{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "mutt",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mutt/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-11-08T02:20:26Z",
    "synopsis": "mutt  [-nRyzZ] [-e command] [-F rcfile] [-m type] [-f mailbox]\nmutt  [-Enx] [-e command] [-F rcfile] [-H draft] [-i include]\n[-b bcc-addr] [-c cc-addr] [-s subject]\n[-a file ... --] to-addr ...\nmutt  [-nx] [-e command] [-F rcfile] [-b bcc-addr] [-c cc-addr]\n[-s subject] [-a file ... --] to-addr ... < message\nmutt  [-n] [-e command] [-F rcfile] -p\nmutt  [-n] [-e command] [-F rcfile] -A alias\nmutt  [-n] [-e command] [-F rcfile] -Q variable\nmutt  -v[v]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "mutt - The Mutt Mail User Agent\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "mutt  [-nRyzZ] [-e command] [-F rcfile] [-m type] [-f mailbox]\n\nmutt  [-Enx] [-e command] [-F rcfile] [-H draft] [-i include]\n[-b bcc-addr] [-c cc-addr] [-s subject]\n[-a file ... --] to-addr ...\n\nmutt  [-nx] [-e command] [-F rcfile] [-b bcc-addr] [-c cc-addr]\n[-s subject] [-a file ... --] to-addr ... < message\n\nmutt  [-n] [-e command] [-F rcfile] -p\n\nmutt  [-n] [-e command] [-F rcfile] -A alias\n\nmutt  [-n] [-e command] [-F rcfile] -Q variable\n\nmutt  -v[v]\n",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "mutt  -D",
                    "content": ""
                }
            ]
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "Mutt  is a small but very powerful text based program for reading and sending electronic mail\nunder unix operating systems, including support for color terminals,  MIME,  OpenPGP,  and  a\nthreaded sorting mode.\n\nNote: This manual page gives a brief overview of the mutt executable command line options.  A\ncopy  of the full manual is located in /usr/share/doc/mutt, in text, HTML, and/or PDF format.\nPlease refer to the manual to learn how to use and configure Mutt.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-A _",
                    "content": "Print an expanded version of the given alias and exit.\n",
                    "flag": "-A"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-a _",
                    "content": "Attach a file using MIME.  Separating file and to-addr arguments with “--”  is  manda‐\ntory.  For example:\n\nmutt -a image.jpg -- to-addr\nmutt -a img.jpg *.png -- to-addr-1 to-addr-2\n\nThe -a option must be placed at the end of command line options.\n",
                    "flag": "-a"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-b _",
                    "content": "Specify a blind carbon copy (BCC) address.\n",
                    "flag": "-b"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-c _",
                    "content": "Specify a carbon copy (CC) address.\n",
                    "flag": "-c"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-d _",
                    "content": "If  Mutt  was  compiled  with +DEBUG log debugging output to ~/.muttdebug0.  Level can\nrange from -5 to 5 and affects verbosity. A value of zero disables debugging. A  value\nless  than  zero  disables  automatic log file rotation; the log level is then its ab‐\nsolute value. A value of 2 (-2) is recommended for most diagnosis.\n",
                    "flag": "-d"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-D",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-D"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-E      -H  -i",
                    "content": "composition.\n",
                    "flag": "-i"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-e _",
                    "content": "Specify a configuration command to be run after processing of initialization files.\n",
                    "flag": "-e"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-f _",
                    "content": "Specify a mailbox to load.\n",
                    "flag": "-f"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-F _",
                    "content": "Use rcfile instead of the user configuration file.\n",
                    "flag": "-F"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-h",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-h"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-H _",
                    "content": "Specify  a  draft  file  which  contains header and body to use to send a message.  If\ndraft is “-”, then data is read from stdin.  The draft file  is  expected  to  contain\njust  an  RFC822  email  — headers and a body.  Although it is not an mbox file, if an\nmbox \"From \" line is  present,  it  will  be  silently  discarded.   Draft  files  are\nprocessed  the  same  in  interactive  and batch mode; they are not passed through un‐\ntouched.  For example, encrypted draft files will be decrypted.\n",
                    "flag": "-H"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-i _",
                    "content": "Specify an include file to be inserted into the body of a message.  Ignored if  -H  is\nset.  If include is “-”, then data is read from stdin.\n",
                    "flag": "-i"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-m _",
                    "content": "Specify  a  default mailbox type for newly created folders.  Can be one of the follow‐\ning: mbox, MMDF, MH or Maildir.  See also $mboxtype in the manual.\n",
                    "flag": "-m"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-n",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-p",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-p"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-Q _",
                    "content": "Query a configuration variable.  The query is performed after all configuration  files\nhave been parsed, and any commands given on the command line have been executed.\n",
                    "flag": "-Q"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-R",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-R"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-s _",
                    "content": "Specify the subject of the message.  Must be enclosed in quotes if it contains spaces.\n",
                    "flag": "-s"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-v",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-v"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-vv",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-x",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-x"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-y",
                    "content": "command.\n",
                    "flag": "-y"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-z      -f",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-f"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-Z",
                    "content": "new mail.  Exit immediately with code 1 if there is no new mail in any of them.\n\n--     Treat remaining arguments as to-addr even if they start with  a  dash.   See  also  -a\nabove.  To-addr can be a local or network mail address as well as mailto: URL.\n",
                    "flag": "-Z"
                }
            ]
        },
        "ENVIRONMENT": {
            "content": "EDITOR, VISUAL\nSpecifies  the  editor  to use when composing messages.  If both EDITOR and VISUAL are\nset, VISUAL takes precedence.  If neither EDITOR nor VISUAL are set,  the  default  is\nvi(1).\n\nEGDSOCKET, RANDFILE\nPaths used to initialize the random engine for SSL library.\n\nEMAIL  The user's e-mail address.\n\nHOME   Full path of the user's home directory.\n\nMAIL   Full path of the user's spool mailbox.\n\nMAILDIR\nFull  path of the user's spool mailbox if MAIL is unset.  Commonly used when the spool\nmailbox is a maildir(5) folder.\n\nMAILCAPS\nPath to search for mailcap files.\n\nMMNOASK\nIf this variable is set, mailcap are always used without prompting first.\n\nPGPPATH\nDirectory in which the user's PGP public keyring can be found.   When  used  with  the\noriginal PGP program, mutt and muttpgpring(1) rely on this being set.\n\nREPLYTO\nDefault Reply-To address.\n\nTMPDIR Directory  in  which  temporary  files are created.  If unset, /tmp is used.  See also\n$tmpdir configuration variable.\n\nLCALL, LCCTYPE, LANG\nUsed to determine charset and locale to use.\n\nTEXTDOMAINDIR\nDirectory containing translation files.  If set, this path overwrite the Mutt  instal‐\nlation directory.  Used for testing translation changes.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "~/.muttrc\n~/.mutt/muttrc\n$XDGCONFIGHOME/mutt/muttrc\nUser configuration files.\n\n/etc/Muttrc or /usr/share/mutt/Muttrc\nSystem-wide configuration file.\n\n/tmp/muttXXXXXX\nTemporary files created by Mutt.\n\n~/.muttdebug0\nFile  containing debugging output.  Log files are automatically rotated by mutt chang‐\ning the number at the end.  See -d option above.\n\n~/.mailcap\nUser definition for handling non-text MIME types.\n\n/etc/mailcap\nSystem definition for handling non-text MIME types.\n\n~/.mime.types\nUser's personal mapping between MIME types and file extensions.\n\n/etc/mime.types\nSystem mapping between MIME types and file extensions.\n\n/usr/bin/muttdotlock\nThe privileged dotlocking program.\n\n/usr/share/doc/mutt/manual.txt.gz\nThe Mutt manual.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "BUGS": {
            "content": "None.  Mutts have fleas, not bugs.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "FLEAS": {
            "content": "Suspend/resume while editing a file with an external editor does not work under SunOS 4.x  if\nyou use the curses lib in /usr/5lib.  It does work with the S-Lang library, however.\n\nResizing the screen while using an external pager causes Mutt to go haywire on some systems.\n\nSuspend/resume does not work under Ultrix.\n\nThe  help  line  for  the index menu is not updated if you change the bindings for one of the\nfunctions listed while Mutt is running.\n\nFor a more up-to-date list of bugs, errm, fleas, please visit the mutt project's bug tracking\nsystem under https://gitlab.com/muttmua/mutt/issues.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "NO WARRANTIES": {
            "content": "This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,  but  WITHOUT  ANY  WARRANTY;\nwithout  even  the  implied  warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.\nSee the GNU General Public License for more details.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "muttdotlock(1),  muttpgpring(1),   pgpewrap(1),   sendmail(1),   smail(1),   smimekeys(1),\ncurses(3), ncurses(3), mailcap(5), maildir(5), mbox(5), mmdf(5), muttrc(5)\n\nMutt Home Page: http://www.mutt.org/\n\nThe Mutt manual\n\nRFC5322  —  Internet Message Format: https://tools.ietf.org/rfcmarkup/5322 (obsoletes RFC2822\nand RFC822)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHOR": {
            "content": "Michael Elkins, and others.  Use <mutt-dev@mutt.org> to contact the developers.\n\nUnix                                        July 24, 2020                                    MUTT(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "mutt - The Mutt Mail User Agent",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "-A",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Print an expanded version of the given alias and exit."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-a",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Attach a file using MIME. Separating file and to-addr arguments with “--” is manda‐ tory. For example: mutt -a image.jpg -- to-addr mutt -a img.jpg *.png -- to-addr-1 to-addr-2 The -a option must be placed at the end of command line options."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-b",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Specify a blind carbon copy (BCC) address."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-c",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Specify a carbon copy (CC) address."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-d",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "If Mutt was compiled with +DEBUG log debugging output to ~/.muttdebug0. Level can range from -5 to 5 and affects verbosity. A value of zero disables debugging. A value less than zero disables automatic log file rotation; the log level is then its ab‐ solute value. A value of 2 (-2) is recommended for most diagnosis."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-D",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-i",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "composition."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-e",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Specify a configuration command to be run after processing of initialization files."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-f",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Specify a mailbox to load."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-F",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Use rcfile instead of the user configuration file."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-h",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-H",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Specify a draft file which contains header and body to use to send a message. If draft is “-”, then data is read from stdin. The draft file is expected to contain just an RFC822 email — headers and a body. Although it is not an mbox file, if an mbox \"From \" line is present, it will be silently discarded. Draft files are processed the same in interactive and batch mode; they are not passed through un‐ touched. For example, encrypted draft files will be decrypted."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-i",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Specify an include file to be inserted into the body of a message. Ignored if -H is set. If include is “-”, then data is read from stdin."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-m",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Specify a default mailbox type for newly created folders. Can be one of the follow‐ ing: mbox, MMDF, MH or Maildir. See also $mboxtype in the manual."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-n",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-p",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-Q",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Query a configuration variable. The query is performed after all configuration files have been parsed, and any commands given on the command line have been executed."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-R",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-s",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Specify the subject of the message. Must be enclosed in quotes if it contains spaces."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-v",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-x",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-y",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "command."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-f",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-Z",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "new mail. Exit immediately with code 1 if there is no new mail in any of them. -- Treat remaining arguments as to-addr even if they start with a dash. See also -a above. To-addr can be a local or network mail address as well as mailto: URL."
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "muttdotlock",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/muttdotlock/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "muttpgpring",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/muttpgpring/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "pgpewrap",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pgpewrap/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "sendmail",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sendmail/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "smail",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/smail/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "smimekeys",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/smimekeys/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "curses",
            "section": "3",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/curses/3/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "ncurses",
            "section": "3",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ncurses/3/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "mailcap",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mailcap/5/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "maildir",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/maildir/5/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "mbox",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mbox/5/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "mmdf",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mmdf/5/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "muttrc",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/muttrc/5/json"
        }
    ],
    "tldr": {
        "source": "official",
        "description": "Command-line email client.",
        "examples": [
            {
                "description": "Open the specified mailbox",
                "command": "mutt -f {{mailbox}}"
            },
            {
                "description": "Send an email and specify a subject and a cc recipient",
                "command": "mutt -s {{subject}} -c {{cc@example.com}} {{recipient@example.com}}"
            },
            {
                "description": "Send an email with files attached",
                "command": "mutt -a {{file1 file2 ...}} -- {{recipient@example.com}}"
            },
            {
                "description": "Specify a file to include as the message body",
                "command": "mutt -i {{path/to/file}} {{recipient@example.com}}"
            },
            {
                "description": "Specify a draft file containing the header and the body of the message, in RFC 5322 format",
                "command": "mutt -H {{path/to/file}} {{recipient@example.com}}"
            }
        ]
    }
}