mu
Mail indexer and searcher for Maildir
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
mu [command] [options]
DESCRIPTION
mu is a mail indexer and searcher for Maildir-format mailboxes. It indexes messages for fast full-text searching using the Xapian search engine. Queries support fields like `from:`, `to:`, `subject:`, `date:`, `flag:`, `mime:`, and boolean operators (`and`, `or`, `not`).The tool serves as the backend for the mu4e Emacs mail client, but is fully functional as a standalone command-line tool.
PARAMETERS
COMMAND
Operation to perform.init
Initialize the mu database.index
(Re)index mail messages in a Maildir.find QUERY
Search for messages in the database.view FILE
Display message content.extract FILE
Extract attachments and other MIME parts from a message.cfind [QUERY]
Search contacts from indexed messages.add FILE
Add specific messages to the database.remove FILE
Remove specific messages from the database.mkdir DIR
Create a new Maildir.info
Show information about the mu database.--maildir PATH
Mail directory location (default: ~/Maildir).--format FORMAT
Output format (plain, links, xml, sexp, json).--sortfield FIELD
Sort by field (date, from, to, subject, size).--reverse
Reverse sort order.-d, --debug
Generate extra debug information.-q, --quiet
Suppress informational messages and progress output.--nocolor
Disable ANSI color output.-h, --help
Display help information.
CAVEATS
Maildir format only. Requires Xapian library. The database must be re-indexed after changes to the Maildir (run `mu index`). Query syntax changed between major versions (pre-1.0 vs post-1.0).
HISTORY
mu was created by Dirk-Jan C. Binnema as a fast mail search tool, forming the backend for the mu4e Emacs mail client. It was designed as a lightweight alternative to notmuch with a focus on simplicity and speed.
