muttrc (5)
.PP
muttrc - Configuration file for the Mutt Mail User Agent
DESCRIPTION
A mutt configuration file consists of a series of \(lqcommands\(rq.
Each line of the file may contain one or more commands. When
multiple commands are used, they must be separated by a semicolon
(\(lq;\(rq).
The hash mark, or pound sign (\(lq#\(rq), is used as a
\(lqcomment\(rq character. You can use it to annotate your
initialization file. All text after the comment character to the end
of the line is ignored.
Single quotes (\(lq'\(rq) and double quotes (\(lq"\(rq)
can be used to quote strings which contain spaces or other special
characters. The difference between the two types of quotes is
similar to that of many popular shell programs, namely that a single
quote is used to specify a literal string (one that is not
interpreted for shell variables or quoting with a backslash [see
next paragraph]), while double quotes indicate a string for which
should be evaluated. For example, backtics are evaluated inside of
double quotes, but not for single quotes.
\(rs quotes the next character, just as in shells such as bash and zsh.
For example, if want to put quotes (\(lq"\(rq) inside of a
string, you can use \(lq\(rs\(rq to force the next character
to be a literal instead of interpreted character.
\(lq\(rs\(rs\(rq means to insert a literal \(lq\(rs\(rq into the
line. \(lq\(rsn\(rq and \(lq\(rsr\(rq have their usual
C meanings of linefeed and carriage-return, respectively.
A \(lq\(rs\(rq at the end of a line can be used to split commands over
multiple lines, provided that the split points don't appear in the
middle of command names.
It is also possible to substitute the output of a Unix command in an
initialization file. This is accomplished by enclosing the command
in backquotes (`command`).
UNIX environments can be accessed like the way it is done in shells
like sh and bash: Prepend the name of the environment by a dollar
(\(lq\(Do\(rq) sign.
COMMANDS
alias key address [, address [ ... ]]
unalias key
alias defines an alias key for the given addresses.
unalias removes the alias corresponding to the given key.
alternative_order type[/subtype] [ ... ]
This command permits you to define an order of preference which is
used by mutt to determine which part of a
multipart/alternative body to display.
A subtype of \(lq*\(rq matches any subtype, as does an empty
subtype.
auto_view type[/subtype] [ ... ]
This commands permits you to specify that mutt should automatically
convert the given MIME types to text/plain when displaying messages.
For this to work, there must be a
mailcap (5)
entry for the given MIME type with the
copiousoutput
flag set. A subtype of \(lq*\(rq
matches any subtype, as does an empty subtype.
bind map key function
This command binds the given key for the given map to
the given function.
Valid maps are:
generic , alias , attach ,
browser , editor ,
index , compose ,
pager , pgp , postpone ,
mix .
For more information on keys and functions, please consult the Mutt
Manual.
charset-hook alias charset
This command defines an alias for a character set. This is useful
to properly display messages which are tagged with a character set
name not known to mutt.
folder-hook [!]regexp command
When mutt enters a folder which matches regexp (or, when
regexp is preceded by an exclamation mark, does not match
regexp), the given command is executed.
When several folder-hooks match a given mail folder, they are
executed in the order given in the configuration file.
macro map key sequence [ description ]
This command binds the given sequence of keys to the given
key in the given map. For valid maps, see bind.
color object foreground background [ regexp ]
color index foreground background [ pattern ]
uncolor index pattern [ pattern ... ]
If your terminal supports color, these commands can be used to
assign foreground/backgound combinations to certain
objects. Valid objects are:
attachment , body , bold , header ,
hdrdefault , index , indicator , markers ,
message , normal , quoted , quoted\fIN\fP ,
search , signature , status , tilde , tree ,
underline .
The
body and header
objects allow you to restrict the colorization to a regular
expression. The index object permits you to select colored
messages by pattern.
Valid colors include:
white , black , green , magenta , blue ,
cyan , yellow , red , default , color\fIN\fP .
mono object attribute [ regexp ]
mono index attribute [ pattern ]
For terminals which don't support color, you can still assign
attributes to objects. Valid attributes include:
none , bold , underline ,
reverse , and standout .
[un]ignore pattern [ pattern ... ]
The ignore command permits you to specify header fields which
you usually don't wish to see. Any header field whose tag
begins with an \(lqignored\(rq pattern will be ignored.
The unignore command permits you to define exceptions from
the above mentioned list of ignored headers.
lists address [ address ... ]
unlists address [ address ... ]
subscribe address [ address ... ]
unsubscribe address [ address ... ]
Mutt maintains two lists of mailing list addresses, a list of
subscribed mailing lists, and a list of known mailing lists. All
subscribed mailing lists are known. A mail address matches a
mailing list if it begins with the given address. For example, the
lists pattern \(lqmutt-\(rq will match mutt-dev@mutt.org and
mutt-users@mutt.org.
The lists command adds a mailing list address to the list of
known mailing lists. The unlists command removes a mailig
list from the lists of known and subscribed mailing lists. The
subscribe command adds a mailing list to the lists of known
and subscribed mailing lists. The unsubscribe command removes
it from the list of subscribed mailing lists.
mbox-hook [!]pattern mailbox
When mutt changes to a mail folder which matches pattern,
mailbox will be used as the \(lqmbox\(rq folder, i.e., read
messages will be moved to that folder when the mail folder is left.
The first matchig mbox-hook applies.
mailboxes filename [ filename ... ]
This command specifies folders which can receive mail and which will
be checked for new messages. When changing folders, pressing space
will cycle through folders with new mail.
my_hdr string
unmy_hdr field
Using my_hdr, you can define headers which will be added to
the messages you compose. unmy_hdr will remove the given
user-defined headers.
hdr_order header1 header2 [ ... ]
With this command, you can specify an order in which mutt will
attempt to present headers to you when viewing messages.
save-hook [!]pattern filename
When a message matches pattern, the default file name when
saving it will be the given filename.
fcc-hook [!]pattern filename
When an outgoing message matches pattern, the default file
name for storing a copy (fcc) will be the given filename.
fcc-save-hook [!]pattern filename
This command is an abbreviation for identical fcc-hook and
save-hook commands.
send-hook [!]pattern command
When composing a message matching pattern, command is
executed. When multiple send-hooks match, they are executed
in the order in which they occur in the configuration file.
pgp-hook pattern key-id
The pgp-hook command provides a method by which you can
specify the ID of the public key to be used when encrypting messages
to a certain recipient.
push string
This command adds the named string to the keyboard buffer.
set [no|inv]variable[=value] [ ... ]
toggle variable [ ... ]
unset variable [ ... ]
reset variable [ ... ]
These commands are used to set and manipulate configuration
varibles.
Mutt knows four basic types of variables: boolean, number, string
and quadoption. Boolean variables can be set (true),
unset (false), or toggled. Number variables can be assigned
a positive integer value.
String variables consist of any number of printable characters.
Strings must be enclosed in quotes if they contain spaces or tabs.
You may also use the \(lqC\(rq escape sequences \\n and
\\t for newline and tab, respectively.
Quadoption variables are used to control whether or not to be
prompted for certain actions, or to specify a default action. A
value of yes will cause the action to be carried out automatically
as if you had answered yes to the question. Similarly, a value of
no will cause the the action to be carried out as if you had
answered \(lqno.\(rq A value of ask-yes will cause a prompt
with a default answer of \(lqyes\(rq and ask-no will provide a
default answer of \(lqno.\(rq
The reset command resets all given variables to the compile
time defaults. If you reset the special variabe all, all
variables will reset to their system defaults.
source filename
The given file will be evaluated as a configuration file.
unhook [ * | hook-type ]
This command will remove all hooks of a given type, or all hooks
when \(lq*\(rq is used as an argument. hook-type
can be any of the -hook commands documented above.
PATTERNS
In various places with mutt, including some of the abovementioned
hook commands, you can specify patterns to match messages.
A simple pattern consists of an operator of the form
\(lq~character\(rq, possibly followed by a parameter
against which mutt is supposed to match the obeject specified by
this operator. (For a list of operators, see below.)
With some of these operators, the object to be matched consists of
several e-mail addresses. In these cases, the object is matched if
at least one of these e-mail addresses matches. You can prepend a
hat (\(lq^\(rq) character to such a pattern to indicate that
all addresses must match in order to match the object.
You can construct complex patterns by combining simple patterns with
logical operators. Logical AND is specified by simply concatenating
two simple patterns, for instance \(lq~C mutt-dev ~s bug\(rq.
Logical OR is specified by inserting a vertical bar (\(lq|\(rq)
between two patterns, for instance \(lq~C mutt-dev | ~s bug\(rq.
Additionally, you can negate a pattern by prepending a bang
(\(lq!\(rq) character. For logical grouping, use braces
(\(lq()\(rq). Example: \(lq!(~t mutt|~c mutt) ~f elkins\(rq.
Mutt understands the following simple patterns:
l l.
~A all messages
~b EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the message body
~B EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the whole message
~c EXPR messages carbon-copied to EXPR
~C EXPR message is either to: or cc: EXPR
~D deleted messages
~d MIN-MAX messages with \(lqdate-sent\(rq in a Date range
~E expired messages
~e EXPR message which contains EXPR in the \(lqSender\(rq field
~F flagged messages
~f EXPR messages originating from EXPR
~g PGP signed messages
~G PGP encrypted messages
~h EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the message header
~k message contains PGP key material
~i EXPR message which match EXPR in the \(lqMessage-ID\(rq field
~L EXPR message is either originated or received by EXPR
~l message is addressed to a known mailing list
~m MIN-MAX message 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 message is addressed to you (consults $alternates)
~P message is from you (consults $alternates)
~Q messages which have been replied to
~R read messages
~r MIN-MAX messages with \(lqdate-received\(rq in a Date range
~S superseded messages
~s EXPR messages having EXPR in the \(lqSubject\(rq field.
~T tagged messages
~t EXPR messages addressed to EXPR
~U unread messages
~v message is part of a collapsed thread.
~x EXPR messages which contain EXPR in the \(lqReferences\(rq field
~z MIN-MAX messages with a size in the range MIN to MAX
In the above, EXPR is a regular expression.
With the ~m, ~n, and ~z operators, you can also
specify ranges in the forms <MAX, >MIN,
MIN-, and -MAX.
The ~d and ~r operators are used to match date ranges,
which are interpreted to be given in your local time zone.
A date is of the form
DD[/MM[/[cc]YY]], that is, a
two-digit date, optionally followed by a two-digit month, optionally
followed by a year specifications. Omitted fields default to the
current month and year.
Mutt understands either two or four digit year specifications. When
given a two-digit year, mutt will interpret values less than 70 as
lying in the 21st century (i.e., \(lq38\(rq means 2038 and not 1938,
and \(lq00\(rq is interpreted as 2000), and values
greater than or equal to 70 as lying in the 20th century.
Note that this behaviour is Y2K compliant, but that mutt
does have a Y2.07K problem.
If a date range consists of a single date, the operator in question
will match that precise date. If the date range consists of a dash
(\(lq-\(rq), followed by a date, this range will match any
date before and up to the date given. Similarly, a date followed by
a dash matches the date given and any later point of time. Two
dates, separated by a dash, match any date which lies in the given
range of time.
You can also specify offsets relative to the current date. An
offset is specified as one of the characters
< ,
> ,
= ,
followed by a positive number, followed by one of the unit
characters
y ,
m ,
w , or
d ,
specifying a unit of years, months, weeks, or days. An offset which
begins with the character
>
matches dates which are older than the specified amount of time, an
offset which begins with the character
<
matches dates which are more recent than the specified amount of time,
and an offset which begins with the character
=
matches points of time which are precisely the given amount of time
ago.
CONFIGURATION VARIABLES
Type: quadoption
Default: ask-yes
If set to yes, when composing messages and no subject is given
at the subject prompt, composition will be aborted. If set to
no, composing messages with no subject given at the subject
prompt will never be aborted.
abort_unmodified
Type: quadoption
Default: yes
If set to yes, composition will automatically abort after
editing the message body if no changes are made to the file (this
check only happens after the first edit of the file). When set
to no, composition will never be aborted.
alias_file
Type: path
Default: \(lq~/.muttrc\(rq
The default file in which to save aliases created by the
\(lqcreate-alias\(rq function.
Note: Mutt will not automatically source this file; you must
explicitly use the \(lqsource\(rq command for it to be executed.
alias_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq%4n %t %-10a %r\(rq
Specifies the format of the data displayed for the `alias' menu. The
following printf(3)-style sequences are available:
%a alias name
%n index number
%r address which alias expands to
%t character which indicates if the alias is
tagged for inclusion
P
allow_8bit
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls whether 8-bit data is converted to 7-bit using either Quoted-
Printable or Base64 encoding when sending mail.
alternates
Type: regular expression
Default: \(lq\(rq
A regexp that allows you to specify alternate addresses where
you receive mail. This affects Mutt's idea about messages from you
and addressed to you.
arrow_cursor
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, an arrow (\(lq->\(rq) will be used to indicate the current entry
in menus instead of hiliting the whole line. On slow network or modem
links this will make response faster because there is less that has to
be redrawn on the screen when moving to the next or previous entries
in the menu.
ascii_chars
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, Mutt will use plain ASCII characters when displaying thread
and attachment trees, instead of the default ACS characters.
askbcc
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, Mutt will prompt you for blind-carbon-copy (Bcc) recipients
before editing an outgoing message.
askcc
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, Mutt will prompt you for carbon-copy (Cc) recipients before
editing the body of an outgoing message.
attach_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq%u%D%I %t%4n %T%.40d%> [%.7m/%.10M, %.6e%?C?, %C?, %s] \(rq
This variable describes the format of the `attachment' menu. The
following printf-style sequences are understood:
%D deleted flag
%d description
%e MIME content-transfer-encoding
%f filename
%I disposition (I=inline, A=attachment)
%m major MIME type
%M MIME subtype
%n attachment number
%s size
%t tagged flag
%u unlink (=to delete) flag
%>X right justify the rest of the
string and pad with character \(rqX\(rq
%|X pad to the end of the line with
character \(rqX\(rq
P
attach_sep
Type: string
Default: \(lq\\n\(rq
The separator to add between attachments when operating (saving,
printing, piping, etc) on a list of tagged attachments.
attach_split
Type: boolean
Default: yes
If this variable is unset, when operating (saving, printing, piping,
etc) on a list of tagged attachments, Mutt will concatenate the
attachments and will operate on them as a single attachment. The
\(lqattach_sep\(rq separator is added after each attachment. When set,
Mutt will operate on the attachments one by one.
attribution
Type: string
Default: \(lqOn %d, %n wrote:\(rq
This is the string that will precede a message which has been included
in a reply. For a full listing of defined escape sequences see the
section on \(lqindex_format\(rq.
autoedit
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, Mutt will skip the initial send-menu and allow you to
immediately begin editing the body of your message when replying to
another message. The send-menu may still be accessed once you have
finished editing the body of your message.
If the \(lqedit_headers\(rq variable is also set, the initial prompts in
the send-menu are always skipped, even when composing a new message.
auto_tag
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, functions in the index menu which affect a message
will be applied to all tagged messages (if there are any). When
unset, you must first use the tag-prefix function (default: \(rq;\(rq) to
make the next function apply to all tagged messages.
beep
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When this variable is set, mutt will beep when an error occurs.
beep_new
Type: boolean
Default: no
When this variable is set, mutt will beep whenever it prints a message
notifying you of new mail. This is independent of the setting of the
\(lqbeep\(rq variable.
bounce_delivered
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When this variable is set, mutt will include Delivered-To headers when
bouncing messages. Postfix users may wish to unset this variable.
charset
Type: string
Default: \(lqiso-8859-1\(rq
Character set your terminal uses to display and enter textual data.
check_new
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Note: this option only affects maildir and MH style
mailboxes.
When set, Mutt will check for new mail delivered while the
mailbox is open. Especially with MH mailboxes, this operation can
take quite some time since it involves scanning the directory and
checking each file to see if it has already been looked at. If
check_new is unset, no check for new mail is performed
while the mailbox is open.
collapse_unread
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When unset, Mutt will not collapse a thread if it contains any
unread messages.
uncollapse_jump
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, Mutt will jump to the next unread message, if any,
when the current thread is uncollapsed.
confirmappend
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, Mutt will prompt for confirmation when appending messages to
an existing mailbox.
confirmcreate
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, Mutt will prompt for confirmation when saving messages to a
mailbox which does not yet exist before creating it.
copy
Type: quadoption
Default: yes
This variable controls whether or not copies of your outgoing messages
will be saved for later references. Also see \(lqrecord\(rq,
\(lqsave_name\(rq, \(lqforce_name\(rq and \(lqfcc-hook\(rq.
date_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq!%a, %b %d, %Y at %I:%M:%S%p %Z\(rq
This variable controls the format of the date printed by the \(lq%d\(rq
sequence in \(lqindex_format\(rq. This is passed to the strftime
call to process the date. See the man page for strftime(3) for
the proper syntax.
Unless the first character in the string is a bang (\(lq!\(rq), the month
and week day names are expanded according to the locale specified in
the variable \(lqlocale\(rq. If the first character in the string is a
bang, the bang is discarded, and the month and week day names in the
rest of the string are expanded in the C locale (that is in US
English).
default_hook
Type: string
Default: \(lq~f %s !~P | (~P ~C %s)\(rq
This variable controls how send-hooks, save-hooks, and fcc-hooks will
be interpreted if they are specified with only a simple regexp,
instead of a matching pattern. The hooks are expanded when they are
declared, so a hook will be interpreted according to the value of this
variable at the time the hook is declared. The default value matches
if the message is either from a user matching the regular expression
given, or if it is from you (if the from address matches
\(lqalternates\(rq) and is to or cc'ed to a user matching the given
regular expression.
delete
Type: quadoption
Default: ask-yes
Controls whether or not messages are really deleted when closing or
synchronizing a mailbox. If set to yes, messages marked for
deleting will automatically be purged without prompting. If set to
no, messages marked for deletion will be kept in the mailbox.
delete_untag
Type: boolean
Default: yes
If this option is set, mutt will untag messages when marking them
for deletion. This applies when you either explicitly delete a message,
or when you save it to another folder.
dsn_notify
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Note: you should not enable this unless you are using Sendmail
8.8.x or greater.
This variable sets the request for when notification is returned. The
string consists of a comma separated list (no spaces!) of one or more
of the following: never, to never request notification,
failure, to request notification on transmission failure,
delay, to be notified of message delays, success, to be
notified of successful transmission.
Example: set dsn_notify=\(rqfailure,delay\(rq
dsn_return
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Note: you should not enable this unless you are using Sendmail
8.8.x or greater.
This variable controls how much of your message is returned in DSN
messages. It may be set to either hdrs to return just the
message header, or full to return the full message.
Example: set dsn_return=hdrs
edit_headers
Type: boolean
Default: no
This option allows you to edit the header of your outgoing messages
along with the body of your message.
editor
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
This variable specifies which editor is used by mutt.
It defaults to the value of the EDITOR or VISUAL environment
variable, or to the string \(rqvi\(rq.
encode_from
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, mutt will quoted-printable encode messages when
they contain the string \(rqFrom \(rq in the beginning of a line.
Useful to avoid the tampering certain mail delivery and transport
agents tend to do with messages.
envelope_from
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, mutt will try to derive the message's envelope
sender from the \(rqFrom:\(rq header. Note that this information is passed
to sendmail command using the \(rq-f\(rq command line switch, so don't set this
option if you are using that switch in sendmail yourself,
or if the sendmail on your machine doesn't support that command
line switch.
escape
Type: string
Default: \(lq~\(rq
Escape character to use for functions in the builtin editor.
fast_reply
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, the initial prompt for recipients and subject are skipped
when replying to messages, and the initial prompt for subject is
skipped when forwarding messages.
Note: this variable has no effect when the \(lqautoedit\(rq
variable is set.
fcc_attach
Type: boolean
Default: yes
This variable controls whether or not attachments on outgoing messages
are saved along with the main body of your message.
fcc_clear
Type: boolean
Default: no
When this variable is set, FCCs will be stored unencrypted and
unsigned, even when the actual message is encrypted and/or signed.
folder
Type: path
Default: \(lq~/Mail\(rq
Specifies the default location of your mailboxes. A `+' or `=' at the
beginning of a pathname will be expanded to the value of this
variable. Note that if you change this variable from the default
value you need to make sure that the assignment occurs before
you use `+' or `=' for any other variables since expansion takes place
during the `set' command.
folder_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq%2C %t %N %F %2l %-8.8u %-8.8g %8s %d %f\(rq
This variable allows you to customize the file browser display to your
personal taste. This string is similar to \(lqindex_format\(rq, but has
its own set of printf()-like sequences:
%C current file number
%d date/time folder was last modified
%f filename
%F file permissions
%g group name (or numeric gid, if missing)
%l number of hard links
%N N if folder has new mail, blank otherwise
%s size in bytes
%t * if the file is tagged, blank otherwise
%u owner name (or numeric uid, if missing)
%>X right justify the rest of the string and pad
with character \(rqX\(rq
%|X pad to the end of the line with character \(rqX\(rq
P
followup_to
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls whether or not the Mail-Followup-To header field is
generated when sending mail. When set, Mutt will generate this
field when you are replying to a known mailing list, specified with
the \(lqsubscribe\(rq or \(lqlists\(rq commands.
This field has two purposes. First, preventing you from receiving
duplicate copies of replies to messages which you send to mailing
lists. Second, ensuring that you do get a reply separately for any
messages sent to known lists to which you are not subscribed. The
header will contain only the list's address for subscribed lists,
and both the list address and your own email address for unsubscribed
lists. Without this header, a group reply to your message sent to a
subscribed list will be sent to both the list and your address,
resulting in two copies of the same email for you.
force_name
Type: boolean
Default: no
This variable is similar to \(lqsave_name\(rq, except that Mutt will
store a copy of your outgoing message by the username of the address
you are sending to even if that mailbox does not exist.
Also see the \(lqrecord\(rq variable.
forward_decode
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls the decoding of complex MIME messages into text/plain when
forwarding a message. The message header is also RFC2047 decoded.
This variable is only used, if \(lqmime_forward\(rq is unset,
otherwise \(lqmime_forward_decode\(rq is used instead.
forward_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq[%a: %s]\(rq
This variable controls the default subject when forwarding a message.
It uses the same format sequences as the \(lqindex_format\(rq variable.
forward_quote
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set forwarded messages included in the main body of the
message (when \(lqmime_forward\(rq is unset) will be quoted using
\(lqindent_string\(rq.
from
Type: e-mail address
Default: \(lq\(rq
When set, this variable contains a default from address. It
can be overridden using my_hdr (including from send-hooks) and
\(lqreverse_name\(rq.
gecos_mask
Type: regular expression
Default: \(lq^[^,]*\(rq
A regular expression used by mutt to parse the GECOS field of a password
entry when expanding the alias. By default the regular expression is set
to \(rq^[^,]*\(rq which will return the string up to the first \(rq,\(rq encountered.
If the GECOS field contains a string like \(rqlastname, firstname\(rq then you
should set the gecos_mask=\(rq.*\(rq.
This can be useful if you see the following behavior: you address a e-mail
to user ID stevef whose full name is Steve Franklin. If mutt expands
stevef to \(rqFranklin\(rq stevef@foo.bar then you should set the gecos_mask to
a regular expression that will match the whole name so mutt will expand
\(rqFranklin\(rq to \(rqFranklin, Steve\(rq.
hdrs
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When unset, the header fields normally added by the \(lqmy_hdr\(rq
command are not created. This variable must be unset before
composing a new message or replying in order to take effect. If set,
the user defined header fields are added to every new message.
header
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, this variable causes Mutt to include the header
of the message you are replying to into the edit buffer.
The \(lqweed\(rq setting applies.
help
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, help lines describing the bindings for the major functions
provided by each menu are displayed on the first line of the screen.
Note: The binding will not be displayed correctly if the
function is bound to a sequence rather than a single keystroke. Also,
the help line may not be updated if a binding is changed while Mutt is
running. Since this variable is primarily aimed at new users, neither
of these should present a major problem.
hidden_host
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, mutt will skip the host name part of \(lqhostname\(rq variable
when adding the domain part to addresses. This variable does not
affect the generation of Message-IDs, and it will not lead to the
cut-off of first-level domains.
history
Type: number
Default: 10
This variable controls the size (in number of strings remembered) of
the string history buffer. The buffer is cleared each time the
variable is set.
honor_followup_to
Type: quadoption
Default: yes
This variable controls whether or not a Mail-Followup-To header is
honored when group-replying to a message.
hostname
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Specifies the hostname to use after the \(lq@\(rq in local e-mail
addresses. This overrides the compile time definition obtained from
/etc/resolv.conf.
ignore_list_reply_to
Type: boolean
Default: no
Affects the behaviour of the reply function when replying to
messages from mailing lists. When set, if the \(lqReply-To:\(rq field is
set to the same value as the \(lqTo:\(rq field, Mutt assumes that the
\(lqReply-To:\(rq field was set by the mailing list to automate responses
to the list, and will ignore this field. To direct a response to the
mailing list when this option is set, use the list-reply
function; group-reply will reply to both the sender and the
list.
imap_checkinterval
Type: number
Default: 60
This variable configures how often (in seconds) IMAP should look for
new mail.
imap_force_ssl
Type: boolean
Default: no
If this variable is set, Mutt will always use SSL when
connecting to IMAP servers.
imap_list_subscribed
Type: boolean
Default: no
This variable configures whether IMAP folder browsing will look for
only subscribed folders or all folders. This can be toggled in the
IMAP browser with the toggle-subscribed command.
imap_user
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Your login name on the IMAP server.
This variable defaults to your user name on the local machine.
imap_cramkey
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Sets your CRAM secret, for use with the CRAM-MD5 IMAP authentication
method (this is the IMAP equivelent of APOP). This method will be
attempted automatically if the server supports it, in preference to the
less secure login technique. If you use CRAM-MD5, you do not need to set
imap_pass.
imap_pass
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Specifies the password for your IMAP account. If unset, Mutt will
prompt you for your password when you invoke the fetch-mail function.
Warning: you should only use this option when you are on a
fairly secure machine, because the superuser can read your muttrc even
if you are the only one who can read the file.
imap_passive
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, mutt will not open new IMAP connections to check for new
mail. Mutt will only check for new mail over existing IMAP
connections. This is useful if you don't want to be prompted to
user/password pairs on mutt invocation, or if opening the connection
is slow.
imap_servernoise
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, mutt will display warning messages from the IMAP
server as error messages. Since these messages are often
harmless, or generated due to configuration problems on the
server which are out of the users' hands, you may wish to suppress
them at some point.
imap_home_namespace
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
You normally want to see your personal folders alongside
your INBOX in the IMAP browser. If you see something else, you may set
this variable to the IMAP path to your folders.
imap_preconnect
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
If set, a shell command to be executed if mutt fails to establish
a connection to the server. This is useful for setting up secure
connections, e.g. with ssh(1). If the command returns a nonzero
status, mutt gives up opening the server. Example:
imap_preconnect=\(rqssh -f -q -L 1234:mailhost.net:143 mailhost.net
sleep 20 < /dev/null > /dev/null\(rq
Mailbox 'foo' on mailhost.net can now be reached
as '{localhost:1234}foo'.
NOTE: For this example to work, you must be able to log in to the
remote machine without having to enter a password.
implicit_autoview
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set to \(lqyes\(rq, mutt will look for a a mailcap entry with the
copiousoutput flag set for every MIME attachment it doesn't have
an internal viewer defined for. If such an entry is found, mutt will
use the viewer defined in that entry to convert the body part to text
form.
include
Type: quadoption
Default: ask-yes
Controls whether or not a copy of the message(s) you are replying to
is included in your reply.
indent_string
Type: string
Default: \(lq> \(rq
Specifies the string to prepend to each line of text quoted in a
message to which you are replying. You are strongly encouraged not to
change this value, as it tends to agitate the more fanatical netizens.
in_reply_to
Type: string
Default: \(lq%i; from %a on %{!%a, %b %d, %Y at %I:%M:%S%p %Z}\(rq
This specifies the format of the In-Reply-To header field
added when replying to a message. For a ful llisting of
defined escape sequences, see the section on index_format.
Note: Don't use any sequences in this format string which
may include 8-bit characters. Using such escape sequences may
lead to bad headers.
index_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq%4C %Z %{%b %d} %-15.15L (%4l) %s\(rq
This variable allows you to customize the message index display to
your personal taste.
\(lqFormat strings\(rq are similar to the strings used in the \(lqC\(rq
function printf to format output (see the man page for more detail).
The following sequences are defined in Mutt:
%a address of the author
%b filename of the original message
folder (think mailBox)
%B the list to which the letter was sent,
or else the folder name (%b).
%c number of characters (bytes) in the message
%C current message number
%d date and time of the message in the format
specified by \(lqdate_format\(rq converted to
sender's time zone
%D date and time of the message in the format
specified by \(lqdate_format\(rq converted to
the local time zone
%f entire From: line (address + real name)
%F author name, or recipient name if the
message is from you
%i message-id of the current message
%l number of lines in the message
%L list-from function
%m total number of message in the mailbox
%M number of hidden messages if the thread
is collapsed.
%N message score
%n author's real name (or address if missing)
%O (_O_riginal save folder) Where
mutt would formerly have stashed the
message: list name or recipient name
if no list
%s subject of the message
%S status of the message (N/D/d/!/r/*)
%t `to:' field (recipients)
%T the appropriate character from the
to_chars string
%u user (login) name of the author
%v first name of the author, or the
recipient if the message is from you
%Z message status flags
%{fmt} the date and time of the message is
converted to sender's time zone, and
\(lqfmt\(rq is expanded by the library
function \(lqstrftime\(rq; a leading bang
disables locales
%[fmt] the date and time of the message is
converted to the local time zone, and
\(lqfmt\(rq is expanded by the library
function \(lqstrftime\(rq; a leading bang
disables locales
%(fmt) the local date and time when the
message was received.
\(lqfmt\(rq is expanded by the library
function \(lqstrftime\(rq;
a leading bang disables locales
%<fmt> the current local time.
\(lqfmt\(rq is expanded by the library
function \(lqstrftime\(rq;
a leading bang disables locales.
%>X right justify the rest of the string
and pad with character \(rqX\(rq
%|X pad to the end of the line with
character \(rqX\(rq
P
See also: \(lqto_chars\(rq.
ispell
Type: path
Default: \(lqispell\(rq
How to invoke ispell (GNU's spell-checking software).
locale
Type: string
Default: \(lqC\(rq
The locale used by strftime(3) to format dates. Legal values are
the strings your system accepts for the locale variable LC_TIME.
mail_check
Type: number
Default: 5
This variable configures how often (in seconds) mutt should look for
new mail.
mailcap_path
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This variable specifies which files to consult when attempting to
display MIME bodies not directly supported by Mutt.
mailcap_sanitize
Type: boolean
Default: yes
If set, mutt will restrict possible characters in mailcap % expandos
to a well-defined set of safe characters. This is the safe setting,
but we are not sure it doesn't break some more advanced MIME stuff.
DON'T CHANGE THIS SETTING UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY SURE WHAT YOU ARE
DOING!
mark_old
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls whether or not Mutt makes the distinction between new
messages and old unread messages. By default, Mutt will
mark new messages as old if you exit a mailbox without reading them.
The next time you start Mutt, the messages will show up with an \(rqO\(rq
next to them in the index menu, indicating that they are old. In
order to make Mutt treat all unread messages as new only, you can
unset this variable.
markers
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls the display of wrapped lines in the internal pager. If set, a
\(lq+\(rq marker is displayed at the beginning of wrapped lines. Also see
the \(lqsmart_wrap\(rq variable.
mask
Type: regular expression
Default: \(lq!^\\.[^.]\(rq
A regular expression used in the file browser, optionally preceded by
the not operator \(lq!\(rq. Only files whose names match this mask
will be shown. The match is always case-sensitive.
mbox
Type: path
Default: \(lq~/mbox\(rq
This specifies the folder into which read mail in your \(lqspoolfile\(rq
folder will be appended.
mbox_type
Type: folder magic
Default: mbox
The default mailbox type used when creating new folders. May be any of
mbox, MMDF, MH and Maildir.
metoo
Type: boolean
Default: no
If unset, Mutt will remove your address from the list of recipients
when replying to a message.
menu_scroll
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, menus will be scrolled up or down one line when you
attempt to move across a screen boundary. If unset, the screen
is cleared and the next or previous page of the menu is displayed
(useful for slow links to avoid many redraws).
meta_key
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, forces Mutt to interpret keystrokes with the high bit (bit 8)
set as if the user had pressed the ESC key and whatever key remains
after having the high bit removed. For example, if the key pressed
has an ASCII value of 0xf4, then this is treated as if the user had
pressed ESC then \(lqx\(rq. This is because the result of removing the
high bit from \(lq0xf4\(rq is \(lq0x74\(rq, which is the ASCII character
\(lqx\(rq.
mh_purge
Type: boolean
Default: no
When unset, mutt will mimic mh's behaviour and rename deleted messages
to ,<old file name> in mh folders instead of really deleting
them. If the variable is set, the message files will simply be
deleted.
mime_forward
Type: quadoption
Default: no
When set, the message you are forwarding will be attached as a
separate MIME part instead of included in the main body of the
message. This is useful for forwarding MIME messages so the receiver
can properly view the message as it was delivered to you. If you like
to switch between MIME and not MIME from mail to mail, set this
variable to ask-no or ask-yes.
Also see \(lqforward_decode\(rq and \(lqmime_forward_decode\(rq.
mime_forward_decode
Type: boolean
Default: no
Controls the decoding of complex MIME messages into text/plain when
forwarding a message while \(lqmime_forward\(rq is set. Otherwise
\(lqforward_decode\(rq is used instead.
mime_forward_rest
Type: quadoption
Default: yes
When forwarding multiple attachments of a MIME message from the recvattach
menu, attachments which cannot be decoded in a reasonable manner will
be attached to the newly composed message if this option is set.
mix_entry_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq%4n %c %-16s %a\(rq
This variable describes the format of a remailer line on the mixmaster
chain selection screen. The following printf-like sequences are
supported:
%n The running number on the menu.
%c Remailer capabilities.
%s The remailer's short name.
%a The remailer's e-mail address.
P
mixmaster
Type: path
Default: \(lqmixmaster\(rq
This variable contains the path to the Mixmaster binary on your
system. It is used with various sets of parameters to gather the
list of known remailers, and to finally send a message through the
mixmaster chain.
move
Type: quadoption
Default: ask-no
Controls whether you will be asked to confirm moving read messages
from your spool mailbox to your \(lqmbox\(rq mailbox, or as a result of
a \(lqmbox-hook\(rq command.
message_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq%s\(rq
This is the string displayed in the \(lqattachment\(rq menu for
attachments of type message/rfc822. For a full listing of defined
escape sequences see the section on \(lqindex_format\(rq.
pager
Type: path
Default: \(lqbuiltin\(rq
This variable specifies which pager you would like to use to view
messages. builtin means to use the builtin pager, otherwise this
variable should specify the pathname of the external pager you would
like to use.
Using an external pager may have some disadvantages: Additional
keystrokes are necessary because you can't call mutt functions
directly from the pager, and screen resizes cause lines longer than
the screen width to be badly formatted in the help menu.
pager_context
Type: number
Default: 0
This variable controls the number of lines of context that are given
when displaying the next or previous page in the internal pager. By
default, Mutt will display the line after the last one on the screen
at the top of the next page (0 lines of context).
pager_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq-%Z- %C/%m: %-20.20n %s\(rq
This variable controls the format of the one-line message \(lqstatus\(rq
displayed before each message in either the internal or an external
pager. The valid sequences are listed in the \(lqindex_format\(rq
section.
pager_index_lines
Type: number
Default: 0
Determines the number of lines of a mini-index which is shown when in
the pager. The current message, unless near the top or bottom of the
folder, will be roughly one third of the way down this mini-index,
giving the reader the context of a few messages before and after the
message. This is useful, for example, to determine how many messages
remain to be read in the current thread. One of the lines is reserved
for the status bar from the index, so a pager_index_lines of 6
will only show 5 lines of the actual index. A value of 0 results in
no index being shown. If the number of messages in the current folder
is less than pager_index_lines, then the index will only use as
many lines as it needs.
pager_stop
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, the internal-pager will not move to the next message
when you are at the end of a message and invoke the next-page
function.
pgp_autosign
Type: boolean
Default: no
Setting this variable will cause Mutt to always attempt to PGP/MIME
sign outgoing messages. This can be overridden by use of the pgp-
menu, when signing is not required or encryption is requested as
well.
pgp_autoencrypt
Type: boolean
Default: no
Setting this variable will cause Mutt to always attempt to PGP/MIME
encrypt outgoing messages. This is probably only useful in connection
to the send-hook command. It can be overridden by use of the
pgp-menu, when encryption is not required or signing is
requested as well.
pgp_entry_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq%4n %t%f %4l/0x%k %-4a %2c %u\(rq
This variable allows you to customize the PGP key selection menu to
your personal taste. This string is similar to \(lqindex_format\(rq, but
has its own set of printf()-like sequences:
%n number
%k key id
%u user id
%a algorithm
%l key length
%f flags
%c capabilities
%t trust/validity of the key-uid association
%[<s>] date of the key where <s> is an strftime(3)
expression
P
pgp_long_ids
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, use 64 bit PGP key IDs. Unset uses the normal 32 bit Key IDs.
pgp_replyencrypt
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, automatically PGP encrypt replies to messages which are
encrypted.
pgp_replysign
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, automatically PGP sign replies to messages which are signed.
Note: this does not work on messages that are encrypted
and signed!
pgp_replysignencrypted
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, automatically PGP sign replies to messages which are
encrypted. This makes sense in combination with
\(lqpgp_replyencrypt\(rq, because it allows you to sign all messages
which are automatically encrypted. This works around the problem
noted in \(lqpgp_replysign\(rq, that mutt is not able to find out
whether an encrypted message is also signed.
pgp_retainable_sigs
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, signed and encrypted messages will consist of nested
multipart/signed and multipart/encrypted body parts.
This is useful for applications like encrypted and signed mailing
lists, where the outer layer (multipart/encrypted) can be easily
removed, while the inner multipart/signed part is retained.
pgp_show_unusable
Type: boolean
Default: yes
If set, mutt will display non-usable keys on the PGP key selection
menu. This includes keys which have been revoked, have expired, or
have been marked as \(lqdisabled\(rq by the user.
pgp_sign_as
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
If you have more than one key pair, this option allows you to specify
which of your private keys to use. It is recommended that you use the
keyid form to specify your key (e.g., \(lq0xABCDEFGH\(rq).
pgp_sign_micalg
Type: string
Default: \(lqpgp-md5\(rq
This variable contains the default message integrity check algorithm.
Valid values are \(lqpgp-md5\(rq, \(lqpgp-sha1\(rq, and \(lqpgp-rmd160\(rq. If you
select a signing key using the sign as option on the compose menu,
mutt will automagically figure out the correct value to insert here,
but it does not know about the user's default key.
So if you are using an RSA key for signing, set this variable to
\(lqpgp-md5\(rq, if you use a PGP 5 DSS key for signing, say \(lqpgp-sha1\(rq
here. The value of this variable will show up in the micalg parameter
of MIME headers when creating RFC 2015 signatures.
pgp_strict_enc
Type: boolean
Default: yes
If set, Mutt will automatically encode PGP/MIME signed messages as
quoted-printable. Please note that unsetting this variable may
lead to problems with non-verifyable PGP signatures, so only change
this if you know what you are doing.
pgp_timeout
Type: number
Default: 300
The number of seconds after which a cached passphrase will expire if
not used.
pgp_verify_sig
Type: quadoption
Default: yes
If \(lqyes\(rq, always attempt to verify PGP/MIME signatures. If \(lqask\(rq,
ask whether or not to verify the signature. If \(lqno\(rq, never attempt
to verify PGP/MIME signatures.
pgp_sort_keys
Type: sort oder
Default: address
Specifies how the entries in the `pgp keys' menu are sorted. The
following are legal values:
address sort alphabetically by user id
keyid sort alphabetically by key id
date sort by key creation date
trust sort by the trust of the key
P
If you prefer reverse order of the above values, prefix it with
`reverse-'.
pgp_create_traditional
Type: quadoption
Default: no
This option controls whether Mutt generates old-style PGP encrypted
or signed messages under certain circumstances.
Note that PGP/MIME will be used automatically for messages which have
a character set different from us-ascii, or which consist of more than
a single MIME part.
Also note that using the old-style PGP message format is strongly
deprecated.
pgp_decode_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This format strings specifies a command which is used to decode
application/pgp attachments.
The PGP command formats have their own set of printf-like sequences:
%p Expands to PGPPASSFD=0 when a pass phrase
is needed, to an empty string otherwise.
Note: This may be used with a %? construct.
%f Expands to the name of a file containing
a message.
%s Expands to the name of a file containing
the signature part of a multipart/signed
attachment when verifying it.
%a The value of pgp_sign_as.
%r One or more key IDs.
P
For examples on how to configure these formats for the various versions
of PGP which are floating around, see the pgp*.rc and gpg.rc files in
the samples/ subdirectory which has been installed on your system
alongside the documentation.
pgp_getkeys_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is invoked whenever mutt will need public key information.
%r is the only printf-like sequence used with this format.
pgp_verify_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to verify PGP/MIME signatures.
pgp_decrypt_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to decrypt a PGP/MIME encrypted message.
pgp_clearsign_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This format is used to create a \(rqclearsigned\(rq old-style PGP attachment.
Note that the use of this format is strongly deprecated.
pgp_sign_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to create the detached PGP signature for a
multipart/signed PGP/MIME body part.
pgp_encrypt_sign_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to combinedly sign/encrypt a body part.
pgp_encrypt_only_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to encrypt a body part without signing it.
pgp_import_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to import a key from a message into
the user's public key ring.
pgp_export_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to export a public key from the user's
key ring.
pgp_verify_key_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to verify key information from the key selection
menu.
pgp_list_secring_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to list the secret key ring's contents. The
output format must be analogous to the one used by
gpg --list-keys --with-colons.
This format is also generated by the pgpring utility which comes
with mutt.
pgp_list_pubring_command
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This command is used to list the public key ring's contents. The
output format must be analogous to the one used by
gpg --list-keys --with-colons.
This format is also generated by the pgpring utility which comes
with mutt.
forward_decrypt
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls the handling of encrypted messages when forwarding a message.
When set, the outer layer of encryption is stripped off. This
variable is only used if \(lqmime_forward\(rq is set and
\(lqmime_forward_decode\(rq is unset.
certificate_file
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
This variable specifies the file where the certificates you trust
are saved. When an unknown certificate is encountered, you are asked
if you accept it or not. If you accept it, the certificate can also
be saved in this file and further connections are automatically
accepted.
entropy_file
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
file which includes random data that is used to initalize SSL
library functions.
ssl_use_sslv2
Type: boolean
Default: yes
This variables specifies whether to attempt to use SSLv2 in the
SSL authentication process.
ssl_use_sslv3
Type: boolean
Default: yes
This variables specifies whether to attempt to use SSLv3 in the
SSL authentication process.
ssl_use_tlsv1
Type: boolean
Default: yes
This variables specifies whether to attempt to use TLSv1 in the
SSL authentication process.
pipe_split
Type: boolean
Default: no
Used in connection with the pipe-message command and the \(lqtag-
prefix\(rq operator. If this variable is unset, when piping a list of
tagged messages Mutt will concatenate the messages and will pipe them
as a single folder. When set, Mutt will pipe the messages one by one.
In both cases the the messages are piped in the current sorted order,
and the \(lqpipe_sep\(rq separator is added after each message.
pipe_decode
Type: boolean
Default: no
Used in connection with the pipe-message command. When unset,
Mutt will pipe the messages without any preprocessing. When set, Mutt
will weed headers and will attempt to PGP/MIME decode the messages
first.
pipe_sep
Type: string
Default: \(lq\\n\(rq
The separator to add between messages when piping a list of tagged
messages to an external Unix command.
pop_delete
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, Mutt will delete successfully downloaded messages from the POP
server when using the fetch-mail function. When unset, Mutt will
download messages but also leave them on the POP server.
pop_host
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
The name or address of your POP3 server.
pop_port
Type: number
Default: 110
This variable specifies which port your POP server is listening on.
pop_last
Type: boolean
Default: no
If this variable is set, mutt will try to use the \(rqLAST\(rq POP command
for retrieving only unread messages from the POP server.
pop_user
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Your login name on the POP3 server.
Defaults to your login name on the local system.
pop_pass
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Your password on the POP3 server.
post_indent_string
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
Similar to the \(lqattribution\(rq variable, Mutt will append this
string after the inclusion of a message which is being replied to.
postpone
Type: quadoption
Default: ask-yes
Controls whether or not messages are saved in the \(lqpostponed\(rq
mailbox when you elect not to send immediately.
postponed
Type: path
Default: \(lq~/postponed\(rq
Mutt allows you to indefinitely \(lqpostpone sending a message\(rq which
you are editing. When you choose to postpone a message, Mutt saves it
in the folder specified by this variable. Also see the \(lqpostpone\(rq
variable.
print
Type: quadoption
Default: ask-no
Controls whether or not Mutt asks for confirmation before printing.
This is useful for people (like me) who accidentally hit \(lqp\(rq often.
print_command
Type: path
Default: \(lqlpr\(rq
This specifies the command pipe that should be used to print messages.
print_decode
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Used in connection with the print-message command. If this
option is set, the message is decoded before it is passed to the
external command specified by print_command. If this option
is unset, no processing will be applied to the message when
printing it. The latter setting may be useful if you are using
some advanced printer filter which is able to properly format
e-mail messages for printing.
prompt_after
Type: boolean
Default: yes
If you use an external \(lqpager\(rq, setting this variable will
cause Mutt to prompt you for a command when the pager exits rather
than returning to the index menu. If unset, Mutt will return to the
index menu when the external pager exits.
query_command
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
This specifies the command that mutt will use to make external address
queries. The string should contain a %s, which will be substituted
with the query string the user types. See \(lqquery\(rq for more
information.
quit
Type: quadoption
Default: yes
This variable controls whether \(lqquit\(rq and \(lqexit\(rq actually quit
from mutt. If it set to yes, they do quit, if it is set to no, they
have no effect, and if it is set to ask-yes or ask-no, you are
prompted for confirmation when you try to quit.
quote_regexp
Type: regular expression
Default: \(lq^([ \\t]*[|>:}#])+\(rq
A regular expression used in the internal-pager to determine quoted
sections of text in the body of a message.
Note: In order to use the quotedx patterns in the
internal pager, you need to set this to a regular expression that
matches exactly the quote characters at the beginning of quoted
lines.
read_inc
Type: number
Default: 10
If set to a value greater than 0, Mutt will display which message it
is currently on when reading a mailbox. The message is printed after
read_inc messages have been read (e.g., if set to 25, Mutt will
print a message when it reads message 25, and then again when it gets
to message 50). This variable is meant to indicate progress when
reading large mailboxes which may take some time.
When set to 0, only a single message will appear before the reading
the mailbox.
Also see the \(lqwrite_inc\(rq variable.
read_only
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, all folders are opened in read-only mode.
realname
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
This variable specifies what \(rqreal\(rq or \(rqpersonal\(rq name should be used
when sending messages.
By default, this is the GCOS field from /etc/passwd. Note that this
variable will not be used when the user has set a real name
in the from variable.
recall
Type: quadoption
Default: ask-yes
Controls whether or not you are prompted to recall postponed messages
when composing a new message. Also see \(lqpostponed\(rq.
Setting this variable to \(lqyes\(rq is not generally useful, and thus not
recommended.
record
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
This specifies the file into which your outgoing messages should be
appended. (This is meant as the primary method for saving a copy of
your messages, but another way to do this is using the \(lqmy_hdr\(rq
command to create a Bcc: field with your email address in it.)
The value of record is overridden by the \(lqforce_name\(rq and
\(lqsave_name\(rq variables, and the \(lqfcc-hook\(rq command.
reply_regexp
Type: regular expression
Default: \(lq^(re([\\[0-9\\]+])*|aw):[ \\t]*\(rq
A regular expression used to recognize reply messages when threading
and replying. The default value corresponds to the English \(rqRe:\(rq and
the German \(rqAw:\(rq.
reply_self
Type: boolean
Default: no
If unset and you are replying to a message sent by you, Mutt will
assume that you want to reply to the recipients of that message rather
than to yourself.
reply_to
Type: quadoption
Default: ask-yes
If set, Mutt will ask you if you want to use the address listed in the
Reply-To: header field when replying to a message. If you answer no,
it will use the address in the From: header field instead. This
option is useful for reading a mailing list that sets the Reply-To:
header field to the list address and you want to send a private
message to the author of a message.
resolve
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, the cursor will be automatically advanced to the next
(possibly undeleted) message whenever a command that modifies the
current message is executed.
reverse_alias
Type: boolean
Default: no
This variable controls whether or not Mutt will display the \(rqpersonal\(rq
name from your aliases in the index menu if it finds an alias that
matches the message's sender. For example, if you have the following
alias:
alias juser abd30425@somewhere.net (Joe User)
P
and then you receive mail which contains the following header:
From: abd30425@somewhere.net
P
It would be displayed in the index menu as \(lqJoe User\(rq instead of
\(lqabd30425@somewhere.net.\(rq This is useful when the person's e-mail
address is not human friendly (like CompuServe addresses).
reverse_name
Type: boolean
Default: no
It may sometimes arrive that you receive mail to a certain machine,
move the messages to another machine, and reply to some the messages
from there. If this variable is set, the default From: line of
the reply messages is built using the address where you received the
messages you are replying to. If the variable is unset, the
From: line will use your address on the current machine.
reverse_realname
Type: boolean
Default: yes
This variable fine-tunes the behaviour of the reverse_name feature.
When it is set, mutt will use the address from incoming messages as-is,
possibly including eventual real names. When it is unset, mutt will
override any such realnames with the setting of the realname variable.
rfc2047_parameters
Type: boolean
Default: no
When this variable is set, Mutt will decode RFC-2047-encoded MIME
parameters. You want to set this variable when mutt suggests you
to save attachments to files named like this:
=?iso-8859-1?Q?file=5F=E4=5F991116=2Ezip?=
When this variable is set interactively, the change doesn't have
the desired effect before you have changed folders.
Note that this use of RFC 2047's encoding is explicitly,
prohibited by the standard, but nevertheless encountered in the
wild.
Also note that setting this parameter will not have the effect
that mutt generates this kind of encoding. Instead, mutt will
unconditionally use the encoding specified in RFC 2231.
save_address
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, mutt will take the sender's full address when choosing a
default folder for saving a mail. If \(lqsave_name\(rq or \(lqforce_name\(rq
is set too, the selection of the fcc folder will be changed as well.
save_empty
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When unset, mailboxes which contain no saved messages will be removed
when closed (the exception is \(lqspoolfile\(rq which is never removed).
If set, mailboxes are never removed.
Note: This only applies to mbox and MMDF folders, Mutt does not
delete MH and Maildir directories.
save_name
Type: boolean
Default: no
This variable controls how copies of outgoing messages are saved.
When set, a check is made to see if a mailbox specified by the
recipient address exists (this is done by searching for a mailbox in
the \(lqfolder\(rq directory with the username part of the
recipient address). If the mailbox exists, the outgoing message will
be saved to that mailbox, otherwise the message is saved to the
\(lqrecord\(rq mailbox.
Also see the \(lqforce_name\(rq variable.
score
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When this variable is unset, scoring is turned off. This can
be useful to selectively disable scoring for certain folders when the
\(lqscore_threshold_delete\(rq variable and friends are used.
score_threshold_delete
Type: number
Default: -1
Messages which have been assigned a score equal to or lower than the value
of this variable are automatically marked for deletion by mutt. Since
mutt scores are always greater than or equal to zero, the default setting
of this variable will never mark a message for deletion.
score_threshold_flag
Type: number
Default: 9999
Messages wich have been assigned a score greater than or equal to this
variable's value are automatically marked \(rqflagged\(rq.
score_threshold_read
Type: number
Default: -1
Messages which have been assigned a score equal to or lower than the value
of this variable are automatically marked as read by mutt. Since
mutt scores are always greater than or equal to zero, the default setting
of this variable will never mark a message read.
send_charset
Type: string
Default: \(lq\(rq
The character set that mutt will use for outgoing messages.
If this variable is not set, mutt will fall back to \(lqcharset\(rq.
sendmail
Type: path
Default: \(lq/usr/sbin/sendmail -oem -oi\(rq
Specifies the program and arguments used to deliver mail sent by Mutt.
Mutt expects that the specified program interprets additional
arguments as recipient addresses.
sendmail_wait
Type: number
Default: 0
Specifies the number of seconds to wait for the \(lqsendmail\(rq process
to finish before giving up and putting delivery in the background.
Mutt interprets the value of this variable as follows:
>0 number of seconds to wait for sendmail to
finish before continuing
0 wait forever for sendmail to finish
<0 always put sendmail in the background
without waiting
P
Note that if you specify a value other than 0, the output of the child
process will be put in a temporary file. If there is some error, you
will be informed as to where to find the output.
shell
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
Command to use when spawning a subshell. By default, the user's login
shell from /etc/passwd is used.
sig_dashes
Type: boolean
Default: yes
If set, a line containing \(lq-- \(rq will be inserted before your
\(lqsignature\(rq. It is strongly recommended that you not unset
this variable unless your \(lqsignature\(rq contains just your name. The
reason for this is because many software packages use \(lq-- \\n\(rq to
detect your signature. For example, Mutt has the ability to highlight
the signature in a different color in the builtin pager.
signature
Type: path
Default: \(lq~/.signature\(rq
Specifies the filename of your signature, which is appended to all
outgoing messages. If the filename ends with a pipe (\(lq|\(rq), it is
assumed that filename is a shell command and input should be read from
its stdout.
simple_search
Type: string
Default: \(lq~f %s | ~s %s\(rq
Specifies how Mutt should expand a simple search into a real search
pattern. A simple search is one that does not contain any of the ~
operators. See \(lqpatterns\(rq for more information on search patterns.
For example, if you simply type joe at a search or limit prompt, Mutt
will automatically expand it to the value specified by this variable.
For the default value it would be:
smart_wrap
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls the display of lines longer then the screen width in the
internal pager. If set, long lines are wrapped at a word boundary. If
unset, lines are simply wrapped at the screen edge. Also see the
\(lqmarkers\(rq variable.
smileys
Type: regular expression
Default: \(lq(>From )|(:[-^]?[][)(><}{|/DP])\(rq
The pager uses this variable to catch some common false
positives of \(lqquote_regexp\(rq, most notably smileys in the beginning
of a line
sort
Type: sort oder
Default: date
Specifies how to sort messages in the index menu. Valid values
are:
date or date-sent
date-received
from
mailbox-order (unsorted)
score
size
subject
threads
to
P
You may optionally use the reverse- prefix to specify reverse sorting
order (example: set sort=reverse-date-sent).
sort_alias
Type: sort oder
Default: alias
Specifies how the entries in the `alias' menu are sorted. The
following are legal values:
address (sort alphabetically by email address)
alias (sort alphabetically by alias name)
unsorted (leave in order specified in .muttrc)
P
sort_aux
Type: sort oder
Default: date
When sorting by threads, this variable controls how threads are sorted
in relation to other threads, and how the branches of the thread trees
are sorted. This can be set to any value that \(lqsort\(rq can, except
threads (in that case, mutt will just use date-sent). You can also
specify the last- prefix in addition to the reverse- prefix, but last-
must come after reverse-. The last- prefix causes messages to be
sorted against its siblings by which has the last descendant, using
the rest of sort_aux as an ordering. For instance, set sort_aux=last-
date-received would mean that if a new message is received in a
thread, that thread becomes the last one displayed (or the first, if
you have set sort=reverse-threads.) Note: For reversed \(lqsort\(rq
order sort_aux is reversed again (which is not the right thing to do,
but kept to not break any existing configuration setting).
sort_browser
Type: sort oder
Default: subject
Specifies how to sort entries in the file browser. By default, the
entries are sorted alphabetically. Valid values:
alpha (alphabetically)
date
size
unsorted
P
You may optionally use the reverse- prefix to specify reverse sorting
order (example: set sort_browser=reverse-date).
sort_re
Type: boolean
Default: yes
This variable is only useful when sorting by threads with
\(lqstrict_threads\(rq unset. In that case, it changes the heuristic
mutt uses to thread messages by subject. With sort_re set, mutt will
only attach a message as the child of another message by subject if
the subject of the child message starts with a substring matching the
setting of \(lqreply_regexp\(rq. With sort_re unset, mutt will attach
the message whether or not this is the case, as long as the
non-\(lqreply_regexp\(rq parts of both messages are identical.
spoolfile
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
If your spool mailbox is in a non-default place where Mutt cannot find
it, you can specify its location with this variable. Mutt will
automatically set this variable to the value of the environment
variable MAIL if it is not set.
status_chars
Type: string
Default: \(lq-*%A\(rq
Controls the characters used by the \(rq%r\(rq indicator in
\(lqstatus_format\(rq. The first character is used when the mailbox is
unchanged. The second is used when the mailbox has been changed, and
it needs to be resynchronized. The third is used if the mailbox is in
read-only mode, or if the mailbox will not be written when exiting
that mailbox (You can toggle whether to write changes to a mailbox
with the toggle-write operation, bound by default to \(rq%\(rq). The fourth
is used to indicate that the current folder has been opened in attach-
message mode (Certain operations like composing a new mail, replying,
forwarding, etc. are not permitted in this mode).
status_format
Type: string
Default: \(lq-%r-Mutt: %f [Msgs:%?M?%M/?%m%?n? New:%n?%?o? Old:%o?%?d? Del:%d?%?F? Flag:%F?%?t? Tag:%t?%?p? Post:%p?%?b? Inc:%b?%?l? %l?]---(%s/%S)-%>-(%P)---\(rq
Controls the format of the status line displayed in the index
menu. This string is similar to \(lqindex_format\(rq, but has its own
set of printf()-like sequences:
%b number of mailboxes with new mail *
%d number of deleted messages *
%h local hostname
%f the full pathname of the current mailbox
%F number of flagged messages *
%l size (in bytes) of the current mailbox *
%L size (in bytes) of the messages shown
(i.e., which match the current limit) *
%m the number of messages in the mailbox *
%M the number of messages shown (i.e., which
match the current limit) *
%n number of new messages in the mailbox *
%o number of old unread messages
%p number of postponed messages *
%P percentage of the way through the index
%r modified/read-only/won't-write/attach-message
indicator, according to status_chars
%s current sorting mode (sort)
%S current aux sorting method (sort_aux)
%t number of tagged messages *
%u number of unread messages *
%v Mutt version string
%V currently active limit pattern, if any *
%>X right justify the rest of the string and
pad with \(rqX\(rq
%|X pad to the end of the line with \(rqX\(rq
P
* = can be optionally printed if nonzero
Some of the above sequences can be used to optionally print a string
if their value is nonzero. For example, you may only want to see the
number of flagged messages if such messages exist, since zero is not
particularly meaningful. To optionally print a string based upon one
of the above sequences, the following construct is used
%?<sequence_char>?<optional_string>?
where sequence_char is a character from the table above, and
optional_string is the string you would like printed if
status_char is nonzero. optional_string may contain
other sequence as well as normal text, but you may not nest
optional strings.
Here is an example illustrating how to optionally print the number of
new messages in a mailbox:
%?n?%n new messages.?
Additionally you can switch between two strings, the first one, if a
value is zero, the second one, if the value is nonzero, by using the
following construct:
%?<sequence_char>?<if_string>&<else_string>?
You can additionally force the result of any printf-like sequence to
be lowercase by prefixing the sequence character with an underscore
(_) sign. For example, if you want to display the local hostname in
lowercase, you would use:
%_h
status_on_top
Type: boolean
Default: no
Setting this variable causes the \(lqstatus bar\(rq to be displayed on
the first line of the screen rather than near the bottom.
strict_threads
Type: boolean
Default: no
If set, threading will only make use of the \(lqIn-Reply-To\(rq and
\(lqReferences\(rq fields when \(lqsorting\(rq by message threads. By
default, messages with the same subject are grouped together in
\(lqpseudo threads.\(rq This may not always be desirable, such as in a
personal mailbox where you might have several unrelated messages with
the subject \(lqhi\(rq which will get grouped together.
suspend
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When unset, mutt won't stop when the user presses the terminal's
susp key, usually \(lqcontrol-Z\(rq. This is useful if you run mutt
inside an xterm using a command like xterm -e mutt.
thorough_search
Type: boolean
Default: no
Affects the ~b and ~h search operations described in
section \(lqpatterns\(rq above. If set, the headers and attachments of
messages to be searched are decoded before searching. If unset,
messages are searched as they appear in the folder.
tilde
Type: boolean
Default: no
When set, the internal-pager will pad blank lines to the bottom of the
screen with a tilde (~).
timeout
Type: number
Default: 600
This variable controls the number of seconds Mutt will wait for
a key to be pressed in the main menu before timing out and checking
for new mail. A value of zero or less will cause Mutt not to ever
time out.
tmpdir
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
This variable allows you to specify where Mutt will place its
temporary files needed for displaying and composing messages.
to_chars
Type: string
Default: \(lq +TCF\(rq
Controls the character used to indicate mail addressed to you. The
first character is the one used when the mail is NOT addressed to your
address (default: space). The second is used when you are the only
recipient of the message (default: +). The third is when your address
appears in the TO header field, but you are not the only recipient of
the message (default: T). The fourth character is used when your
address is specified in the CC header field, but you are not the only
recipient. The fifth character is used to indicate mail that was sent
by you.
use_8bitmime
Type: boolean
Default: no
Warning: do not set this variable unless you are using a version
of sendmail which supports the -B8BITMIME flag (such as sendmail
8.8.x) or you may not be able to send mail.
When set, Mutt will invoke \(lqsendmail\(rq with the -B8BITMIME
flag when sending 8-bit messages to enable ESMTP negotiation.
use_domain
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, Mutt will qualify all local addresses (ones without the
@host portion) with the value of \(lqhostname\(rq. If unset, no
addresses will be qualified.
use_from
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, Mutt will generate the `From:' header field when
sending messages. If unset, no `From:' header field will be
generated unless the user explicitly sets one using the \(lqmy_hdr\(rq
command.
user_agent
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, mutt will add a \(rqUser-Agent\(rq header to outgoing
messages, indicating which version of mutt was used for composing
them.
visual
Type: path
Default: \(lq\(rq
Specifies the visual editor to invoke when the ~v command is
given in the builtin editor.
wait_key
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls whether Mutt will ask you to press a key after shell-
escape, pipe-message, pipe-entry, print-message,
and print-entry commands.
It is also used when viewing attachments with \(lqautoview\(rq, provided
that the corresponding mailcap entry has a needsterminal flag,
and the external program is interactive.
When set, Mutt will always ask for a key. When unset, Mutt will wait
for a key only if the external command returned a non-zero status.
weed
Type: boolean
Default: yes
When set, mutt will weed headers when when displaying, forwarding,
printing, or replying to messages.
wrap_search
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls whether searches wrap around the end of the mailbox.
When set, searches will wrap around the first (or last) message. When
unset, searches will not wrap.
write_inc
Type: number
Default: 10
When writing a mailbox, a message will be printed every
write_inc messages to indicate progress. If set to 0, only a
single message will be displayed before writing a mailbox.
Also see the \(lqread_inc\(rq variable.
write_bcc
Type: boolean
Default: yes
Controls whether mutt writes out the Bcc header when preparing
messages to be sent. Exim users may wish to use this.
|