How to use the command 'mutt' (with examples)
Mutt is a command-line email client that allows users to send and receive emails from the terminal. It provides a simple and efficient way to manage emails from a linux shell. This article demonstrates various use cases of the ‘mutt’ command with examples.
Use case 1: Open the specified mailbox
Code:
mutt -f mailbox
Motivation: Using the ‘mutt’ command with the -f option allows users to open a specific mailbox. This is useful when a user wants to focus on a particular mailbox to read and manage emails.
Explanation:
-f mailbox: Specifies the mailbox to open. The mailbox can be a local file path or a remote mailbox.
Example output:
When opening the ‘inbox’ mailbox:
-- Opening INBOX...
Use case 2: Send an email and specify a subject and a cc recipient
Code:
mutt -s subject -c cc@example.com recipient@example.com
Motivation: In situations where users need to send an email and include a cc recipient, using the ‘mutt’ command with the -s and -c options makes it easy to specify the subject and cc recipient.
Explanation:
-s subject: Specifies the subject of the email.-c cc@example.com: Specifies the cc recipient’s email address.recipient@example.com: Specifies the main recipient’s email address.
Example output:
When sending an email with subject ‘Meeting Agenda’ and cc recipient ‘cc@example.com ’:
-- Sending email...
Use case 3: Send an email with files attached
Code:
mutt -a file1 file2 -- recipient@example.com
Motivation: When users need to attach files to an email, the ‘mutt’ command with the -a option enables easy attachment of multiple files to the email.
Explanation:
-a file1 file2: Specifies the files to be attached to the email.--: Separates the file attachments from the email recipient(s).recipient@example.com: Specifies the email recipient’s email address.
Example output:
When sending an email with files ‘report.pdf’ and ‘image.jpg’ attached:
-- Sending email with attachments...
Use case 4: Specify a file to include as the message body
Code:
mutt -i path/to/file recipient@example.com
Motivation: Including a file as the message body is useful when users want to send pre-defined or formatted content. Using the ‘mutt’ command with the -i option allows users to easily include a file as the message body.
Explanation:
-i path/to/file: Specifies the file to include as the message body.recipient@example.com: Specifies the email recipient’s email address.
Example output:
When sending an email with the file ‘message.txt’ as the message body:
-- Sending email with the specified message body...
Use case 5: Specify a draft file containing the header and the body of the message, in RFC 5322 format
Code:
mutt -H path/to/file recipient@example.com
Motivation: When users have a pre-defined email in RFC 5322 format, they can use the ‘mutt’ command with the -H option to specify the draft file, making it easy to send the email.
Explanation:
-H path/to/file: Specifies the draft file containing the email header and body in RFC 5322 format.recipient@example.com: Specifies the email recipient’s email address.
Example output:
When sending an email using the draft file ‘draft.eml’:
-- Sending email with the specified draft file...
Conclusion:
The ‘mutt’ command provides a convenient way to manage emails from the terminal. Whether it’s opening a mailbox, sending emails with attachments, or including pre-defined content, ‘mutt’ offers various options to streamline email communication. These examples demonstrate the versatility and efficiency of the ‘mutt’ command for handling email tasks through the command-line interface.
