---
name: "mswatch"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "mswatch"
version: "1.2.0-2.2+b1"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mswatch"
---

# mswatch(1)

watch mailstores for changes and initiate mailbox syncs

## NAME

mswatch - watch mailstores for changes and initiate mailbox syncs

## SYNOPSIS

**mswatch** \[*options* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**mswatch** is a command line program that makes keeping two mailboxes synchronized *faster* and *more efficient* than periodically synchronizing the two mailboxes.

**mswatch** watches mailboxes to know when to initiate mailbox syncs. Using mswatch, your mail synchronization program can be called on demand instead of through polling, resulting in prompter mail delivery and lower bandwidth usage and server load.

## OPTIONS

- **-c** file, **--config=**file

  Read configuration from *file*. By default, the configuration is read from ~/.mswatchrc.

- **-d**, **--dry**

  Watch mailstores for changes but do not initiate syncs.

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Do not print success status messages.

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

  Display version information.

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

  Display a summary of command line options.

## SIGNALS

- **SIGUSR1**

  Print names of mailboxes with pending syncs.

- **SIGINT** and **SIGTERM**

  Gracefully exit.

## CONFIGURATION

The configuration file is mandatory; **mswatch** will not run without it. Text starting with a hash mark (#) through the end of the current line are comments and are ignored. Spaces and tabs delimit.

- **base\_delay** *time*

  Default: 10 seconds\
   Minimum time after first queued mailbox change to synchronization.

- **inter\_delay** *time*

  Default: 60 seconds\
   Minimum time between two synchronizations or failed attempts (this is the default inter\_delay setting for mailboxes).

- **inter\_delay** *time* *mailboxes ...*

  Default: inter\_delay\
   Minimum time between two synchronizations or failed attempts for the list mailboxes.

- **max\_delay** *time*

  Default: 600 seconds\
   Maximum waiting time between failed attempts.

- **poll\_period** *time*

  Default: 86400 seconds (1 day)\
   Period at which to poll all mailboxes. This option is for use with sync programs that can error without returning a failed status---it ensures that the mailboxes are at least this fresh. To disable polling, set the period to 0.

- **ignore** *mailboxes ...*

  Optional\
   Do not initiate explicit synchronizations for these mailboxes. mswatch will ignore changes made to these mailboxes while it is running, but will still synchronize them at start when all mailboxes are synchronized.

- **sync** *program arguments ...*

  Required\
   Program and arguments to run to synchronize mail stores. Mailbox names are appended to *arguments ...* when *program* is run.

- **mailbox\_prefix** *prefix* *separator*

  Optional\
   Prefix these strings to mailbox names passed to **sync**; useful when using **mbsync** for **sync**, as the **mbsync** channel. If present, *prefix* is always prefixed to mailbox names. When synchronizing a particular mailbox, *separator* is inserted between *prefix* and the mailbox name (*separator* is not inserted when synchronizing all mailboxes).\
   Examples:\
   Given *prefix* = "mydomain" and *separator* = ":" and that the mailbox "INBOX" is to be synchronized, "mydomain:INBOX" is passed to **sync**.\
   Given *prefix* = "mydomain" and *separator* = ":" and that all mailboxes are to be synchronized, "mydomain" is passed to **sync**.

- **store** *name* { **watch** *program arguments ...* }

  Required (two stores)\
   A mailstore to watch. Call it *name* when reporting status information to the user. **watch** sets the program and arguments to run the mailstore watcher. [**watch\_maildirs**(1)](/watch_maildirs/1.md) is a Maildir mailstore watcher.

## FILES

- **~/.mswatchrc**

  Default configuration file

## SEE ALSO

[**inputkill**(1)](/inputkill/1.md), [**watch\_maildirs**(1)](/watch_maildirs/1.md), **socketwatch**(1), [**mbsync**(1)](/mbsync/1.md),

mswatch website: http://mswatch.sf.net/

## AUTHOR

Written by Chris Frost \<chris@frostnet.net\>.