---
name: "incm"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "mew-beta-bin"
version: "7.0.50~6.8+0.20221129-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/incm"
---

# incm(1)

Incorporating new mails for Mew

## NAME

incm - Incorporating new mails for Mew

## SYNOPSIS

incm \[*options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **incm** utility incorporates new mails from the mbox or the maildir to Mew's inbox folder.

The options are as follows:

- **-a**

  Retrieve all mails from maildir/{cur,new} for maildir.

- **-b**

  Backup mails. mbox: No truncate mbox file. maildir: To maildir/cur directory.

- **-c**

  Use the Content-Length: field, instead of the "From " line,  as a mail separator for mbox.

- **-d** *path*

  Path to mbox/maildir. If *path* is a file, mbox is assumed. If *path* is a directory, maildir is assumed.

- **-m** *path*

  The same as the **-d** option.

- **-s**

  Read one mail from stdin instead of mbox/maildir.

- **-i** *inboxdir*

  A path to the inbox directory.

- **-u**

  Don't touch ".mew-mtime".

- **-f**

  Preserve Unix From (Envelope Sender) line in mbox case.

- **-p** *mode*

  Specify file mode that creates in mbox case.

- **-o**

  Use the suffix when creating messages.

- **-x** *suffix*

  Use this  *suffix*.

- **-h**

  Display this help message.

- **-v**

  Display the version.

### mbox

For mbox, the mail separator is "From " in the beginning of lines. The **incm** utility does not convert "\>From " to "From " in the beginning of lines in the body. On Solaris, Content-Length: should be used with the  **-c** option to tell the end of mail.

To lock mbox, a lock file("\<user\>.lock"),  flock() or lockf(), and open(O\_EXLOCK) are used.

### maildir

For maildir, no lock and no separator are necessary.

Consider the following situation:

```
        cur/{1,2}
        new/{3,4}
```

Executing **incm** without the options results in:

```
        cur/{1,2}
        new/{}
        to inbox: {3,4}
```

Executing **incm** with the **-a** option results in:

```
        cur/{}
        new/{}
        to inbox: {1,2,3,4}
```

Executing **incm** with the **-b** option results in:

```
        cur/{1,2,3,4}
        new/{}
        to inbox: {3,4}
```

Executing **incm** with the **-a** option and the  **-b** option results in:

```
        cur/{1,2,3,4}
        new/{}
        to inbox: {1,2,3,4}
```

So, if both options are specified,  messages are retrieved multiple times.