---
name: "lei-lcat"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "lei"
version: "2.1.0-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/lei-lcat"
---

# lei-lcat(1)

display local copy of messages(s)

## NAME

lei-lcat - display local copy of messages(s)

## SYNOPSIS

lei lcat \[OPTIONS\] MSGID\_OR\_URL \[MSGID\_OR\_URL...\]

lei lcat \[OPTIONS\] (--stdin\|-)

## DESCRIPTION

lcat (local cat) is a wrapper around [**lei-q**(1)](/lei-q/1.md) that displays local messages by Message-ID.  It is able to extract Message-IDs from URLs as well as from common formats such as `"<$MSGID>"` and `"id:$MSGID"`.  When reading from stdin, input that isn't understood is discarded, so the caller doesn't have to bother extracting the Message-ID or link from surrounding text (e.g., a "Link: `$URL`" line).

## OPTIONS

The following options, described in [**lei-q**(1)](/lei-q/1.md), are supported. One deviation from [**lei-q**(1)](/lei-q/1.md) is the default output format is `"-f text"` when writing to stdout.

- \--format=FORMAT

  - \-f FORMAT

  Most commonly `"text"` (the default) or `"reply"` to display the message(s) in a format suitable for trimming and sending as an email reply.

- \--stdin

  - \-

  `"lei lcat"` implicitly reads from stdin if it is a [**pipe**(7)](/pipe/7.md) or regular file.  This is handy for invoking `"lei lcat"` from inside an `$EDITOR` session (assuming you use an `$EDITOR` which lets you pipe arbitrary lines to arbitrary commands).

- \--\[no-\]remote

  - \--no-local

  - \--no-external

  - \--no-import-remote

  - \--torsocks=auto\|no\|yes, --no-torsocks

  - \--proxy=PROTOCOL://HOST\[:PORT\]

  - \-o MFOLDER, --output=MFOLDER

  - \-d STRATEGY, --dedupe=STRATEGY

  - \-t, --threads

  - \-s KEY, --sort=KEY

  - \-r, --reverse

  - \--offset=NUMBER

  - \-g, --globoff

  - \-a, --augment

  - \--lock=METHOD

  - \--alert=COMMAND

  - \--mua=COMMAND

  - \--no-color

  ## CONTACT

Feedback welcome via plain-text mail to \<mailto:meta@public-inbox.org\>

The mail archives are hosted at \<https://public-inbox.org/meta/\> and \<http://4uok3hntl7oi7b4uf4rtfwefqeexfzil2w6kgk2jn5z2f764irre7byd.onion/meta/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2021 all contributors \<mailto:meta@public-inbox.org\>

License: AGPL-3.0+ \<https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.txt\>

## SEE ALSO

[**lei-q**(1)](/lei-q/1.md), [**lei-blob**(1)](/lei-blob/1.md)