nmail

TUIEmail client

Terminal email client for Linux and macOS with an Alpine-like interface and built-in IMAP and SMTP.

nmail is an ncurses email client written in C++ that connects to one IMAP and SMTP account and keeps a local SQLite cache, optionally encrypted. It has setup wizards for Gmail, iCloud and Outlook (including OAuth 2.0), converts HTML mail to text, composes HTML mail from Markdown and can queue mail while offline. It suits users who want an Alpine-style client with no separate sync or send tools. Multiple accounts need separate nmail instances.

Type: Email client
Interface: Full-screen terminal interface
Systems: Runs on Linux and macOS. Not available for Windows, BSD or Android.
Language: C++
License: MIT
Latest version: v5.16.4
Maintained: Yes
Website: github.com
Source: github.com/d99kris/nmail
Documentation: github.com

Install

System	Support	Install
Linux	Native	Guix`guix install nmail` Install script`curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/d99kris/nmail/master/utils/install.sh \| bash`
macOS	Native	Homebrew`brew install nmail` MacPorts`sudo port install nmail`
Windows	Not supported	Upstream supports Linux and macOS only.
BSD	Not supported	Not packaged or documented for the BSDs.
Android	Not supported	-

Protocols and features

Protocols
Protocol	nmail
IMAP	Yes
POP3	No
SMTP	Yes
JMAP	No
Maildir	No
mbox	No
notmuch	No

Features
Feature	nmail
OpenPGP	No
S/MIME	No
OAuth2 sign-in	Yes
Threads	No
Search	local cache index and server search
HTML mail	converted to text, or opened in an external browser
Mouse	No
Multiple accounts	No
Offline use	local SQLite cache; offline mode and send queue
Calendar	No
Contacts	address book built from messages
Vim-style keys	No
Configuration	~/.config/nmail/main.conf key=value file

Pros and cons

Pros

Built-in IMAP and SMTP with setup wizards for Gmail, iCloud and Outlook
Local cache, address book and outgoing queue can be encrypted
Compose HTML mail using Markdown

Cons

One account per running instance
No threaded view and no PGP or S/MIME
Linux and macOS only; no Debian or Fedora package

Use nmail with Forward Email

A working setup for a Forward Email mailbox. Replace you@example.com with your alias and the password command with your own. The same settings work with any provider once the server names change.

~/.config/nmail/main.conf

address=you@example.com
name=Your Name
user=you@example.com
imap_host=imap.forwardemail.net
imap_port=993
smtp_host=smtp.forwardemail.net
smtp_port=465
# Folder names must match the folders on the server
inbox=INBOX
drafts=Drafts
sent=Sent Mail
trash=Trash
spam=Spam
# Prompt for the alias' generated password at start instead of storing it
save_pass=0

Protocol	Server	Port	Security
IMAP	`imap.forwardemail.net`	993	SSL/TLS
POP3	`pop3.forwardemail.net`	995	SSL/TLS
SMTP	`smtp.forwardemail.net`	465	SSL/TLS
SMTP	`smtp.forwardemail.net`	587	STARTTLS

Username: your full alias address, such as you@example.com. Password: the one shown by Generate Password next to the alias in your Forward Email account. Folders: INBOX, Drafts, Sent Mail, Trash, Spam and Archive.

Prefer no config at all? Forward Email's terminal app signs in with your account and has mail, calendar and contacts in one program.

Compare nmail

All nmail alternatives

Questions

Does nmail work on Windows?

No. Upstream supports Linux and macOS only. See clients that run on Windows.

Does nmail support IMAP?

Yes, nmail connects to IMAP servers directly.

Is nmail open source?

Yes, under the MIT.

How do I use nmail with Forward Email?

Use the config in the Forward Email section on this page, saved as ~/.config/nmail/main.conf, and replace the address and password with your own.

Sources

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