ChapterÂ 4.Â Advanced Usage

1.Â Regular Expressions

-All string patterns in Mutt including those in more complex -patterns must be specified -using regular expressions (regexp) in the âPOSIX extendedâ syntax (which +

ChapterÂ 4.Â Advanced Usage
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ChapterÂ 4.Â Advanced Usage

1.Â Character Set Handling

+A âcharacter setâ is basically a mapping between bytes and +glyphs and implies a certain character encoding scheme. For example, for +the ISO 8859 family of character sets, an encoding of 8bit per character +is used. For the Unicode character set, different character encodings +may be used, UTF-8 being the most popular. In UTF-8, a character is +represented using a variable number of bytes ranging from 1 to 4. +

+Since Mutt is a command-line tool run from a shell, and delegates +certain tasks to external tools (such as an editor for composing/editing +messages), all of these tools need to agree on a character set and +encoding. There exists no way to reliably deduce the character set a +plain text file has. Interoperability is gained by the use of +well-defined environment variables. The full set can be printed by +issuing locale on the command line. +

+Upon startup, Mutt determines the character set on its own using +routines that inspect locale-specific environment variables. Therefore, +it is generally not necessary to set the $charset +variable in Mutt. It may even be counter-productive as Mutt uses system +and library functions that derive the character set themselves and on +which Mutt has no influence. It's safest to let Mutt work out the locale +setup itself. +

+If you happen to work with several character sets on a regular basis, +it's highly advisable to use Unicode and an UTF-8 locale. Unicode can +represent nearly all characters in a message at the same time. When not +using a Unicode locale, it may happen that you receive messages with +characters not representable in your locale. When displaying such a +message, or replying to or forwarding it, information may get lost +possibly rendering the message unusable (not only for you but also for +the recipient, this breakage is not reversible as lost information +cannot be guessed). +

+A Unicode locale makes all conversions superfluous which eliminates the +risk of conversion errors. It also eliminates potentially wrong +expectations about the character set between Mutt and external programs. +

+The terminal emulator used also must be properly configured for the +current locale. Terminal emulators usually do not +derive the locale from environment variables, they need to be configured +separately. If the terminal is incorrectly configured, Mutt may display +random and unexpected characters (question marks, octal codes, or just +random glyphs), format strings may not work as expected, you may not be +abled to enter non-ascii characters, and possible more. Data is always +represented using bytes and so a correct setup is very important as to +the machine, all character sets âlookâ the same. +

+Warning: A mismatch between what system and library functions think the +locale is and what Mutt was told what the locale is may make it behave +badly with non-ascii input: it will fail at seemingly random places. +This warning is to be taken seriously since not only local mail handling +may suffer: sent messages may carry wrong character set information the +receiver has too deal with. The need to set +$charset directly in most cases points at terminal +and environment variable setup problems, not Mutt problems. +

+A list of officially assigned and known character sets can be found at +IANA, +a list of locally supported locales can be obtained by running +locale -a. +

2.Â Regular Expressions

+All string patterns in Mutt including those in more complex patterns must be specified using regular +expressions (regexp) in the âPOSIX extendedâ syntax (which is more or less the syntax used by egrep and GNU awk). For your 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

-â\â -must be quoted if used for a regular expression in an initialization -command: â\\â. +

Note

+â\â must be quoted if used for a regular expression in an +initialization command: â\\â.

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

-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 -literal " or ' you must preface it with \ (backslash). +

Note

+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 literal " or ' you must preface it +with \ (backslash).

-The fundamental building blocks are the regular expressions that match -a single character. Most characters, including all letters and digits, +The fundamental building blocks are the regular expressions that match a +single character. Most characters, including all letters and digits, are regular expressions that match themselves. Any metacharacter with special meaning may be quoted by preceding it with a backslash.

-The period â.â matches any single character. The caret â^â and -the dollar sign â$â are metacharacters that respectively match -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] -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 -lists. To include a literal â]â place it first in the list. -Similarly, to include a literal â^â place it anywhere but first. -Finally, to include a literal hyphen â-â place it last. +The period â.â matches any single character. The caret +â^â and the dollar sign â$â are metacharacters +that respectively match 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] 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 lists. To include a +literal â]â place it first in the list. Similarly, to +include a literal â^â place it anywhere but first. +Finally, to include a literal hyphen â-â place it last.

Certain named classes of characters are predefined. Character classes -consist of â[:â, a keyword denoting the class, and â:]â. -The following classes are defined by the POSIX standard in +consist of â[:â, a keyword denoting the class, and +â:]â. The following classes are defined by the POSIX +standard in TableÂ 4.1, âPOSIX regular expression character classesâ -

TableÂ 4.1.Â POSIX regular expression character classes

Character class	Description
[:alnum:]	Alphanumeric characters
[:alpha:]	Alphabetic characters
[:blank:]	Space or tab characters
[:cntrl:]	Control characters
[:digit:]	Numeric characters
[:graph:]	Characters that are both printable and visible. (A space is printable, but not visible, while an âaâ is both)
[:lower:]	Lower-case alphabetic characters
[:print:]	Printable characters (characters that are not control characters)
[:punct:]	Punctuation characters (characters that are not letter, digits, control characters, or space characters)
[:space:]	Space characters (such as space, tab and formfeed, to name a few)
[:upper:]	Upper-case alphabetic characters
[:xdigit:]	Characters that are hexadecimal digits

TableÂ 4.1.Â POSIX regular expression character classes

Character class	Description
[:alnum:]	Alphanumeric characters
[:alpha:]	Alphabetic characters
[:blank:]	Space or tab characters
[:cntrl:]	Control characters
[:digit:]	Numeric characters
[:graph:]	Characters that are both printable and visible. (A space is printable, but not visible, while an âaâ is both)
[:lower:]	Lower-case alphabetic characters
[:print:]	Printable characters (characters that are not control characters)
[:punct:]	Punctuation characters (characters that are not letter, digits, control characters, or space characters)
[:space:]	Space characters (such as space, tab and formfeed, to name a few)
[:upper:]	Upper-case alphabetic characters
[:xdigit:]	Characters that are hexadecimal digits

A character class is only valid in a regular expression inside the brackets of a character list. -

Note

-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]. +

Note

+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].

Two additional special sequences can appear in character lists. These apply to non-ASCII character sets, which can have single symbols (called @@ -90,17 +153,21 @@ as well as several characters that are equivalent for collating or 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 -matches either âcâ or âhâ. +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 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 âÃ¨â âÃ©â and âeâ. In this case, -[[=e=]] is a regexp that matches any of -âÃ¨â, âÃ©â and âeâ. +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 âeâ with grave +(âÃ¨â), âeâ with acute +(âÃ©â) and âeâ. In this case, +[[=e=]] is a regexp that matches any of: +âeâ with grave (âÃ¨â), âeâ +with acute (âÃ©â) and âeâ.

A regular expression matching a single character may be followed by one of several repetition operators described in TableÂ 4.2, âRegular expression repetition operatorsâ. @@ -109,258 +176,272 @@ Two regular expressions may be concatenated; the resulting regular expression matches any string formed by concatenating two substrings that respectively match the concatenated subexpressions.

-Two regular expressions may be joined by the infix operator â|â; -the resulting regular expression matches any string matching either -subexpression. +Two regular expressions may be joined by the infix operator +â|â; the resulting regular expression matches any string +matching either subexpression.

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 included regular expression engine, the -following operators may also be used in regular expressions as described in TableÂ 4.3, âGNU regular expression extensionsâ. +following operators may also be used in regular expressions as described +in TableÂ 4.3, âGNU regular expression extensionsâ.

TableÂ 4.3.Â 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. -

2.Â Patterns: Searching, Limiting and Tagging

2.1.Â Pattern Modifier

3.Â Patterns: Searching, Limiting and Tagging

3.1.Â Pattern Modifier

Many of Mutt's commands allow you to specify a pattern to match (limit, tag-pattern, delete-pattern, etc.). TableÂ 4.4, âPattern modifiersâ shows several ways to select messages. -

TableÂ 4.4.Â 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 +

TableÂ 4.4.Â 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. -

-*) 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 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 =h specially: -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. -

-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. +Where EXPR is a regular expression, and GROUP is an +address group. +

+*) 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 of a regular +expression by using = instead of ~ 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 =h specially: 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. +

+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.

ExampleÂ 4.1.Â Matching all addresses in address lists

 ^~C \.de$
-

2.2.Â Simple Searches

-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 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). +

3.2.Â Simple Searches

+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 contain a valid pattern +modifier (i.e. it does not contain one of these characters: +â~â, 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).

The first type is by checking whether the query string equals a keyword case-insensitively from TableÂ 4.5, âSimple search keywordsâ: 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) +example, if you want to find all messages matching âflagâ +(using $simple_search) but don't want to match flagged messages, simply search for -â[f]lagâ. +â[f]lagâ.

TableÂ 4.5.Â 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 -as a template. Mutt will insert your query properly quoted and search -for the composed complex query. -

2.3.Â Nesting and Boolean Operators

+The second type of simple search is to build a complex search pattern +using $simple_search as a +template. Mutt will insert your query properly quoted and search for the +composed complex query. +

3.3.Â Nesting and Boolean Operators

Logical AND is performed by specifying more than one criterion. For example:

 ~t mutt ~f elkins

-would select messages which contain the word âmuttâ in the list of -recipients and that have the word âelkinsâ in the âFromâ header -field. +would select messages which contain the word âmuttâ in the +list of recipients and that have the word +âelkinsâ in the âFromâ header field.

-Mutt also recognizes the following operators to create more complex search -patterns: -

+Mutt also recognizes the following operators to create more complex +search patterns: +
- ! â logical NOT operator -
- +
- | â logical OR 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. +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.
ExampleÂ 4.2.Â Using boolean operators in patterns
```
 !(~t mutt|~c mutt) ~f elkins
 
```
-Here is an example using white space in the regular expression (note -the ' and " delimiters). For this to match, the mail's subject must -match the â^Junk +From +Me$â and it must be from either âJim +Somebodyâ -or âEd +SomeoneElseâ: +Here is an example using white space in the regular expression (note the +â'â and â"â delimiters). For this to match, +the mail's subject must match the â^Junk +From +Me$â and it +must be from either âJim +Somebodyâ 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 -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. -

2.4.Â Searching by Date

-Mutt supports two types of dates, absolute and relative. -

2.4.1.Â Absolute Dates

-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: +'~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 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: +~f me@(mutt\.org and +cs\.hmc\.edu). They are never what you want. +

3.4.Â Searching by Date

+Mutt supports two types of dates, absolute and +relative. +

3.4.1.Â Absolute Dates

+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:

 Limit to messages matching: ~d 20/1/95-31/10

-If you omit the minimum (first) date, and just specify â-DD/MM/YYâ, all -messages before the given date will be selected. If you omit the maximum -(second) date, and specify âDD/MM/YY-â, all messages after the given -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. -

-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 TableÂ 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. +If you omit the minimum (first) date, and just specify +â-DD/MM/YYâ, all messages before the +given date will be selected. If you omit the maximum (second) date, and +specify âDD/MM/YY-â, all messages +after the given 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. +

+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 TableÂ 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.

TableÂ 4.6.Â Date units

Unit	Description
y	Years
m	Months
w	Weeks
d	Days

-Example: To select any messages two weeks around January 15, 2001, -you'd use the following pattern: +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
-

2.4.2.Â Relative Dates

-This type of date is relative to the current date, and may -be specified as: -

->offset for messages older than offset units -
-<offset for messages newer than offset units -
-=offset for messages exactly offset units old +

3.4.2.Â Relative Dates

+This type of date is relative to the current date, and may be specified +as: +

+>offset for messages older than +offset units +
+<offset for messages newer than +offset units +
+=offset for messages exactly +offset units old

-offset is specified as a positive number with one of the units from TableÂ 4.6, âDate unitsâ. +offset is specified as a positive number with one +of the units from TableÂ 4.6, âDate unitsâ.

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 -in the main index. -

3.Â Using Tags

-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 -delete all messages with a given subject. To tag all messages -matching a pattern, use the <tag-pattern> function, which is bound to -âshift-Tâ by default. Or you can select individual messages by -hand using the <tag-message> function, which is bound to âtâ by -default. See patterns for Mutt's pattern -matching syntax. +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. +

4.Â Using Tags

+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 delete all +messages with a given subject. To tag all messages matching a pattern, +use the <tag-pattern> function, which is bound +to âshift-Tâ by default. Or you can select individual +messages by hand using the <tag-message> +function, which is bound to âtâ by default. See patterns for Mutt's pattern 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 -be applied to all tagged messages if that operation can be used in that -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 <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. -

4.Â Using Hooks

-A hook is a concept found in many other programs which allows you to -execute arbitrary commands before performing some operation. For example, -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: +âtag-prefixâ operator, which is the â;â +(semicolon) key by default. 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 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 +<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. +

5.Â Using Hooks

+A hook is a concept found in many other programs +which allows you to execute arbitrary commands before performing some +operation. For example, 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: -

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 âdefaultâ hook needs to be added before all -other hooks of that type to restore configuration defaults. -

ExampleÂ 4.3.Â Specifying a âdefaultâ hook

+
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 âdefaultâ hook needs to be added before all
+other hooks of that type to restore configuration defaults.
+
ExampleÂ 4.3.Â Specifying a âdefaultâ hook
 send-hook . 'unmy_hdr From:'
 send-hook ~C'^b@b\.b$' my_hdr from: c@c.c
 


-In ExampleÂ 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>.
-
4.1.Â Message Matching in Hooks

-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
-needed for matching since for different purposes you want to match
-different criteria.
-

-Mutt allows the use of the search pattern
-language for matching messages in hook commands.  This works in
-exactly the same way as it would when limiting or
-searching the mailbox, except that you are restricted to those
-operators which match information Mutt extracts from the header of
-the message (i.e., from, to, cc, date, subject, etc.).
+In ExampleÂ 4.3, âSpecifying a âdefaultâ 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>.
+
5.1.Â Message Matching in Hooks

+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 needed for matching since for different purposes you
+want to match different criteria.
+

+Mutt allows the use of the search
+pattern language for matching messages in hook commands.  This
+works in exactly the same way as it would when
+limiting or searching the
+mailbox, except that you are restricted to those 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
 mail to a specific address, you could do something like:
@@ -370,21 +451,20 @@ send-hook '~t ^me@cs\.hmc\.edu$' 'my_hdr From: Mutt User <user@host>'
 which would execute the given command when sending mail to
 me@cs.hmc.edu.
 

-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
-$default_hook variable.  The
-pattern is translated at the time the hook is declared, so the value of
-$default_hook that is in effect
-at that time will be used.
-
5.Â External Address Queries

+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 pattern is
+translated at the time the hook is declared, so the value of $default_hook that is in effect at that
+time will be used.
+

6.Â External Address Queries

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 -command to use. For example: +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'"
+set query_command = "mutt_ldap_query.pl %s"

The wrapper script should accept the query on the command-line. It should return a one line message, then each matching response on a @@ -400,273 +480,294 @@ 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 -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 -addresses to create aliases, or to mail. You can tag multiple addresses -to mail, start a new query, or have a new query appended to the current +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 addresses to +create aliases, or to mail. You can tag multiple addresses to mail, +start a new query, or have a new query appended to the current 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 -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 -menu. At the query menu, you can select one or more addresses to be -added to the prompt. -

6.Â 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. A -short description of the formats follows. -

-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: +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 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 menu. At the query menu, you +can select one or more addresses to be added to the prompt. +

7.Â Mailbox Formats

+Mutt supports reading and writing of four different local mailbox +formats: mbox, MMDF, MH and Maildir. The mailbox type is auto detected, +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. A short description of +the formats follows. +

+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 PST

to denote the start of a new message (this is often referred to as the -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 +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 times 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 (â,â) prepended to the filename. Mutt -detects this type of mailbox by looking for either .mh_sequences -or .xmhcache files (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 -SectionÂ 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 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. -

7.Â Mailbox Shortcuts

-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 or in path-related configuration variables. Note that these only -work at the beginning of a string. -

-! â refers to your $spoolfile (incoming) mailbox -
-> â refers to your $mbox file -
-< â refers to your $record file -
-^ â refers to the current mailbox -
-- or !! â refers to the file you've last visited -
-Ë â refers to your home directory -
-= or + â refers to your $folder directory -
-@alias â refers to the default save folder as determined by the address of the alias -

+renamed with a comma (â,â) prepended to the filename. Mutt +detects this type of mailbox by looking for either +.mh_sequences or .xmhcache files +(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 SectionÂ 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 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. +

8.Â Mailbox Shortcuts

+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 or in path-related configuration variables. Note +that these only work at the beginning of a string. +

TableÂ 4.7.Â Mailbox shortcuts

Shortcut	Refers to...
`!`	your $spoolfile (incoming) mailbox
`>`	your $mbox file
`<`	your $record file
`^`	the current mailbox
`-` or `!!`	the file you've last visited
`~`	your home directory
`=` or `+`	your $folder directory
@alias	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: +were composed in, a folder-hook can be used +to set $record:

-folder-hook . 'set record=^'

8.Â Handling Mailing Lists

+folder-hook . 'set record=^'

9.Â Handling Mailing Lists

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. +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.

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 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 +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 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 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 -author of the message they reply to from the list, resulting in -two or more copies being sent to that person. The <list-reply> -function, which by default is bound to âLâ in the index menu -and pager, helps reduce the clutter by only replying to the -known mailing list addresses instead of all recipients (except as +Often times the âToâ and âCcâ fields in +mailing list messages tend to get quite large. Most people do not bother +to remove the author of the message they reply to from the list, +resulting in two or more copies being sent to that person. The +<list-reply> function, which by default is +bound to âLâ in the index menu and +pager, helps reduce the clutter by only replying to +the known mailing list addresses instead of all recipients (except as specified by Mail-Followup-To, see below).

-Mutt also supports the Mail-Followup-To header. 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 -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 -message should only be sent to the original recipients of the +Mutt also supports the Mail-Followup-To header. 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 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 message should only be sent to the original recipients of the 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-To header, 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 the Mail-Followup-To. -

Note

+Conversely, when group-replying or list-replying to a message which has +a Mail-Followup-To header, 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 the +Mail-Followup-To. +

Note

When header editing is enabled, you can create a -Mail-Followup-To header manually. Mutt will only auto-generate -this header if it doesn't exist when you send the message. +Mail-Followup-To header manually. Mutt will only +auto-generate this header if it doesn't exist when you send the message.

The other method some mailing list admins use is to generate a -âReply-Toâ field which points back to the mailing list address rather -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 -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 -the âReply-Toâ field, or reply directly to the address given in the -âFromâ field. When set to yes, the âReply-Toâ field will be used when -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 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 -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 -with large volume mailing lists easier because you can easily delete -uninteresting threads and quickly find topics of value. -

9.Â Handling multiple folders

-Mutt supports setups with multiple folders, allowing all of them to -be monitored for new mail (see SectionÂ 14, âMonitoring Incoming Mailâ for details). -

-When in the index menu and being idle (also see -$timeout), Mutt periodically checks -for new mail in all folders which have been configured via the +âReply-Toâ field which points back to the mailing list +address rather 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 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 the âReply-Toâ +field, or reply directly to the address given in the âFromâ +field. When set to yes, the +âReply-Toâ field will be used when 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 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 â~yâ 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 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 with large +volume mailing lists easier because you can easily delete uninteresting +threads and quickly find topics of value. +

10.Â New Mail Detection

+Mutt supports setups with multiple folders, allowing all of them to be +monitored for new mail (see SectionÂ 14, âMonitoring Incoming Mailâ for details). +

10.1.Â How New Mail Detection Works

+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 accessed after it was last modified. Utilities like +biff or frm or any other program +which accesses the mailbox might cause Mutt to never detect new mail for +that mailbox if they do not properly reset the access time. Other +possible causes of Mutt not detecting new mail in these folders are +backup tools (updating access times) or filesystems mounted without +access time update support (for Linux systems, see the +relatime option). +

Note

+Contrary to older Mutt releases, it now maintains the new mail status of +a folder by properly resetting the access time if the folder contains at +least one message which is neither read, nor deleted, nor marked as old. +

+In cases where new mail detection for Mbox or Mmdf folders appears to be +unreliable, the $check_mbox_size +option can be used to make Mutt track and consult file sizes for new +mail detection instead which won't work for size-neutral changes. +

+New mail for Maildir is assumed if there is one message in the +new/ subdirectory which is not marked deleted (see +$maildir_trash). For MH folders, a +mailbox is considered having new mail if there's at least one message in +the âunseenâ sequence as specified by $mh_seq_unseen. +

+Mutt does not poll POP3 folders for new mail, it only periodically +checks the currently opened folder (if it's a POP3 folder). +

+For IMAP, by default Mutt uses recent message counts provided by the +server to detect new mail. If the $imap_idle option is set, it'll use the IMAP +IDLE extension if advertised by the server. +

10.2.Â Polling For New Mail

+When in the index menu and being idle (also see $timeout), Mutt periodically checks for new +mail in all folders which have been configured via the mailboxes command. The interval depends on the folder -type: for local/IMAP folders it consults -$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 the mailboxes command, -and indicate which contain new messages. Mutt will automatically enter this -mode when invoked from the command line with the -y option. +type: for local/IMAP folders it consults $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 the mailboxes command, and indicate +which contain new messages. Mutt will automatically enter this mode when +invoked from the command line with the -y option.

For the pager, index and directory browser menus, Mutt contains the -<buffy-list> function (bound to â.â by default) -which will print a list of folders with new mail in the command line at -the bottom of the screen. +<buffy-list> function (bound to +â.â by default) which will print a list of folders with new +mail in the command line at 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 -$status_format -variable for details. +mail in the status bar, please refer to the $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. -

10.Â Editing Threads

+<Space> will cycle through folders with new +mail. The (by default unbound) function +<next-unread-mailbox> in the index can be used +to immediately open the next folder with unread mail (if any). +

11.Â Editing Threads

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 from these annoyances which make it hard to follow a discussion. -

10.1.Â Linking Threads

-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. -

-You can also connect multiple children at once, tagging them and using the -<tag-prefix> command (';') or the $auto_tag option. -

10.2.Â Breaking Threads

11.1.Â Linking Threads

+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. +

+You can also connect multiple children at once, tagging them and using +the <tag-prefix> command (â;â) or +the $auto_tag option. +

11.2.Â Breaking Threads

On mailing lists, some people are in the bad habit of starting a new -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 +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 current message into a whole different thread. -

11.Â Delivery Status Notification (DSN) Support

12.Â Delivery Status Notification (DSN) Support

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 +about the status of electronic mail messages. These can be thought of +as âreturn receipts.â

To support DSN, there are two variables. $dsn_notify is used to request receipts for different results (such as failed message, message delivered, etc.). -$dsn_return requests how much -of your message should be returned with the receipt (headers or full -message). -

-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 -request DSN or not. -

12.Â Start a WWW Browser on URLs

-If a message contains URLs, it is efficient to get -a menu with all the URLs and start a WWW browser on one of them. This -functionality is provided by the external urlview program which can be -retrieved at +$dsn_return requests how much of your +message should be returned with the receipt (headers or full message). +

+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 request DSN or not. +

13.Â Start a WWW Browser on URLs

+If a message contains URLs, it is efficient to get a menu with all the +URLs and start a WWW browser on one of them. This functionality is +provided by the external urlview program which can be retrieved at ftp://ftp.mutt.org/mutt/contrib/ and the configuration commands:

 macro index \cb |urlview\n
 macro pager \cb |urlview\n
-

13.Â Miscellany

14.Â Miscellany

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 +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. @@ -678,8 +779,7 @@ specified in the $MAIL environment variable if present. Otherwise, the value of $MAILDIR is taken into account. If that isn't present either, Mutt takes the user's mailbox in the mailspool as determined at compile-time (which may also -reside in the home directory). The -$spoolfile setting overrides -this selection. Highest priority has the mailbox given with the +reside in the home directory). The $spoolfile setting overrides this +selection. Highest priority has the mailbox given with the -f command line option.

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