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Configuration

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Reference:neomutt.org

Cache configuration ​

Some very basic setup, no email configuration yet.

Create cache directories:

shell
mkdir -p ~/.cache/neomutt/headers ~/.cache/neomutt/bodies ~/.cache/neomutt/oauth2
touch ~/.cache/neomutt/certificates

Create ~/.config/neomutt/neomuttrc and add the following:

shell
# Cache
set header_cache     = ~/.cache/neomutt/headers
set message_cachedir = ~/.cache/neomutt/bodies
set certificate_file = ~/.cache/neomutt/certificates

Connect to account using oauth2 ​

Example for gmail.

Download and make the following script executable. Place it in the PATH.

shell
curl -Lo ~/.local/bin/mutt_oauth2 'https://github.com/neomutt/neomutt/raw/main/contrib/oauth2/mutt_oauth2.py'
chmod u+x ~/.local/bin/mutt_oauth2

For the initial setup, create an app registration to get the client-id and client-secret. Set those as environment variables to keep the config file clean.

To make the initial setup, run this:

shell
mutt_oauth2 ~/.cache/neomutt/oauth2/'myemail@gmail.com'.tokens \
  --authorize \
  --provider google \
  --client-id ${GMAIL_CLIENT_ID} \
  --client-secret ${GMAIL_CLIENT_SECRET} \
  --authflow localhostauthcode

Follow the instructions (open the link in the browser and accept everything).

After it, check if IMAP/POP/SMTP are working:

shell
mutt_oauth2 ~/.cache/neomutt/oauth2/'myemail@gmail.com'.tokens --test

Finally add the configuration to ~/.config/neomutt/neomuttrc:

shell
# Authentication settings
set imap_user = 'myuser@gmail.com'
set imap_authenticators = 'oauthbearer:xoauth2'
set imap_oauth_refresh_command = "mutt_oauth2 ~/.cache/neomutt/oauth2/${imap_user}.tokens"
set smtp_authenticators = ${imap_authenticators}
set smtp_oauth_refresh_command = ${imap_oauth_refresh_command}

# General settings
set smtp_url = "smtps://${imap_user}@smtp.gmail.com:465"
set folder = "imaps://${imap_user}@imap.gmail.com:993"
set spoolfile = +INBOX
mailboxes ${spoolfile}

With this one should be able to check the emails. Still a very basic configuration, but it works.

Multiple accounts ​

This is for using multiple accounts at the same time.

To accomplish this, I use the following file structure in the configuration folder:

txt
neomuttrc
accounts.rc
gmail/
  auth.rc
  general.rc
  init.rc
proton/
  auth.rc
  general.rc
  init.rc

General Neomutt settings are saved at neomuttrc. At the end of neomuttrc, import accounts.rc.

TIP

Manage neomuttrc in git, but keep a separated backup of the other files. Here's my neomuttrc in GitHub.

Inside accounts.rc, I load only one account on startup (for performance), and open other accounts using shortcuts.

shell
# accounts.rc
source ~/.config/neomutt/proton/init.rc

# Shortcuts
macro index,pager <F2>  '<enter-command>source ~/.config/neomutt/proton/init.rc<enter>'
macro index,pager <F3>  '<enter-command>source ~/.config/neomutt/gmail/init.rc<enter>'
macro index,pager <F12> '<enter-command>unmailboxes * unhook *<enter>'

So I have the following accounts:

  • F2 - Proton
  • F3 - Gmail
  • F12 - Clear all mailboxes

As for each account settings:

init.rc is meant to be run only once, used to setup the hooks and the mailboxes.

NOTE

My interface is setup for Japanese.

WARNING

account-hook seems to work only before mailboxes or named-mailboxes. After it, seems that it doesn't work at all. (May be a bug in my NeoMutt version, but be warned anyway)

shell
# proton/init.rc
set folder    = 'imap://accountname@proton.me@127.0.0.1:1143'
set spoolfile = +INBOX

folder-hook  'proton' 'source ~/.config/neomutt/proton/general.rc'
account-hook 'proton' 'source ~/.config/neomutt/proton/auth.rc'

named-mailboxes ' Proton'      ${spoolfile}
named-mailboxes ' ├─ 送信済み' +Sent
named-mailboxes ' └─ ゴミ箱'   +Trash

general.rc is used by the folder-hook command, it should contain everything except initialization and authentication settings.

shell
# proton/general.rc
set realname  = 'My Name'
set from      = 'accountname@proton.me'

set folder    = "imap://${from}@127.0.0.1:1143"
set spoolfile = +INBOX
set trash     = +Trash
set smtp_url  = "smtp://${from}@127.0.0.1:1025"

color status black magenta

auth.rc is used by the account-hook command, which may be triggered in the background. Should contain only authentication or connection related settings (user, pass, tunnel).

shell
# proton/auth.rc
set imap_user           = 'accountname@proton.me'
set imap_authenticators = 'login'
set imap_pass           = 'mysecretpass'
set smtp_authenticators = ${imap_authenticators}
set smtp_pass           = ${imap_pass}

Local account ​

With a local account you can save emails locally for backup or development.

txt
local/
  general.rc
  init.rc

Here we will create a Maildir, so inside ~/.local/share/neomutt create the directories cur new tmp.

shell
# proton/init.rc
set folder    = ~/.local/share/neomutt
set spoolfile = ${folder}

folder-hook  'local' 'source ~/.config/neomutt/local/general.rc'

named-mailboxes ' Local' ~/.local/share/neomutt
shell
# proton/general.rc
unset realname
unset from

set folder    = ~/.local/share/neomutt
set spoolfile = ${folder}
unset trash
unset smtp_url

color status black white

When saving an email to this account, use this macro:

shell
macro index,pager S '<save-message>~/.local/share/neomutt<enter>'