---
name: "mhparam"
section: "1mh"
platform: "linux"
package: "nmh"
version: "1.8-3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mhparam/1mh"
---

# mhparam(1mh)

print nmh profile and context components

## NAME

mhparam - print nmh profile and context components

## SYNOPSIS

**mhparam** \[**-help**\] \[**-version**\] \[*components*\] \[**-all**\] \[**-component** \| **-nocomponent**\] \[**-debug**\]

## DESCRIPTION

**mhparam** writes the value of the specified profile component to the standard output, separated by newlines.  Component name matching is case-insensitive.  If the profile component is not present, the default value (or nothing, if there is no default) is printed.

If the switch **-component** is given, then the component name is displayed along with the profile components value.  This can be disabled with the switch **-nocomponent**.

If more than one component is specified in the *components* list, then the switch **-component** is on by default.  If only one component is specified, then the switch **-nocomponent** is on by default.

If **-all** is specified, then all components in the nmh profile are displayed and other arguments are ignored.

**mhparam** can provide other information, such as the **nmh** version identifier, the locations of the nmh *bindir*, *libexecdir*, *etcdir*, and *docdir* install directories, all *proc* settings, and the *datalocking* method described in [*mh-profile*(5)](/mh-profile/5.md). Information about the configuration of the **nmh** installation is also available, including the default mail spool locking method.  To test whether the configuration includes support for SASL, TLS, [*iconv*(3)](/iconv/3.md), and oauth, the following commands, respectively, will output a non-null string to indicate support:

```
mhparam sasl
mhparam tls
mhparam iconv
mhparam oauth
```

Conversely, no output means that the specified support is not included. The **-debug** switch displays all such other information available from **mhparam**.

Examples:

```
$ mhparam path
Mail
$ mhparam mhlproc
/usr/lib/mh/mhl
$ mhparam -component Path
Path: Mail
$ mhparam AliasFile rmmproc
AliasFile: aliases
rmmproc: rmmproc
$ mhparam -nocomponent AliasFile rmmproc
aliases
rmmproc
$ mhparam path nonexistent context
Path: Mail
context: context
$ mhparam version
nmh-1.8
$ mhparam etcdir
/etc/nmh
$ mhparam libexecdir
/usr/lib/mh
$ mhparam spoollocking
fcntl
$ mhparam datalocking
fcntl
$ mhparam sasl
cyrus_sasl
$ mhparam tls
tls
$ mhparam iconv
iconv
$ mhparam oauth
oauth
```

**mhparam** is also useful in backquoted operations:

```
$ fgrep cornell.edu `mhpath +`/`mhparam aliasfile`
```

## EXIT STATUS

The exit status is zero if all components are found, or one if any are missing.

## FILES

```
^$HOME/.mh_profile~^The user profile
^or $MH~^Rather than the standard profile
^<mh-dir>/context~^The user context
^or $MHCONTEXT~^Rather than the standard context
```

## PROFILE COMPONENTS

```
^context:~^To determine the context file
```

## SEE ALSO

[*mh-profile*(5)](/mh-profile/5.md)

## DEFAULTS

```
`-nocomponent' if only one component is specified
`-component' if more than one component is specified
`components' defaults to none
```

## CONTEXT

None