---
name: "mu-extract"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "maildir-utils"
version: "1.12.9-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mu-extract"
---

# mu-extract(1)

display and save message parts (attachments), and open them with other tools.

## NAME

mu-extract - display and save message parts (attachments), and open them with other tools.

## SYNOPSIS

**mu** \[*COMMON-OPTIONS*\] **extract** \[*OPTIONS*\] \[*FILE*\]

**mu** \[*COMMON-OPTIONS*\] **extract** \[*OPTIONS*\] *FILE* *PATTERN*

## DESCRIPTION

**mu extract** is the **mu** sub-command for extracting MIME-parts (e.g., attachments) from mail messages. The sub-command works on message files, and does not require the message to be indexed in the database.

For attachments, the file name used when saving it is the name of the attachment in the message. If there is no such name, or when saving non-attachment MIME-parts, a name is derived from the message-id of the message.

If you specify a regular express pattern as the second argument, all attachments with filenames matching that pattern will be extracted. The regular expressions are basic PCRE, and are case-sensitive by default; see [**pcre**(3)](/pcre/3.md) for more details.

Without any options, **mu extract** simply outputs the list of leaf MIME-parts in the message. Only \`leaf' MIME-parts (including RFC822 attachments) are considered, **multipart/\*** etc. are ignored.

Without a filename parameter, **mu extract** reads a message from standard-input. In that case, you cannot use the second, *PATTERN* parameter as this would be ambiguous; instead, use the **--matches** option.

## EXTRACT OPTIONS

### -a, --save-attachments

Save all MIME-parts that look like attachments.

### --save-all

Save all non-multipart MIME-parts.

### --parts *parts*

Only consider the following numbered *parts* (comma-separated list). The numbers for the parts can be seen from running **mu extract** without any options but only the message file.

### --target-dir *dir*

Save the parts in *dir* rather than the current working directory.

### --overwrite

Overwrite existing files with the same name; by default overwriting is not allowed.

### -u,--uncooked

By default, **mu** transforms the attachment filenames a bit (such as by replacing spaces by dashes); with this option, leave that to the minimum for creating a legal filename in the target directory.

### --matches *pattern*

Attachments with filenames matching *pattern* will be extracted. The regular expressions are basic PCRE, and are case-sensitive by default; see [**pcre**(3)](/pcre/3.md) for more details.

### --play

Try to \`play' (open) the attachment with the default application for the particular file type. On MacOS, this uses the **open** program, on other platforms it uses **xdg-open**. You can choose a different program by setting the **MU\_PLAY\_PROGRAM** environment variable.

## COMMON OPTIONS

### -d, --debug

Makes **mu** generate extra debug information, useful for debugging the program itself. Debug information goes to the standard logging location; see [**mu**(1)](/mu/1.md).

### -q, --quiet

Causes **mu** not to output informational messages and progress information to standard output, but only to the log file. Error messages will still be sent to standard error. Note that **mu index** is much faster with **--quiet**, so it is recommended you use this option when using **mu** from scripts etc.

### --log-stderr

Causes **mu** to not output log messages to standard error, in addition to sending them to the standard logging location.

### --nocolor

Do not use ANSI colors. The environment variable **NO\_COLOR** can be used as an alternative to **--nocolor**.

### -V, --version

Prints **mu** version and copyright information.

### -h, --help

Lists the various command line options.

## EXAMPLES

To display information about all the MIME-parts in a message file:

```
$ mu extract msgfile
```

To extract MIME-part 3 and 4 from this message, overwriting existing files with the same name:

```
$ mu extract --parts=3,4 --overwrite msgfile
```

To extract all files ending in \`.jpg' (case-insensitive):

```
$ mu extract msgfile '.*\.jpg'
```

To extract an mp3-file, and play it in the default mp3-playing application:

```
$ mu extract --play msgfile 'whoopsididitagain.mp3'
```

when reading from standard-input, you need **--matches**, so:

```
$ cat msgfile | mu extract --play --matches 'whoopsididitagain.mp3'
```

## REPORTING BUGS

Please report bugs at *https://github.com/djcb/mu/issues*.

## AUTHOR

Dirk-Jan C. Binnema \<djcb@djcbsoftware.nl\>

## COPYRIGHT

This manpage is part of **mu** 1.12.9.

Copyright © 2008-2025 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later *https://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

[**mu**(1)](/mu/1.md)