entries at any +time. +
+When setting this variable to a directory, mutt needs to fetch every +remote message only once and can perform regular expression searches +as fast as for local folders. +
+Also see the $message_cache_clean variable. +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â â%sâ+This is the string displayed in the âattachmentâ menu for +attachments of type
message/rfc822. For a full listing of defined +printf(3)-like sequences see the section on $index_format. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIf set, forces Mutt to interpret keystrokes with the high bit (bit 8) set as if the user had pressed the Esc key and whatever key remains @@ -4685,7 +5231,11 @@ has an ASCII value of
0xf8, then this is treated as pressed Esc then âxâ. This is because the result of removing the high bit from0xf8is0x78, which is the ASCII character âxâ. -Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+If unset, Mutt will remove your address (see the âalternatesâ +command) from the list of recipients when replying to a message. +
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen unset, mutt will mimic mh's behaviour and rename deleted messages to ,<old file name> in mh folders instead of really deleting @@ -4693,17 +5243,17 @@ them. This leaves the message on disk but makes programs reading the folder ignore it. If the variable is set, the message files will simply be deleted.
-This option is similar to $maildir_trash for Maildir folders. -
Type:Â string
+This option is similar to $maildir_trash for Maildir folders. +Type:Â string
Default:Â âflaggedâThe name of the MH sequence used for flagged messages. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â ârepliedâThe name of the MH sequence used to tag replied messages. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â âunseenâThe name of the MH sequence used for unseen messages. -
Type:Â quadoption
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â noWhen set, the message you are forwarding will be attached as a separate
message/rfc822MIME part instead of included in the main body of the @@ -4712,72 +5262,50 @@ can properly view the message as it was delivered to you. If you like to switch between MIME and not MIME from mail to mail, set this variable to âask-noâ or âask-yesâ.-Also see $forward_decode and $mime_forward_decode. -
Type:Â boolean
+Also see $forward_decode and $mime_forward_decode. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noControls the decoding of complex MIME messages into
text/plainwhen -forwarding a message while $mime_forward is set. Otherwise -$forward_decode is used instead. -Type:Â quadoption
+forwarding a message while $mime_forward is set. Otherwise +$forward_decode is used instead. +Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â yesWhen forwarding multiple attachments of a MIME message from the attachment menu, attachments which cannot be decoded in a reasonable manner will be attached to the newly composed message if this option is set. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default: â%4n %c %-16s %aâThis variable describes the format of a remailer line on the mixmaster chain selection screen. The following
printf(3)-like sequences are supported: -
- %n
The running number on the menu. -
- %c
Remailer capabilities. -
- %s
The remailer's short name. -
- %a
The remailer's e-mail address. -
Type:Â path
+
%n The running number on the menu. + %c Remailer capabilities. + %s The remailer's short name. + %a The remailer's e-mail address. + Type:Â path
Default:Â âmixmasterâThis variable contains the path to the Mixmaster binary on your system. It is used with various sets of parameters to gather the list of known remailers, and to finally send a message through the mixmaster chain. -
Type:Â quadoption
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â noControls whether or not Mutt will move read messages -from your spool mailbox to your $mbox mailbox, or as a result of -a âmbox-hookâ command. -
Type:Â path
-Default:Â (empty)-Set this to a directory and mutt will cache copies of messages from -your IMAP and POP servers here. You are free to remove entries at any -time. -
-When setting this variable to a directory, mutt needs to fetch every -remote message only once and can perform regular expression searches -as fast as for local folders. -
-Also see the $message_cache_clean variable. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If set, mutt will clean out obsolete entries from the message cache when -the mailbox is synchronized. You probably only want to set it -every once in a while, since it can be a little slow -(especially for large folders). -
Type:Â string
-Default:Â â%sâ-This is the string displayed in the âattachmentâ menu for -attachments of type
message/rfc822. For a full listing of defined -printf(3)-like sequences see the section on $index_format. -Type:Â boolean
+from your spool mailbox to your $mbox mailbox, or as a result of +a âmbox-hookâ command. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noThis variable, when set, makes the thread tree narrower, allowing deeper threads to fit on the screen. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 10Operations that expect to transfer a large amount of data over the -network will update their progress every $net_inc kilobytes. +network will update their progress every $net_inc kilobytes. If set to 0, no progress messages will be displayed.
-See also $read_inc, $write_inc and $net_inc. -
Type:Â path
+See also $read_inc, $write_inc and $net_inc. +Type:Â path
Default:Â âbuiltinâThis variable specifies which pager you would like to use to view messages. The value âbuiltinâ means to use the builtin pager, otherwise this @@ -4788,19 +5316,23 @@ Using an external pager may have some disadvantages: Additional keystrokes are necessary because you can't call mutt functions directly from the pager, and screen resizes cause lines longer than the screen width to be badly formatted in the help menu. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 0This variable controls the number of lines of context that are given when displaying the next or previous page in the internal pager. By default, Mutt will display the line after the last one on the screen at the top of the next page (0 lines of context). -
Type:Â string
++This variable also specifies the amount of context given for search +results. If positive, this many lines will be given before a match, +if 0, the match will be top-aligned. +
Type:Â string
Default: â-%Z- %C/%m: %-20.20n   %s%*  -- (%P)âThis variable controls the format of the one-line message âstatusâ displayed before each message in either the internal or an external -pager. The valid sequences are listed in the $index_format +pager. The valid sequences are listed in the $index_format section. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 0Determines the number of lines of a mini-index which is shown when in the pager. The current message, unless near the top or bottom of the @@ -4811,593 +5343,305 @@ remain to be read in the current thread. One of the lines is reserved for the status bar from the index, so a setting of 6 will only show 5 lines of the actual index. A value of 0 results in no index being shown. If the number of messages in the current folder -is less than $pager_index_lines, then the index will only use as +is less than $pager_index_lines, then the index will only use as many lines as it needs. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen set, the internal-pager will not move to the next message when you are at the end of a message and invoke the
<next-page>function. -Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â no-Setting this variable will cause Mutt to always attempt to -cryptographically sign outgoing messages. This can be overridden -by use of the pgp menu, when signing is not required or -encryption is requested as well. If $smime_is_default is set, -then OpenSSL is used instead to create S/MIME messages and settings can -be overridden by use of the smime menu instead of the pgp menu. -(Crypto only) -
Type:Â boolean
+If set, mutt will automatically attempt to decrypt traditional PGP +messages whenever the user performs an operation which ordinarily would +result in the contents of the message being operated on. For example, +if the user displays a pgp-traditional message which has not been manually +checked with the<check-traditional-pgp>function, mutt will automatically +check the message for traditional pgp. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â no-Setting this variable will cause Mutt to always attempt to PGP -encrypt outgoing messages. This is probably only useful in -connection to the âsend-hookâ command. It can be overridden -by use of the pgp menu, when encryption is not required or -signing is requested as well. If $smime_is_default is set, -then OpenSSL is used instead to create S/MIME messages and -settings can be overridden by use of the smime menu instead. -(Crypto only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-Setting this variable will cause Mutt to ignore OpenPGP subkeys. Instead, -the principal key will inherit the subkeys' capabilities. Unset this -if you want to play interesting key selection games. +This option controls whether Mutt generates old-style inline +(traditional) PGP encrypted or signed messages under certain +circumstances. This can be overridden by use of the pgp menu, +when inline is not required. +
+Note that Mutt might automatically use PGP/MIME for messages +which consist of more than a single MIME part. Mutt can be +configured to ask before sending PGP/MIME messages when inline +(traditional) would not work. +
+Also see the $pgp_mime_auto variable. +
+Also note that using the old-style PGP message format is strongly +deprecated. (PGP only) -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yes-If set, automatically PGP or OpenSSL encrypt replies to messages which are -encrypted. -(Crypto only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If set, automatically PGP or OpenSSL sign replies to messages which are -signed. +If set, mutt will check the exit code of the PGP subprocess when +signing or encrypting. A non-zero exit code means that the +subprocess failed. +(PGP only) +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This format is used to create an old-style âclearsignedâ PGP +message. Note that the use of this format is strongly +deprecated.
-Note: this does not work on messages that are encrypted -and signed! -(Crypto only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If set, automatically PGP or OpenSSL sign replies to messages -which are encrypted. This makes sense in combination with -$crypt_replyencrypt, because it allows you to sign all -messages which are automatically encrypted. This works around -the problem noted in $crypt_replysign, that mutt is not able -to find out whether an encrypted message is also signed. -(Crypto only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-If set, mutt will include a time stamp in the lines surrounding -PGP or S/MIME output, so spoofing such lines is more difficult. -If you are using colors to mark these lines, and rely on these, -you may unset this setting. -(Crypto only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If set, mutt will use a possibly-running
gpg-agent(1)process. +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +possibleprintf(3)-like sequences. (PGP only) -Type:Â quadoption
-Default:Â yes-If âyesâ, always attempt to verify PGP or S/MIME signatures. -If âask-*â, ask whether or not to verify the signature. -If \Fiânoâ, never attempt to verify cryptographic signatures. -(Crypto only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-The default behaviour of mutt is to use PGP on all auto-sign/encryption -operations. To override and to use OpenSSL instead this must be set. -However, this has no effect while replying, since mutt will automatically -select the same application that was used to sign/encrypt the original -message. (Note that this variable can be overridden by unsetting $crypt_autosmime.) -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-This flag controls whether you want to be asked to enter a label -for a certificate about to be added to the database or not. It is -set by default. -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-If set (default) this tells mutt to use the default key for decryption. Otherwise, -if managing multiple certificate-key-pairs, mutt will try to use the mailbox-address -to determine the key to use. It will ask you to supply a key, if it can't find one. -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â string
-Default: â%4n %t%f %4l/0x%k %-4a %2c %uâ-This variable allows you to customize the PGP key selection menu to -your personal taste. This string is similar to $index_format, but -has its own set of
printf(3)-like sequences: - -
- %n
number -
- %k
key id -
- %u
user id -
- %a
algorithm -
- %l
key length -
- %f
flags -
- %c
capabilities -
- %t
trust/validity of the key-uid association -
- %[<s>]
date of the key where <s> is an
strftime(3)expression --(PGP only) -
Type: regular expression
-Default:Â (empty)-If you assign a text to this variable, then a PGP signature is only -considered verified if the output from $pgp_verify_command contains -the text. Use this variable if the exit code from the command is 0 -even for bad signatures. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-If set, mutt will check the exit code of the PGP subprocess when -signing or encrypting. A non-zero exit code means that the -subprocess failed. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If set, use 64 bit PGP key IDs, if unset use the normal 32 bit key IDs. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If set, signed and encrypted messages will consist of nested -
multipart/signedandmultipart/encryptedbody parts. --This is useful for applications like encrypted and signed mailing -lists, where the outer layer (
multipart/encrypted) can be easily -removed, while the innermultipart/signedpart is retained. -(PGP only) -Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-This option controls whether Mutt generates old-style inline -(traditional) PGP encrypted or signed messages under certain -circumstances. This can be overridden by use of the pgp menu, -when inline is not required. -
-Note that Mutt might automatically use PGP/MIME for messages -which consist of more than a single MIME part. Mutt can be -configured to ask before sending PGP/MIME messages when inline -(traditional) would not work. -
-Also see the $pgp_mime_auto variable. -
-Also note that using the old-style PGP message format is strongly -deprecated. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-Setting this variable will cause Mutt to always attempt to -create an inline (traditional) message when replying to a -message which is PGP encrypted/signed inline. This can be -overridden by use of the pgp menu, when inline is not -required. This option does not automatically detect if the -(replied-to) message is inline; instead it relies on Mutt -internals for previously checked/flagged messages. -
-Note that Mutt might automatically use PGP/MIME for messages -which consist of more than a single MIME part. Mutt can be -configured to ask before sending PGP/MIME messages when inline -(traditional) would not work. -
-Also see the $pgp_mime_auto variable. -
-Also note that using the old-style PGP message format is strongly -deprecated. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-If set, mutt will display non-usable keys on the PGP key selection -menu. This includes keys which have been revoked, have expired, or -have been marked as âdisabledâ by the user. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-If you have more than one key pair, this option allows you to specify -which of your private keys to use. It is recommended that you use the -keyid form to specify your key (e.g.
0x00112233). -(PGP only) -Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-If set, Mutt will automatically encode PGP/MIME signed messages as -quoted-printable. Please note that unsetting this variable may -lead to problems with non-verifyable PGP signatures, so only change -this if you know what you are doing. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â number
-Default:Â 300-The number of seconds after which a cached passphrase will expire if -not used. -(PGP only) -
Type: sort order
-Default:Â address-Specifies how the entries in the pgp menu are sorted. The -following are legal values: - -
- address
sort alphabetically by user id -
- keyid
sort alphabetically by key id -
- date
sort by key creation date -
- trust
sort by the trust of the key -
-If you prefer reverse order of the above values, prefix it with -âreverse-â. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â quadoption
-Default:Â ask-yes-This option controls whether Mutt will prompt you for -automatically sending a (signed/encrypted) message using -PGP/MIME when inline (traditional) fails (for any reason). -
-Also note that using the old-style PGP message format is strongly -deprecated. -(PGP only) -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If set, mutt will automatically attempt to decrypt traditional PGP -messages whenever the user performs an operation which ordinarily would -result in the contents of the message being operated on. For example, -if the user displays a pgp-traditional message which has not been manually -checked with the
<check-traditional-pgp>function, mutt will automatically -check the message for traditional pgp. -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This format strings specifies a command which is used to decode application/pgp attachments.
The PGP command formats have their own set of
printf(3)-like sequences: -
- %p
Expands to PGPPASSFD=0 when a pass phrase is needed, to an empty +
%p Expands to PGPPASSFD=0 when a pass phrase is needed, to an empty string otherwise. Note: This may be used with a %? construct. - - %f
Expands to the name of a file containing a message. -
- %s
Expands to the name of a file containing the signature part +
%f Expands to the name of a file containing a message. + %s Expands to the name of a file containing the signature part of a multipart/signedattachment when verifying it. -- %a
The value of $pgp_sign_as. -
- %r
One or more key IDs. -
+
%a The value of $pgp_sign_as. + %r One or more key IDs. + For examples on how to configure these formats for the various versions of PGP which are floating around, see the pgp and gpg sample configuration files in the
samples/subdirectory which has been installed on your system alongside the documentation. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is invoked whenever mutt will need public key information. -Of the sequences supported by $pgp_decode_command, %r is the only -
printf(3)-like sequence used with this format. -(PGP only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to verify PGP signatures. -
-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This command is used to decrypt a PGP encrypted message.
-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(PGP only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This format is used to create a old-style âclearsignedâ PGP -message. Note that the use of this format is strongly -deprecated. -
-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for possible
printf(3)-like sequences. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to create the detached PGP signature for a -
multipart/signedPGP/MIME body part. +This command is used to encrypt a body part without signing it.-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for possible
printf(3)-like sequences. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This command is used to both sign and encrypt a body part.
-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for possible
printf(3)-like sequences. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
+Default: â%4n %t%f %4l/0x%k %-4a %2c %uâ+This variable allows you to customize the PGP key selection menu to +your personal taste. This string is similar to $index_format, but +has its own set of
printf(3)-like sequences: + +
%n number + %k key id + %u user id + %a algorithm + %l key length + %f flags + %c capabilities + %t trust/validity of the key-uid association + %[<s>] date of the key where <s> is an strftime(3)expression ++(PGP only) +
Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to encrypt a body part without signing it. +This command is used to export a public key from the user's +key ring.
-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for possible
printf(3)-like sequences. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to import a key from a message into -the user's public key ring. -
-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +This command is invoked whenever mutt will need public key information. +Of the sequences supported by $pgp_decode_command, %r is the only +printf(3)-like sequence used with this format. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type: regular expression
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to export a public key from the user's -key ring. -
-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +If you assign a text to this variable, then a PGP signature is only +considered verified if the output from $pgp_verify_command contains +the text. Use this variable if the exit code from the command is 0 +even for bad signatures. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+Setting this variable will cause Mutt to ignore OpenPGP subkeys. Instead, +the principal key will inherit the subkeys' capabilities. Unset this +if you want to play interesting key selection games. +(PGP only) +
Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to verify key information from the key selection -menu. +This command is used to import a key from a message into +the user's public key ring.
-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for possible
printf(3)-like sequences. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to list the secret key ring's contents. The -output format must be analogous to the one used by: +This command is used to list the public key ring's contents. The +output format must be analogous to the one used by
gpg --list-keys --with-colons. -This format is also generated by the
pgpringutility which comes with mutt.-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for possible
printf(3)-like sequences. (PGP only) -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to list the public key ring's contents. The -output format must be analogous to the one used by +This command is used to list the secret key ring's contents. The +output format must be analogous to the one used by:
gpg --list-keys --with-colons. -This format is also generated by the
pgpringutility which comes with mutt.-This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for possible
printf(3)-like sequences. (PGP only) -Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-Controls the handling of encrypted messages when forwarding a message. -When set, the outer layer of encryption is stripped off. This -variable is only used if $mime_forward is set and -$mime_forward_decode is unset. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+If set, use 64 bit PGP key IDs, if unset use the normal 32 bit key IDs. (PGP only) -
Type:Â number
-Default:Â 300-The number of seconds after which a cached passphrase will expire if -not used. -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This sets the algorithm that should be used for encryption. -Valid choices are âdesâ, âdes3â, ârc2-40â, ârc2-64â, ârc2-128â. -If unset, â3desâ (TripleDES) is used. -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â path
-Default:Â (empty)-Since for S/MIME there is no pubring/secring as with PGP, mutt has to handle -storage and retrieval of keys/certs by itself. This is very basic right now, -and stores keys and certificates in two different directories, both -named as the hash-value retrieved from OpenSSL. There is an index file -which contains mailbox-address keyid pair, and which can be manually -edited. This option points to the location of the private keys. -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â path
-Default:Â (empty)-This variable contains the name of either a directory, or a file which -contains trusted certificates for use with OpenSSL. -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â path
-Default:Â (empty)-Since for S/MIME there is no pubring/secring as with PGP, mutt has to handle -storage and retrieval of keys by itself. This is very basic right -now, and keys and certificates are stored in two different -directories, both named as the hash-value retrieved from -OpenSSL. There is an index file which contains mailbox-address -keyid pairs, and which can be manually edited. This option points to -the location of the certificates. -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This format string specifies a command which is used to decrypt -
application/x-pkcs7-mimeattachments. --The OpenSSL command formats have their own set of
printf(3)-like sequences -similar to PGP's: - -
- %f
Expands to the name of a file containing a message. -
- %s
Expands to the name of a file containing the signature part - of a
multipart/signedattachment when verifying it. -- %k
The key-pair specified with $smime_default_key -
- %c
One or more certificate IDs. -
- %a
The algorithm used for encryption. -
- %C
CA location: Depending on whether $smime_ca_location - points to a directory or file, this expands to - â-CApath $smime_ca_locationâ or â-CAfile $smime_ca_locationâ. -
-For examples on how to configure these formats, see the
smime.rcin -thesamples/subdirectory which has been installed on your system -alongside the documentation. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to verify S/MIME signatures of type
multipart/signed. --This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to verify S/MIME signatures of type -
application/x-pkcs7-mime. --This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to created S/MIME signatures of type -
multipart/signed, which can be read by all mail clients. --This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to created S/MIME signatures of type -
application/x-pkcs7-signature, which can only be handled by mail -clients supporting the S/MIME extension. +Type:Â quadoption
+Default:Â ask-yes+This option controls whether Mutt will prompt you for +automatically sending a (signed/encrypted) message using +PGP/MIME when inline (traditional) fails (for any reason).
-This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to create encrypted S/MIME messages. +Also note that using the old-style PGP message format is strongly +deprecated. +(PGP only) +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+Setting this variable will cause Mutt to always attempt to +create an inline (traditional) message when replying to a +message which is PGP encrypted/signed inline. This can be +overridden by use of the pgp menu, when inline is not +required. This option does not automatically detect if the +(replied-to) message is inline; instead it relies on Mutt +internals for previously checked/flagged messages.
-This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to extract PKCS7 structures of S/MIME signatures, -in order to extract the public X509 certificate(s). +Note that Mutt might automatically use PGP/MIME for messages +which consist of more than a single MIME part. Mutt can be +configured to ask before sending PGP/MIME messages when inline +(traditional) would not work.
-This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to extract X509 certificates from a PKCS7 structure. +Also see the $pgp_mime_auto variable.
-This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to extract only the signers X509 certificate from a S/MIME -signature, so that the certificate's owner may get compared to the -email's âFrom:â field. +Also note that using the old-style PGP message format is strongly +deprecated. +(PGP only) +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+If set, signed and encrypted messages will consist of nested +
multipart/signedandmultipart/encryptedbody parts.-This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
+This is useful for applications like encrypted and signed mailing +lists, where the outer layer (multipart/encrypted) can be easily +removed, while the innermultipart/signedpart is retained. +(PGP only) +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+If set, mutt will display non-usable keys on the PGP key selection +menu. This includes keys which have been revoked, have expired, or +have been marked as âdisabledâ by the user. +(PGP only) +
Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to import a certificate via smime_keys. -
-This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for -possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
+If you have more than one key pair, this option allows you to specify +which of your private keys to use. It is recommended that you use the +keyid form to specify your key (e.g.0x00112233). +(PGP only) +Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This command is used to extract the mail address(es) used for storing -X509 certificates, and for verification purposes (to check whether the -certificate was issued for the sender's mailbox). +This command is used to create the detached PGP signature for a +
multipart/signedPGP/MIME body part.-This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for possible
printf(3)-like sequences. -(S/MIME only) -Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-This is the default key-pair to use for signing. This must be set to the -keyid (the hash-value that OpenSSL generates) to work properly -(S/MIME only) -
Type:Â path
-Default:Â (empty)-The file containing a client certificate and its associated private -key. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-If this variable is set, Mutt will require that all connections -to remote servers be encrypted. Furthermore it will attempt to -negotiate TLS even if the server does not advertise the capability, -since it would otherwise have to abort the connection anyway. This -option supersedes $ssl_starttls. -
Type:Â quadoption
-Default:Â yes-If set (the default), mutt will attempt to use
STARTTLSon servers -advertising the capability. When unset, mutt will not attempt to -useSTARTTLSregardless of the server's capabilities. -Type:Â path
-Default: âË/.mutt_certificatesâ-This variable specifies the file where the certificates you trust -are saved. When an unknown certificate is encountered, you are asked -if you accept it or not. If you accept it, the certificate can also -be saved in this file and further connections are automatically -accepted. -
-You can also manually add CA certificates in this file. Any server -certificate that is signed with one of these CA certificates is -also automatically accepted. -
-Example: - -
-set certificate_file=~/.mutt/certificates +(PGP only) +Type: sort order
+Default:Â address+Specifies how the entries in the pgp menu are sorted. The +following are legal values: -
Type:Â boolean
+
address sort alphabetically by user id + keyid sort alphabetically by key id + date sort by key creation date + trust sort by the trust of the key + +If you prefer reverse order of the above values, prefix it with +âreverse-â. +(PGP only) +
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yes-If set to yes, mutt will use CA certificates in the -system-wide certificate store when checking if a server certificate -is signed by a trusted CA. -
Type:Â path
+If set, Mutt will automatically encode PGP/MIME signed messages as +quoted-printable. Please note that unsetting this variable may +lead to problems with non-verifyable PGP signatures, so only change +this if you know what you are doing. +(PGP only) +Type:Â number
+Default:Â 300+The number of seconds after which a cached passphrase will expire if +not used. +(PGP only) +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+If set, mutt will use a possibly-running
gpg-agent(1)process. +(PGP only) +Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-The file which includes random data that is used to initialize SSL -library functions. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-This variables specifies whether to attempt to use SSLv2 in the -SSL authentication process. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-This variables specifies whether to attempt to use SSLv3 in the -SSL authentication process. -
Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-This variables specifies whether to attempt to use TLSv1 in the -SSL authentication process. -
Type:Â number
-Default:Â 0-This variable specifies the minimum acceptable prime size (in bits) -for use in any Diffie-Hellman key exchange. A value of 0 will use -the default from the GNUTLS library. -
Type:Â path
+This command is used to verify PGP signatures. ++This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(PGP only) +Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)-This variable specifies a file containing trusted CA certificates. -Any server certificate that is signed with one of these CA -certificates is also automatically accepted. +This command is used to verify key information from the key selection +menu.
-Example: - -
-set ssl_ca_certificates_file=/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt - -Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â no-Used in connection with the
<pipe-message>function following -<tag-prefix>. If this variable is unset, when piping a list of -tagged messages Mutt will concatenate the messages and will pipe them -all concatenated. When set, Mutt will pipe the messages one by one. -In both cases the messages are piped in the current sorted order, -and the $pipe_sep separator is added after each message. -Type:Â boolean
+This is a format string, see the $pgp_decode_command command for +possibleprintf(3)-like sequences. +(PGP only) +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noUsed in connection with the
<pipe-message>command. When unset, Mutt will pipe the messages without any preprocessing. When set, Mutt will weed headers and will attempt to decode the messages first. -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â â\nâThe separator to add between messages when piping a list of tagged messages to an external Unix command. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+Used in connection with the
<pipe-message>function following +<tag-prefix>. If this variable is unset, when piping a list of +tagged messages Mutt will concatenate the messages and will pipe them +all concatenated. When set, Mutt will pipe the messages one by one. +In both cases the messages are piped in the current sorted order, +and the $pipe_sep separator is added after each message. +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+If set, Mutt will try all available authentication methods. +When unset, Mutt will only fall back to other authentication +methods if the previous methods are unavailable. If a method is +available but authentication fails, Mutt will not connect to the POP server. +
Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This is a colon-delimited list of authentication methods mutt may attempt to use to log in to an POP server, in the order mutt should @@ -5411,47 +5655,30 @@ Example:
set pop_authenticators="digest-md5:apop:user" - -Type:Â boolean
-Default:Â yes-If set, Mutt will try all available authentication methods. -When unset, Mutt will only fall back to other authentication -methods if the previous methods are unavailable. If a method is -available but authentication fails, Mutt will not connect to the POP server. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 60This variable configures how often (in seconds) mutt should look for new mail in the currently selected mailbox if it is a POP mailbox. -
Type:Â quadoption
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â ask-noIf set, Mutt will delete successfully downloaded messages from the POP server when using the
<fetch-mail>function. When unset, Mutt will download messages but also leave them on the POP server. -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)The name of your POP server for the
<fetch-mail>function. You can also specify an alternative port, username and password, ie:[pop[s]://][username[:password]@]popserver[:port] -where â[...]â denotes an optional part. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIf this variable is set, mutt will try to use the â
LASTâ POP command for retrieving only unread messages from the POP server when using the<fetch-mail>function. -Type:Â quadoption
-Default:Â ask-yes-Controls whether or not Mutt will try to reconnect to the POP server if -the connection is lost. -
Type:Â string
-Default:Â (empty)-Your login name on the POP server. -
-This variable defaults to your user name on the local machine. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Specifies the password for your POP account. If unset, Mutt will prompt you for your password when you open a POP mailbox. @@ -5459,24 +5686,33 @@ prompt you for your password when you open a POP mailbox. Warning: you should only use this option when you are on a fairly secure machine, because the superuser can read your muttrc even if you are the only one who can read the file. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â quadoption
+Default:Â ask-yes+Controls whether or not Mutt will try to reconnect to the POP server if +the connection is lost. +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+Your login name on the POP server. +
+This variable defaults to your user name on the local machine. +
Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Similar to the $attribution variable, Mutt will append this string after the inclusion of a message which is being replied to. -
Type:Â quadoption
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â ask-yes-Controls whether or not messages are saved in the $postponed +Controls whether or not messages are saved in the $postponed mailbox when you elect not to send immediately.
-Also see the $recall variable. -
Type:Â path
+Also see the $recall variable. +Type:Â path
Default: âË/postponedâ-Mutt allows you to indefinitely âpostpone sending a messageâ which +Mutt allows you to indefinitely âpostpone sending a messageâ which you are editing. When you choose to postpone a message, Mutt saves it in the mailbox specified by this variable.
-Also see the $postpone variable. -
Type:Â string
+Also see the $postpone variable. +Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)If set, a shell command to be executed if mutt fails to establish a connection to the server. This is useful for setting up secure @@ -5486,77 +5722,76 @@ status, mutt gives up opening the server. Example:
set preconnect="ssh -f -q -L 1234:mailhost.net:143 mailhost.net \ sleep 20 < /dev/null > /dev/null" -Mailbox âfooâ on âmailhost.netâ can now be reached as â{localhost:1234}fooâ.
Note: For this example to work, you must be able to log in to the remote machine without having to enter a password. -
Type:Â quadoption
+Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â ask-noControls whether or not Mutt really prints messages. This is set to âask-noâ by default, because some people accidentally hit âpâ often. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default:Â âlprâThis specifies the command pipe that should be used to print messages. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesUsed in connection with the
<print-message>command. If this option is set, the message is decoded before it is passed to the -external command specified by $print_command. If this option +external command specified by $print_command. If this option is unset, no processing will be applied to the message when printing it. The latter setting may be useful if you are using some advanced printer filter which is able to properly format e-mail messages for printing. -Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noUsed in connection with the
<print-message>command. If this option -is set, the command specified by $print_command is executed once for +is set, the command specified by $print_command is executed once for each message which is to be printed. If this option is unset, -the command specified by $print_command is executed only once, and +the command specified by $print_command is executed only once, and all the messages are concatenated, with a form feed as the message separator.Those who use the
enscript(1) program's mail-printing mode will most likely want to set this option. -Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yes-If you use an external $pager, setting this variable will +If you use an external $pager, setting this variable will cause Mutt to prompt you for a command when the pager exits rather than returning to the index menu. If unset, Mutt will return to the index menu when the external pager exits. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default:Â (empty)This specifies the command that mutt will use to make external address queries. The string should contain a â%sâ, which will be substituted with the query string the user types. See âqueryâ for more information. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default: â%4c %t %-25.25a %-25.25n %?e?(%e)?âThis variable describes the format of the âqueryâ menu. The following
printf(3)-style sequences are understood: -
- %a
destination address -
- %c
current entry number -
- %e
extra information * -
- %n
destination name -
- %t
â*â if current entry is tagged, a space otherwise -
- %>X
right justify the rest of the string and pad with âXâ -
- %|X
pad to the end of the line with âXâ -
- %*X
soft-fill with character âXâ as pad -
-For an explanation of âsoft-fillâ, see the $index_format documentation. -
-* = can be optionally printed if nonzero, see the $status_format documentation. -
Type:Â quadoption
+
%a destination address + %c current entry number + %e extra information * + %n destination name + %t â*â if current entry is tagged, a space otherwise + %>X right justify the rest of the string and pad with âXâ + %|X pad to the end of the line with âXâ + %*X soft-fill with character âXâ as pad + +For an explanation of âsoft-fillâ, see the $index_format documentation. +
+* = can be optionally printed if nonzero, see the $status_format documentation. +
Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â yesThis variable controls whether âquitâ and âexitâ actually quit from mutt. If this option is set, they do quit, if it is unset, they have no effect, and if it is set to ask-yes or ask-no, you are prompted for confirmation when you try to quit. -
Type: regular expression
+Type: regular expression
Default:Â â^([Â \t]*[|>:}#])+âA regular expression used in the internal pager to determine quoted sections of text in the body of a message. Quoted text may be filtered @@ -5568,8 +5803,8 @@ Higher levels of quoting may be colored differently (âcolo the last character from the matched text and recursively reapplying the regular expression until it fails to produce a match.
-Match detection may be overridden by the $smileys regular expression. -
Type:Â number
+Match detection may be overridden by the $smileys regular expression. +Type:Â number
Default:Â 10If set to a value greater than 0, Mutt will display which message it is currently on when reading a mailbox or when performing search actions @@ -5581,20 +5816,20 @@ reading or searching large mailboxes which may take some time. When set to 0, only a single message will appear before the reading the mailbox.
-Also see the $write_inc, $net_inc and $time_inc variables and the -âtuningâ section of the manual for performance considerations. -
Type:Â boolean
+Also see the $write_inc, $net_inc and $time_inc variables and the +âtuningâ section of the manual for performance considerations. +Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This variable specifies what ârealâ or âpersonalâ name should be used when sending messages.
By default, this is the GECOS field from
/etc/passwd. Note that this variable will not be used when the user has set a real name -in the $from variable. -Type:Â quadoption
+in the $from variable. +Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â ask-yesControls whether or not Mutt recalls postponed messages when composing a new message. @@ -5602,29 +5837,29 @@ when composing a new message. Setting this variable to is not generally useful, and thus not recommended.
-Also see $postponed variable. -
Type:Â path
+Also see $postponed variable. +Type:Â path
Default: âË/sentâThis specifies the file into which your outgoing messages should be appended. (This is meant as the primary method for saving a copy of -your messages, but another way to do this is using the âmy_hdrâ +your messages, but another way to do this is using the âmy_hdrâ command to create a âBcc:â field with your email address in it.)
-The value of $record is overridden by the $force_name and -$save_name variables, and the âfcc-hookâ command. -
3.241. reply_regexp
Type: regular expression
+The value of $record is overridden by the $force_name and +$save_name variables, and the âfcc-hookâ command. +3.212. reply_regexp
Type: regular expression
Default:Â â^(re([\[0-9\]+])*|aw):[Â \t]*âA regular expression used to recognize reply messages when threading and replying. The default value corresponds to the English "Re:" and the German "Aw:". -
3.242. reply_self
Type:Â boolean
+3.213. reply_self
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIf unset and you are replying to a message sent by you, Mutt will assume that you want to reply to the recipients of that message rather than to yourself.
-Also see the âalternatesâ command. -
3.243. reply_to
Type:Â quadoption
+Also see the âalternatesâ command. +3.214. reply_to
Type:Â quadoption
Default:Â ask-yesIf set, when replying to a message, Mutt will use the address listed in the Reply-to: header as the recipient of the reply. If unset, @@ -5632,12 +5867,12 @@ it will use the address in the From: header field instead. This option is useful for reading a mailing list that sets the Reply-To: header field to the list address and you want to send a private message to the author of a message. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen set, the cursor will be automatically advanced to the next (possibly undeleted) message whenever a command that modifies the current message is executed. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noThis variable controls whether or not Mutt will display the âpersonalâ name from your aliases in the index menu if it finds an alias that @@ -5646,36 +5881,34 @@ alias:
alias juser abd30425@somewhere.net (Joe User) -and then you receive mail which contains the following header:
From: abd30425@somewhere.net -It would be displayed in the index menu as âJoe Userâ instead of âabd30425@somewhere.net.â This is useful when the person's e-mail address is not human friendly. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIt may sometimes arrive that you receive mail to a certain machine, move the messages to another machine, and reply to some the messages from there. If this variable is set, the default From: line of the reply messages is built using the address where you received the messages you are replying to if that address matches your -âalternatesâ. If the variable is unset, or the address that would be -used doesn't match your âalternatesâ, the From: line will use +âalternatesâ. If the variable is unset, or the address that would be +used doesn't match your âalternatesâ, the From: line will use your address on the current machine.
-Also see the âalternatesâ command. -
Type:Â boolean
+Also see the âalternatesâ command. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yes-This variable fine-tunes the behaviour of the $reverse_name feature. +This variable fine-tunes the behaviour of the $reverse_name feature. When it is set, mutt will use the address from incoming messages as-is, possibly including eventual real names. When it is unset, mutt will -override any such real names with the setting of the $realname variable. -
Type:Â boolean
+override any such real names with the setting of the $realname variable. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noWhen this variable is set, Mutt will decode RFC2047-encoded MIME parameters. You want to set this variable when mutt suggests you @@ -5683,7 +5916,6 @@ to save attachments to files named like:
=?iso-8859-1?Q?file=5F=E4=5F991116=2Ezip?= -When this variable is set interactively, the change won't be active until you change folders. @@ -5695,56 +5927,60 @@ wild. Also note that setting this parameter will not have the effect that mutt generates this kind of encoding. Instead, mutt will unconditionally use the encoding specified in RFC2231. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIf set, mutt will take the sender's full address when choosing a -default folder for saving a mail. If $save_name or $force_name +default folder for saving a mail. If $save_name or $force_name is set too, the selection of the Fcc folder will be changed as well. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen unset, mailboxes which contain no saved messages will be removed -when closed (the exception is $spoolfile which is never removed). +when closed (the exception is $spoolfile which is never removed). If set, mailboxes are never removed.
Note: This only applies to mbox and MMDF folders, Mutt does not delete MH and Maildir directories. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 0This variable controls the size of the history (per category) saved in the -$history_file file. -
Type:Â boolean
+$history_file file. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noThis variable controls how copies of outgoing messages are saved. When set, a check is made to see if a mailbox specified by the recipient address exists (this is done by searching for a mailbox in -the $folder directory with the username part of the +the $folder directory with the username part of the recipient address). If the mailbox exists, the outgoing message will be saved to that mailbox, otherwise the message is saved to the -$record mailbox. +$record mailbox.
-Also see the $force_name variable. -
Type:Â boolean
+Also see the $force_name variable. +Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesWhen this variable is unset, scoring is turned off. This can be useful to selectively disable scoring for certain folders when the -$score_threshold_delete variable and related are used. -
Type:Â number
+$score_threshold_delete variable and related are used. +Type:Â number
Default:Â -1Messages which have been assigned a score equal to or lower than the value of this variable are automatically marked for deletion by mutt. Since mutt scores are always greater than or equal to zero, the default setting of this variable will never mark a message for deletion. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 9999Messages which have been assigned a score greater than or equal to this variable's value are automatically marked "flagged". -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â -1Messages which have been assigned a score equal to or lower than the value of this variable are automatically marked as read by mutt. Since mutt scores are always greater than or equal to zero, the default setting of this variable will never mark a message read. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â number
+Default:Â 0+For the pager, this variable specifies the number of lines shown +before search results. By default, search results will be top-aligned. +
Type:Â string
Default:Â âus-ascii:iso-8859-1:utf-8âA colon-delimited list of character sets for outgoing messages. Mutt will use the first character set into which the text can be converted exactly. @@ -5756,50 +5992,50 @@ appropriate widely used standard character set (such as
In case the text cannot be converted into one of these exactly, mutt uses $charset as a fallback. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default: â/usr/sbin/sendmail -oem -oiâSpecifies the program and arguments used to deliver mail sent by Mutt. Mutt expects that the specified program interprets additional arguments as recipient addresses. -
Type:Â number
+Type:Â number
Default:Â 0-Specifies the number of seconds to wait for the $sendmail process +Specifies the number of seconds to wait for the $sendmail process to finish before giving up and putting delivery in the background.
Mutt interprets the value of this variable as follows: -
- >0
number of seconds to wait for sendmail to finish before continuing -
- 0
wait forever for sendmail to finish -
- <0
always put sendmail in the background without waiting -
+
>0 number of seconds to wait for sendmail to finish before continuing + 0 wait forever for sendmail to finish + <0 always put sendmail in the background without waiting + Note that if you specify a value other than 0, the output of the child process will be put in a temporary file. If there is some error, you will be informed as to where to find the output. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default:Â (empty)Command to use when spawning a subshell. By default, the user's login shell from
/etc/passwdis used. -Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesIf set, a line containing â-- â (note the trailing space) will be inserted before your -$signature. It is strongly recommended that you not unset +$signature. It is strongly recommended that you not unset this variable unless your signature contains just your name. The reason for this is because many software packages use â-- \nâ to detect your signature. For example, Mutt has the ability to highlight the signature in a different color in the builtin pager. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â noIf set, the signature will be included before any quoted or forwarded text. It is strongly recommended that you do not set this variable unless you really know what you are doing, and are prepared to take some heat from netiquette guardians. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default: âË/.signatureâSpecifies the filename of your signature, which is appended to all outgoing messages. If the filename ends with a pipe (â|â), it is assumed that filename is a shell command and input should be read from its standard output. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default: âËf %s | Ës %sâSpecifies how Mutt should expand a simple search into a real search pattern. A simple search is one that does not contain any of the âËâ pattern @@ -5809,25 +6045,186 @@ For example, if you simply type âjoeâ at a search will automatically expand it to the value specified by this variable by replacing â%sâ with the supplied string. For the default value, âjoeâ would be expanded to: âËf joe | Ës joeâ. -
Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â number
+Default:Â 1+Specifies time, in seconds, to pause while displaying certain informational +messages, while moving from folder to folder and after expunging +messages from the current folder. The default is to pause one second, so +a value of zero for this option suppresses the pause. +
Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesControls the display of lines longer than the screen width in the internal pager. If set, long lines are wrapped at a word boundary. If unset, lines are simply wrapped at the screen edge. Also see the -$markers variable. -
Type: regular expression
+$markers variable. +Type: regular expression
Default: â(>From )|(:[-^]?[][)(><}{|/DP])âThe pager uses this variable to catch some common false -positives of $quote_regexp, most notably smileys and not consider -a line quoted text if it also matches $smileys. This mostly +positives of $quote_regexp, most notably smileys and not consider +a line quoted text if it also matches $smileys. This mostly happens at the beginning of a line. -
Type:Â number
-Default:Â 1-Specifies time, in seconds, to pause while displaying certain informational -messages, while moving from folder to folder and after expunging -messages from the current folder. The default is to pause one second, so -a value of zero for this option suppresses the pause. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+This flag controls whether you want to be asked to enter a label +for a certificate about to be added to the database or not. It is +set by default. +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â path
+Default:Â (empty)+This variable contains the name of either a directory, or a file which +contains trusted certificates for use with OpenSSL. +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â path
+Default:Â (empty)+Since for S/MIME there is no pubring/secring as with PGP, mutt has to handle +storage and retrieval of keys by itself. This is very basic right +now, and keys and certificates are stored in two different +directories, both named as the hash-value retrieved from +OpenSSL. There is an index file which contains mailbox-address +keyid pairs, and which can be manually edited. This option points to +the location of the certificates. +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This format string specifies a command which is used to decrypt +
application/x-pkcs7-mimeattachments. ++The OpenSSL command formats have their own set of
printf(3)-like sequences +similar to PGP's: + +
%f Expands to the name of a file containing a message. + %s Expands to the name of a file containing the signature part + of a multipart/signedattachment when verifying it. +%k The key-pair specified with $smime_default_key + %c One or more certificate IDs. + %a The algorithm used for encryption. + %C CA location: Depending on whether $smime_ca_location + points to a directory or file, this expands to + â-CApath $smime_ca_locationâ or â-CAfile $smime_ca_locationâ. + +For examples on how to configure these formats, see the
smime.rcin +thesamples/subdirectory which has been installed on your system +alongside the documentation. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+If set (default) this tells mutt to use the default key for decryption. Otherwise, +if managing multiple certificate-key-pairs, mutt will try to use the mailbox-address +to determine the key to use. It will ask you to supply a key, if it can't find one. +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This is the default key-pair to use for signing. This must be set to the +keyid (the hash-value that OpenSSL generates) to work properly +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to create encrypted S/MIME messages. +
+This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This sets the algorithm that should be used for encryption. +Valid choices are âdesâ, âdes3â, ârc2-40â, ârc2-64â, ârc2-128â. +If unset, â3desâ (TripleDES) is used. +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to extract X509 certificates from a PKCS7 structure. +
+This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to extract the mail address(es) used for storing +X509 certificates, and for verification purposes (to check whether the +certificate was issued for the sender's mailbox). +
+This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to extract only the signers X509 certificate from a S/MIME +signature, so that the certificate's owner may get compared to the +email's âFrom:â field. +
+This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to import a certificate via smime_keys. +
+This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+The default behaviour of mutt is to use PGP on all auto-sign/encryption +operations. To override and to use OpenSSL instead this must be set. +However, this has no effect while replying, since mutt will automatically +select the same application that was used to sign/encrypt the original +message. (Note that this variable can be overridden by unsetting $crypt_autosmime.) +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â path
+Default:Â (empty)+Since for S/MIME there is no pubring/secring as with PGP, mutt has to handle +storage and retrieval of keys/certs by itself. This is very basic right now, +and stores keys and certificates in two different directories, both +named as the hash-value retrieved from OpenSSL. There is an index file +which contains mailbox-address keyid pair, and which can be manually +edited. This option points to the location of the private keys. +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to extract PKCS7 structures of S/MIME signatures, +in order to extract the public X509 certificate(s). +
+This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to created S/MIME signatures of type +
multipart/signed, which can be read by all mail clients. ++This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to created S/MIME signatures of type +
application/x-pkcs7-signature, which can only be handled by mail +clients supporting the S/MIME extension. ++This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â number
+Default:Â 300+The number of seconds after which a cached passphrase will expire if +not used. +(S/MIME only) +
Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to verify S/MIME signatures of type
multipart/signed. ++This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â string
+Default:Â (empty)+This command is used to verify S/MIME signatures of type +
application/x-pkcs7-mime. ++This is a format string, see the $smime_decrypt_command command for +possible
printf(3)-like sequences. +(S/MIME only) +Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)This is a colon-delimited list of authentication methods mutt may attempt to use to log in to an SMTP server, in the order mutt should @@ -5841,29 +6238,27 @@ Example:
set smtp_authenticators="digest-md5:cram-md5" - -Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Specifies the password for your SMTP account. If unset, Mutt will prompt you for your password when you first send mail via SMTP. -See $smtp_url to configure mutt to send mail via SMTP. +See $smtp_url to configure mutt to send mail via SMTP.
Warning: you should only use this option when you are on a fairly secure machine, because the superuser can read your muttrc even if you are the only one who can read the file. -
Type:Â string
+Type:Â string
Default:Â (empty)Defines the SMTP smarthost where sent messages should relayed for delivery. This should take the form of an SMTP URL, eg:
smtp[s]://[user[:pass]@]host[:port]/ --... where â[...]â denotes an optional part. -Setting this variable overrides the value of the $sendmail +where â[...]â denotes an optional part. +Setting this variable overrides the value of the $sendmail variable. -
Type: sort order
+Type: sort order
Default:Â dateSpecifies how to sort messages in the âindexâ menu. Valid values are: @@ -5881,7 +6276,7 @@ are:
You may optionally use the âreverse-â prefix to specify reverse sorting order (example: â
set sort=reverse-date-sentâ). -Type: sort order
+Type: sort order
Default:Â aliasSpecifies how the entries in the âaliasâ menu are sorted. The following are legal values: @@ -5889,29 +6284,28 @@ following are legal values:
address (sort alphabetically by email address)
alias (sort alphabetically by alias name)
unsorted (leave in order specified in .muttrc) -
Type: sort order
Default:Â dateWhen sorting by threads, this variable controls how threads are sorted in relation to other threads, and how the branches of the thread trees -are sorted. This can be set to any value that $sort can, except +are sorted. This can be set to any value that $sort can, except âthreadsâ (in that case, mutt will just use âdate-sentâ). You can also specify the âlast-â prefix in addition to the âreverse-â prefix, but âlast-â must come after âreverse-â. The âlast-â prefix causes messages to be sorted against its siblings by which has the last descendant, using -the rest of $sort_aux as an ordering. For instance, +the rest of $sort_aux as an ordering. For instance,
set sort_aux=last-date-received -would mean that if a new message is received in a thread, that thread becomes the last one displayed (or the first, if you have â
set sort=reverse-threadsâ.)-Note: For reversed $sort -order $sort_aux is reversed again (which is not the right thing to do, +Note: For reversed $sort +order $sort_aux is reversed again (which is not the right thing to do, but kept to not break any existing configuration setting). -
Type: sort order
+Type: sort order
Default:Â alphaSpecifies how to sort entries in the file browser. By default, the entries are sorted alphabetically. Valid values: @@ -5923,33 +6317,93 @@ entries are sorted alphabetically. Valid values:
You may optionally use the âreverse-â prefix to specify reverse sorting order (example: â
set sort_browser=reverse-dateâ). -Type:Â boolean
+Type:Â boolean
Default:Â yesThis variable is only useful when sorting by threads with -$strict_threads unset. In that case, it changes the heuristic -mutt uses to thread messages by subject. With $sort_re set, mutt will +$strict_threads unset. In that case, it changes the heuristic +mutt uses to thread messages by subject. With $sort_re set, mutt will only attach a message as the child of another message by subject if the subject of the child message starts with a substring matching the -setting of $reply_regexp. With $sort_re unset, mutt will attach +setting of $reply_regexp. With $sort_re unset, mutt will attach the message whether or not this is the case, as long as the -non-$reply_regexp parts of both messages are identical. -
Type:Â string
+non-$reply_regexp parts of both messages are identical. +Type:Â string
Default:Â â,âThis variable controls what happens when multiple spam headers are matched: if unset, each successive header will overwrite any previous matches value for the spam label. If set, each successive match will append to the previous, using this variable's value as a separator. -
Type:Â path
+Type:Â path
Default:Â (empty)If your spool mailbox is in a non-default place where Mutt cannot find it, you can specify its location with this variable. Mutt will -automatically set this variable to the value of the environment -variable
Type:Â string
+initially set this variable to the value of the environment +variable$MAILDIRif either is defined. +Type:Â path
+Default:Â (empty)+This variable specifies a file containing trusted CA certificates. +Any server certificate that is signed with one of these CA +certificates is also automatically accepted. +
+Example: + +
+set ssl_ca_certificates_file=/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt +Type:Â path
+Default:Â (empty)+The file containing a client certificate and its associated private +key. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+If this variable is set, Mutt will require that all connections +to remote servers be encrypted. Furthermore it will attempt to +negotiate TLS even if the server does not advertise the capability, +since it would otherwise have to abort the connection anyway. This +option supersedes $ssl_starttls. +
Type:Â number
+Default:Â 0+This variable specifies the minimum acceptable prime size (in bits) +for use in any Diffie-Hellman key exchange. A value of 0 will use +the default from the GNUTLS library. +
Type:Â quadoption
+Default:Â yes+If set (the default), mutt will attempt to use
STARTTLSon servers +advertising the capability. When unset, mutt will not attempt to +useSTARTTLSregardless of the server's capabilities. +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â no+This variable specifies whether to attempt to use SSLv2 in the +SSL authentication process. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+This variable specifies whether to attempt to use SSLv3 in the +SSL authentication process. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+This variable specifies whether to attempt to use TLSv1 in the +SSL authentication process. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+If set to yes, mutt will use CA certificates in the +system-wide certificate store when checking if a server certificate +is signed by a trusted CA. +
Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+If set (the default), mutt will not automatically accept a server +certificate that is either not yet valid or already expired. You should +only unset this for particular known hosts, using the +
<account-hook>function. +Type:Â boolean
+Default:Â yes+If set (the default), mutt will not automatically accept a server +certificate whose host name does not match the host used in your folder +URL. You should only unset this for particular known hosts, using +the
<account-hook>function. +Type:Â string
Default:Â â-*%AâControls the characters used by the â%râ indicator in -$status_format. The first character is used when the mailbox is +$status_format. The first character is used when the mailbox is unchanged. The second is used when the mailbox has been changed, and it needs to be resynchronized. The third is used if the mailbox is in read-only mode, or if the mailbox will not be written when exiting @@ -5958,39 +6412,39 @@ with the
<toggle-write>operation, bound by d is used to indicate that the current folder has been opened in attach- message mode (Certain operations like composing a new mail, replying, forwarding, etc. are not permitted in this mode). -