---
name: "mail.mailutils"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "mailutils"
version: "1:3.19-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mail.mailutils"
---

# mail.mailutils(1)

process mail messages

## NAME

mail.mailutils - process mail messages

## SYNOPSIS

**mail.mailutils** \[*OPTION*...\] \[*address*...\]\
 **mail.mailutils** \[*OPTION*...\] \[*OPTION*...\] \[*file*\]\
 **mail.mailutils** \[*OPTION*...\] *--file* \[*OPTION*...\] \[*file*\]\
 **mail.mailutils** \[*OPTION*...\] *--file=file* \[*OPTION*...\]

## DESCRIPTION

GNU mail **--** process mail messages. If **-f** or **--file** is given, mail operates on the mailbox named by the first argument, or the user's mbox, if no argument given.

- **-A**, **--attach**=*FILE*

  attach FILE

**-a**, **--append**=*HEADER*: VALUE append given header to the message being sent

- **--\[no-\]alternative**

  force multipart/alternative content type

- **--attach-fd**=*FD*

  attach from file descriptor FD

- **--content-filename**=*NAME*

  set the Content-Disposition filename parameter for the next **--attach** option

- **--content-name**=*NAME*

  set the Content-Type name parameter for the next **--attach** option

- **--content-type**=*TYPE*

  set content type for subsequent **--attach** options

- **-E**, **--exec**=*COMMAND*

  execute COMMAND

- **-e**, **--exist**

  return true if mail exists

- **--encoding**=*NAME*

  set encoding for subsequent **--attach** options

- **-F**, **--byname**

  save messages according to sender

- **-H**, **--headers**

  write a header summary and exit

- **-i**, **--ignore**

  ignore interrupts

- **-M**, **--\[no-\]mime**

  compose MIME messages

- **-N**, **--nosum**

  do not display initial header summary

- **-n**, **--norc**

  do not read the system mailrc file

- **-p**, **--print**, **--read**

  print all mail to standard output

- **-q**, **--quit**

  cause interrupts to terminate program

- **-r**, **--return-address**=*ADDRESS*

  use address as the return address when sending mail

- **-s**, **--subject**=*SUBJ*

  send a message with the given SUBJECT

- **--\[no-\]skip-empty-attachments**

  skip attachments with empty body

- **-t**, **--to**

  read recipients from the message header

- **-u**, **--user**=*USER*

  operate on USER's mailbox

-

  Global debugging settings

- **--debug-level**=*LEVEL*

  set Mailutils debugging level

**--\[no-\]debug-line-info** show source info with debugging messages

- **-M**, **--mailer**=*MAILER*

  use specified URL as the default mailer

-

  Configuration handling

- **--config-file**=*FILE*

  load this configuration file; implies **--no-config**

- **--config-lint**

  check configuration file syntax and exit

- **--config-verbose**

  verbosely log parsing of the configuration files

- **--no-config**

  do not load site and user configuration files

- **--no-site-config**

  do not load site-wide configuration file

- **--no-user-config**

  do not load user configuration file

- **--set**=*PARAM=VALUE*

  set configuration parameter

-

  Informational options

- **--config-help**

  show configuration file summary

- **--show-config-options**

  show compilation options

- \-?, **--help**

  give this help list

- **--usage**

  give a short usage message

- **-V**, **--version**

  print program version

Mandatory or optional arguments to long options are also mandatory or optional for any corresponding short options.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<bug-mailutils@gnu.org\>.\
 GNU Mailutils home page: \<http://mailutils.org\>\
 General help using GNU software: \<http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2007-2024 Free Software Foundation, inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later \<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

The complete GNU mailutils documentation is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the **mailutils-doc** package is installed, the command

-

  **info mailutils**

should give you access to the complete manual.\
 You can also find this manual online in the GNU mailutils webpage:\
 https://www.gnu.org/software/mailutils/manual/index.html.\
 Please note this manpage was automatically generated by the Debian mailutils packagers. Do not file bugs for its content to the GNU Mailutils upstream authors.