---
name: "retchmail.conf"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "retchmail"
version: "1:1.1"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/retchmail.conf"
---

# retchmail.conf(5)

RetchMail configuration file

## NAME

retchmail.conf - RetchMail configuration file

## DESCRIPTION

When **retchmail** starts, it first loads its configuration from *$HOME/.retchmail/retchmail.conf*, which contains basic information about all of the various accounts and servers that you want to download your mail from, and deliver your mail to.

The configuration file *$HOME/.retchmail/retchmail.conf* is in Windows "ini" file format, with **sections** named in square brackets and a number of **variable = value** pairs within each section.

Here is a sample configuration file:

\[POP Servers\]\
 testuser@example.com = password\
 \[POP Targets\]\
 testuser@example.com = localuser

The sample configuration file above contains all of the options necessary to run retchmail to automatically deliver mail from **testuser@example.com** to **localuser.** when retchmail is invoked.

If you want retchmail to use SSL to encrypt all of the traffic between it and your POP server, then it's as easy as adding :995 to the POP Servers account name as follows:

\[POP Servers\]\
 testuser@example.com:995 = password\
 \[POP Targets\]\
 testuser@example.com:995 = localuser

If you wish to have retchmail use a mail delivery agent (MDA) other then sendmail to deliver your mail you may also add a MDA Override option to your config file as follows:

\[POP Servers\]\
 testuser@example.com = password\
 \[MDA Override\]\
 testuser@example.com = qmail

## SEE ALSO

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

## AUTHORS

Retchmail was originally written by Avery Pennarun and Patrick Patterson. Many people have later contributed to it.