{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "alpinef",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/alpinef/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-06-14T01:13:02Z",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "alpine - an Alternatively Licensed Program for Internet News and Email\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNTAX": {
            "content": "alpine [ options ] [ address , address ]\n\nalpinef [ options ] [ address , address ]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "Alpine  is a screen-oriented message-handling tool.  In its default configuration, Alpine of‐\nfers an intentionally limited set of functions geared toward the novice user, but it also has\na large list of optional \"power-user\" and personal-preference features.  alpinef is a variant\nof Alpine that uses function keys rather than mnemonic single-letter commands.  Alpine's  ba‐\nsic feature set includes:\n\nView, Save, Export, Delete, Print, Reply and Forward messages.\n\nCompose  messages  in  a  simple  editor (Pico) with word-wrap and a spelling checker.\nMessages may be postponed for later completion.\n\nFull-screen selection and management of message folders.\n\nAddress book to keep a list of long or frequently-used addresses.  Personal  distribu‐\ntion lists may be defined.  Addresses may be taken into the address book from incoming\nmail without retyping them.\n\nNew mail checking and notification occurs automatically every 2.5  minutes  and  after\ncertain commands, e.g. refresh-screen (Ctrl-L).\n\nOn-line, context-sensitive help screens.\n\nAlpine supports MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), an Internet Standard for repre‐\nsenting multipart and multimedia data in email.  Alpine allows you to save  MIME  objects  to\nfiles,  and  in some cases, can also initiate the correct program for viewing the object.  It\nuses the system's mailcap configuration file to determine what program can process a particu‐\nlar  MIME  object type.  Alpine's message composer does not have integral multimedia capabil‐\nity, but any type of data file --including multimedia-- can be attached to a text message and\nsent  using  MIME's  encoding  rules.  This allows any group of individuals with MIME-capable\nmail software (e.g. Alpine, PC-Alpine, or many other programs) to  exchange  formatted  docu‐\nments, spread-sheets, image files, etc, via Internet email.\n\nAlpine  uses the c-client messaging API to access local and remote mail folders. This library\nprovides a variety of low-level message-handling functions, including drivers for  a  variety\nof  different  mail file formats, as well as routines to access remote mail and news servers,\nusing IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and NNTP  (Network  News  Transport  Protocol).\nOutgoing mail is usually posted directly via SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "The command line options/arguments are:\n\naddress             Send  mail  to  address.   This will cause Alpine to go directly into the\nmessage composer.\n",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-attach",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-attachlist",
                    "content": "Send mail with the listed file-list as an attachments.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-attach",
                    "content": "Send mail with the listed file as an attachment, and remove the file  af‐\nter the message is sent.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-aux",
                    "content": "PC-Alpine  only.  When  using a remote configuration (-p <remoteconfig>)\nthis tells PC-Alpine the local directory to  use  for  storing  auxiliary\nfiles, like debug files, address books, and signature files.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-bail",
                    "content": "fig file is accessed using some remote filesystem protocol. If the remote\nmount is missing this will cause Alpine to quit instead of creating a new\npinerc.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-c",
                    "content": "which  the -f command line argument should be applied.  By default the -f\nargument is applied to the first defined folder-collection.\n",
                    "flag": "-c"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-conf",
                    "content": "pine.conf,  on  the  standard  output. This is distinct from the per-user\n.pinerc file.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-convert",
                    "content": "Convert signature files into literal signatures.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-copy",
                    "content": "Copy the local address book file to a remote address book folder.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-copy",
                    "content": "Copy the local pinerc file to a remote pinerc folder.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-d",
                    "content": "bug[1-4]  file.   A  value  of  0  turns debugging off and suppresses the\n.pine-debug file.\n",
                    "flag": "-d"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-d",
                    "content": "writing  without buffering, \"timestamp\" appends each message with a time‐\nstamp, \"imap=n\" where n is between 0 and 4 representing none  to  verbose\nIMAP telemetry reporting, \"numfiles=n\" where n is between 0 and 31 corre‐\nsponding to the number of debug files to maintain, and \"verbose=n\"  where\nn is between 0 and 9 indicating an inverse threshold for message output.\n",
                    "flag": "-d"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-f",
                    "content": "other collection) instead of INBOX.\n",
                    "flag": "-f"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-F",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-F"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-h",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-h"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-i",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-i"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-I",
                    "content": "on startup.\n",
                    "flag": "-I"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-install",
                    "content": "setup information, then exits.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-k",
                    "content": "alpinef.\n",
                    "flag": "-k"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-n",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-nowrite",
                    "content": "Read  from  a  password cache if there is one, but never offer to write a\npassword to the cache\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-o",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-o"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-p",
                    "content": ".pinerc.\n",
                    "flag": "-p"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-P",
                    "content": "configuration file pine.conf.\n",
                    "flag": "-P"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-passfile",
                    "content": "When password file support is compiled in,  use  the  file  specified  in\n<fully-qualified-path> instead of the default.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-pinerc",
                    "content": "variables that the user has made.  Use file set to ``-'' to  make  output\ngo to standard out.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-pwdcertdir",
                    "content": "When  SMIME and password file support are compiled in, this variable sets\nthe directory to store your personal key and certificate to  encrypt  and\ndecrypt your password file.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-r",
                    "content": "tions like save and export are restricted.\n",
                    "flag": "-r"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-registry",
                    "content": "entries.  Possible values for cmd are set, clear, and dump.  Set will al‐\nways reset Alpine's registry entries according to its  current  settings.\nClear  will  clear  the registry values.  Clearsilent will silently clear\nthe registry values.  Dump will display the values  of  current  registry\nsettings.  Note that the dump command is currently disabled.  Without the\n-registry option, PC-Alpine will write values into the registry  only  if\nthere currently aren't any values set.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-smimedir",
                    "content": "If  SMIME is compiled in, this argument sets the directory where the pub‐\nlic, private, and  certificate  authorities  certificates  and  keys  are\nstored. If not set by the command line the default is ~/.alpine-smime\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-sort",
                    "content": "date, subject, orderedsubj, thread, from, size, score,  to,  cc,  or  re‐\nverse.  Arrival order is the default.  The OrderedSubj choice simulates a\nthreaded sort.  Any sort may be reversed by adding /reverse to  it.   Re‐\nverse by itself is the same as arrival/reverse.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-supported",
                    "content": "piled.  This is a way to determine which options  are  supported  in  the\nparticular copy of Alpine you are using.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-uninstall",
                    "content": "Alpine in Windows settings.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-url",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-v",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-v"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-version",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-x",
                    "content": "your  default  pinerc  settings for a particular platform, can be a local\nfile or a remote folder.\n",
                    "flag": "-x"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-xoauth2-server",
                    "content": "Name of the service that XOAUTH2 authentication will be  attempted.   The\nonly  service supported as of this writing is Gmail. Note that all of the\noptions -xoauth2-server,  -xoauth2-client-id  and  -xoauth2-client-secret\nmust be used simultaneously. Example: -xoauth2-server Gmail.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-xoauth2-client-id",
                    "content": "String  that  identifies  Alpine  with the service provider that provides\nXOAUTH2 authentication. Note that all  of  the  options  -xoauth2-server,\n-xoauth2-client-id  and  -xoauth2-client-secret  must  be used simultane‐\nously.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-xoauth2-client-secret",
                    "content": "Secret string that identifies the Alpine with the service  provider  that\nprovides   XOAUTH2   authentication.    Note  that  all  of  the  options\n-xoauth2-server, -xoauth2-client-id and  -xoauth2-client-secret  must  be\nused simultaneously.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-z",
                    "content": "-option=value       Assign  value  to  the  config option option e.g. -signature-file=sig1 or\n-feature-list=signature-at-bottom (Note: feature-list  values  are  addi‐\ntive)\n",
                    "flag": "-z"
                }
            ]
        },
        "CONFIGURATION": {
            "content": "There  are  several  levels  of  Alpine configuration.  Configuration values at a given level\nover-ride corresponding values at lower levels.  In order of increasing precedence:\n\no built-in defaults.\no system-wide pine.conf file.\no personal .pinerc file (may be set via built-in Setup/Config menu.)\no command-line options.\no system-wide pine.conf.fixed file.\n\nThere is one exception to the rule that configuration values are replaced by the value of the\nsame  option in a higher-precedence file: the feature-list variable has values that are addi‐\ntive, but can be negated by prepending \"no-\" in front of an  individual  feature  name.  Unix\nAlpine also uses the following environment variables:\n\nTERM\nDISPLAY     (determines if Alpine can display IMAGE attachments.)\nSHELL       (if not set, default is /bin/sh )\nMAILCAPS    (semicolon delimited list of path names to mailcap files)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "/var/spool/mail/xxxx        Default folder for incoming mail.\n~/mail                      Default directory for mail folders.\n~/.addressbook              Default address book file.\n~/.signature                File used for signature, appended to every message.\n~/.pine-debug[1-4]          Diagnostic log for debugging.\n~/.pinerc                   Personal alpine config file.\n~/.pine-crash               Debug information useful to debug a crash.\n~/.newsrc                   News subscription/state file.\n~/.mailcap                  Personal mail capabilities file.\n~/.mime.types               Personal file extension to MIME type mapping\n/etc/mailcap                System-wide mail capabilities file.\n/etc/mime.types             System-wide file ext. to MIME type mapping\n/etc/pine.info              Local pointer to system administrator.\n/etc/pine.conf              System-wide configuration file.\n/etc/pine.conf.fixed         Non-overridable configuration file.\n~/.alpine-smime/ca          Directory that contains Certificate Authority files.\n~/.alpine-smime/private     Directory that contains private key(s).\n~/.alpine-smime/public      Directory that contains public key(s).\n/tmp/.\\usr\\spool\\mail\\xxxx  Per-folder mailbox lock files.\n~/.pine-interrupted-mail    Message which was interrupted.\n~/mail/postponed-msgs       For postponed messages (drafts)\n~/mail/sent-mail            Outgoing message archive (FCC).\n~/mail/saved-messages       Default destination for Saving messages.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "pico(1), binmail(1), aliases(5), mailaddr(7), sendmail(8), spell(1), imapd(8)\n\nNewsgroup:  comp.mail.pine\n\nMailing List:\nAlpine-info, at https://www.washington.edu/alpine/alpine-info/\n\nMain Alpine distribution site:\nhttp://repo.or.cz/alpine.git\n\nAlpine Technical Notes, included in the source distribution.\n\nC-Client messaging API library, included in the source distribution.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "ACKNOWLEDGMENTS": {
            "content": "This software is the result of the contribution of many individuals\nwho have dedicated their time to support, improve and suggest ways\nto improve Alpine through the years. This software would not be\npossible without the support of the University of Washington in\nSeattle, Washington. The Alpine community extends its most sincere\nthanks to all contributors and invites everyone to join in and\ncontribute to this project.\n\n\n\nVersion 2.25                                   alpine(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "alpine - an Alternatively Licensed Program for Internet News and Email",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Send mail with the listed file-list as an attachments."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Send mail with the listed file as an attachment, and remove the file af‐ ter the message is sent."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "PC-Alpine only. When using a remote configuration (-p <remoteconfig>) this tells PC-Alpine the local directory to use for storing auxiliary files, like debug files, address books, and signature files."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "fig file is accessed using some remote filesystem protocol. If the remote mount is missing this will cause Alpine to quit instead of creating a new pinerc."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-c",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "which the -f command line argument should be applied. By default the -f argument is applied to the first defined folder-collection."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "pine.conf, on the standard output. This is distinct from the per-user .pinerc file."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Convert signature files into literal signatures."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Copy the local address book file to a remote address book folder."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Copy the local pinerc file to a remote pinerc folder."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-d",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "bug[1-4] file. A value of 0 turns debugging off and suppresses the .pine-debug file."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-d",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "writing without buffering, \"timestamp\" appends each message with a time‐ stamp, \"imap=n\" where n is between 0 and 4 representing none to verbose IMAP telemetry reporting, \"numfiles=n\" where n is between 0 and 31 corre‐ sponding to the number of debug files to maintain, and \"verbose=n\" where n is between 0 and 9 indicating an inverse threshold for message output."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-f",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "other collection) instead of INBOX."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-F",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-h",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-i",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-I",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "on startup."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "setup information, then exits."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-k",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "alpinef."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-n",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Read from a password cache if there is one, but never offer to write a password to the cache"
        },
        {
            "flag": "-o",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-p",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ".pinerc."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-P",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "configuration file pine.conf."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "When password file support is compiled in, use the file specified in <fully-qualified-path> instead of the default."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "variables that the user has made. Use file set to ``-'' to make output go to standard out."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "When SMIME and password file support are compiled in, this variable sets the directory to store your personal key and certificate to encrypt and decrypt your password file."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-r",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "tions like save and export are restricted."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "entries. Possible values for cmd are set, clear, and dump. Set will al‐ ways reset Alpine's registry entries according to its current settings. Clear will clear the registry values. Clearsilent will silently clear the registry values. Dump will display the values of current registry settings. Note that the dump command is currently disabled. Without the -registry option, PC-Alpine will write values into the registry only if there currently aren't any values set."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "If SMIME is compiled in, this argument sets the directory where the pub‐ lic, private, and certificate authorities certificates and keys are stored. If not set by the command line the default is ~/.alpine-smime"
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "date, subject, orderedsubj, thread, from, size, score, to, cc, or re‐ verse. Arrival order is the default. The OrderedSubj choice simulates a threaded sort. Any sort may be reversed by adding /reverse to it. Re‐ verse by itself is the same as arrival/reverse."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "piled. This is a way to determine which options are supported in the particular copy of Alpine you are using."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Alpine in Windows settings."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-v",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-x",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "your default pinerc settings for a particular platform, can be a local file or a remote folder."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Name of the service that XOAUTH2 authentication will be attempted. The only service supported as of this writing is Gmail. Note that all of the options -xoauth2-server, -xoauth2-client-id and -xoauth2-client-secret must be used simultaneously. Example: -xoauth2-server Gmail."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "String that identifies Alpine with the service provider that provides XOAUTH2 authentication. Note that all of the options -xoauth2-server, -xoauth2-client-id and -xoauth2-client-secret must be used simultane‐ ously."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Secret string that identifies the Alpine with the service provider that provides XOAUTH2 authentication. Note that all of the options -xoauth2-server, -xoauth2-client-id and -xoauth2-client-secret must be used simultaneously."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-z",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "-option=value Assign value to the config option option e.g. -signature-file=sig1 or -feature-list=signature-at-bottom (Note: feature-list values are addi‐ tive)"
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "pico",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pico/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "binmail",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/binmail/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "aliases",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/aliases/5/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "mailaddr",
            "section": "7",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mailaddr/7/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "sendmail",
            "section": "8",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/8/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "spell",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/spell/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "imapd",
            "section": "8",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/imapd/8/json"
        }
    ]
}