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# posta
> *[Leé esto en castellano](README.es.md)*
**posta** is a tiny, generic IMAP/SMTP mail client for your terminal. One
binary, JSON output by default, and named accounts in a single TOML file —
so your mailbox is as scriptable as any other API.
The name comes from the *postas*: the relay stations of the colonial mail
routes of South America. In Argentine slang, *la posta* also means
"the real thing".
```console
$ posta list --unread --max 3 --format table
UID DATE FROM SUBJECT
7121 ● Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:0… "Example ISP" <billing@isp.ex… Your invoice is ready
7120 ● Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:0… Meetup <events@meetup.examp… 🚀 Registration open
7119 ● Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:1… "bank@example.com" Card notice
$ posta search 'FROM bank UNSEEN' | jq .uids
[7119, 7118, 7117]
```
## Features
- **Works with any provider** — plain IMAP/SMTP with STARTTLS (`imap://`,
`smtp://`) or implicit TLS (`imaps://`, `smtps://`). Your own server,
Gmail, Fastmail, anything.
- **Multiple accounts** — named accounts in one config file, switched with
`--account`, `$POSTA_ACCOUNT`, or a `default_account`.
- **Script-friendly** — every command prints pretty JSON (pipe it to `jq`),
with `--format table` for humans.
- **Secrets your way** — literal passwords (the file is checked for loose
permissions and posta warns you) or `password_cmd` to fetch them from
`pass`, a keyring, or any command.
- **Safe by default** — reading never marks messages as seen
(`BODY.PEEK` everywhere); opt in with `--mark-read` or `posta mark read`.
- **No config file needed** — everything can come from `POSTA_*` environment
variables, handy for CI and one-off scripts.
## Install
```sh
git clone https://git.all.ar/pub/posta.git
cd posta
cargo install --path .
```
## Configure
`~/.config/posta/config.toml` (or `$POSTA_CONFIG`, or `--config FILE`):
```toml
default_account = "personal"
[accounts.personal]
email = "alice@example.com"
display_name = "Alice Example"
imap_url = "imap://alice@example.com@mail.example.com:143"
smtp_url = "smtp://alice@example.com@mail.example.com:587"
password_cmd = "pass show mail/personal" # or: password = "..." (chmod 600!)
[accounts.work]
email = "alice@work.example"
imap_url = "imaps://alice@imap.work.example" # implicit TLS, port 993
smtp_url = "smtps://alice@smtp.work.example" # implicit TLS, port 465
password_cmd = "secret-tool lookup mail work"
sent_folder = "Sent Items"
trash_folder = "Deleted"
```
The user part of a URL may itself contain `@`
(`imap://alice@example.com@mail.example.com`); the host starts after the
*last* one. `imap_password[_cmd]` / `smtp_password[_cmd]` override the shared
password per protocol when they differ.
Environment variables override any field of the selected account:
`POSTA_IMAP_URL`, `POSTA_SMTP_URL`, `POSTA_PASSWORD`, `POSTA_PASSWORD_CMD`,
`POSTA_IMAP_PASSWORD`, `POSTA_SMTP_PASSWORD`, `POSTA_EMAIL`,
`POSTA_DISPLAY_NAME`, `POSTA_SENT_FOLDER`, `POSTA_TRASH_FOLDER`,
plus `POSTA_ACCOUNT` and `POSTA_CONFIG`.
## Use
```sh
posta accounts # configured accounts
posta status # message/unread counts
posta folders # list mailboxes
posta list --unread # newest first
posta list --query 'FROM bank SINCE 1-Jul-2026'
posta get 7119 # headers + text body, as JSON
posta get 7119 --html # prefer the HTML part
posta get 7119 --raw > msg.eml # raw RFC 822 source
posta send --to bob@example.com --subject 'Hi' --body 'Hello!'
git log | posta send --to bob@example.com --subject 'Changelog'
posta mark read 7119 7120 # also: unread, flagged, unflagged
posta move 7119 --to Archives
posta delete 7119 # moves to the trash folder
posta search 'FROM bank UNSEEN' # raw IMAP SEARCH, prints UIDs
```
Global flags: `--account/-a NAME`, `--config FILE`,
`--format json|table`, and `--folder` on folder-scoped commands.
Every command opens a fresh session and logs out; there is no daemon,
cache, or local state.
## Notes
- `send` appends a copy to the sent folder over IMAP (skip with
`--no-record`).
- `move`/`delete` use `UID MOVE` when the server supports it, falling back
to `COPY` + `\Deleted` + `EXPUNGE`.
- TLS is always required; plain-text connections are not supported.
## Development
```sh
cargo test # unit + CLI integration tests, no server needed
cargo clippy --all-targets -- -D warnings
cargo fmt --check
```
## License
[MIT](LICENSE)
|
