path: root/Documentation/git-send-email.txt

git-send-email(1)
=================

NAME
----
git-send-email - Send a collection of patches as emails


SYNOPSIS
--------
'git send-email' [options] <file|directory|rev-list options>...


DESCRIPTION
-----------
Takes the patches given on the command line and emails them out.
Patches can be specified as files, directories (which will send all
files in the directory), or directly as a revision list.  In the
last case, any format accepted by linkgit:git-format-patch[1] can
be passed to git send-email.

The header of the email is configurable by command line options.  If not
specified on the command line, the user will be prompted with a ReadLine
enabled interface to provide the necessary information.

There are two formats accepted for patch files:

1. mbox format files
+
This is what linkgit:git-format-patch[1] generates.  Most headers and MIME
formatting are ignored.

2. The original format used by Greg Kroah-Hartman's 'send_lots_of_email.pl'
script
+
This format expects the first line of the file to contain the "Cc:" value
and the "Subject:" of the message as the second line.


OPTIONS
-------

Composing
~~~~~~~~~

--annotate::
	Review and edit each patch you're about to send. See the
	CONFIGURATION section for 'sendemail.multiedit'.

--bcc=<address>::
	Specify a "Bcc:" value for each email. Default is the value of
	'sendemail.bcc'.
+
The --bcc option must be repeated for each user you want on the bcc list.

--cc=<address>::
	Specify a starting "Cc:" value for each email.
	Default is the value of 'sendemail.cc'.
+
The --cc option must be repeated for each user you want on the cc list.

--compose::
	Use $GIT_EDITOR, core.editor, $VISUAL, or $EDITOR to edit an
	introductory message for the patch series.
+
When '--compose' is used, git send-email will use the From, Subject, and
In-Reply-To headers specified in the message. If the body of the message
(what you type after the headers and a blank line) only contains blank
(or GIT: prefixed) lines the summary won't be sent, but From, Subject,
and In-Reply-To headers will be used unless they are removed.
+
Missing From or In-Reply-To headers will be prompted for.
+
See the CONFIGURATION section for 'sendemail.multiedit'.

--from=<address>::
	Specify the sender of the emails.  If not specified on the command line,
	the value of the 'sendemail.from' configuration option is used.  If
	neither the command line option nor 'sendemail.from' are set, then the
	user will be prompted for the value.  The default for the prompt will be
	the value of GIT_AUTHOR_IDENT, or GIT_COMMITTER_IDENT if that is not
	set, as returned by "git var -l".

--in-reply-to=<identifier>::
	Specify the contents of the first In-Reply-To header.
	Subsequent emails will refer to the previous email
	instead of this if --chain-reply-to is set.
	Only necessary if --compose is also set.  If --compose
	is not set, this will be prompted for.

--subject=<string>::
	Specify the initial subject of the email thread.
	Only necessary if --compose is also set.  If --compose
	is not set, this will be prompted for.

--to=<address>::
	Specify the primary recipient of the emails generated. Generally, this
	will be the upstream maintainer of the project involved. Default is the
	value of the 'sendemail.to' configuration value; if that is unspecified,
	this will be prompted for.
+
The --to option must be repeated for each user you want on the to list.


Sending
~~~~~~~

--envelope-sender=<address>::
	Specify the envelope sender used to send the emails.
	This is useful if your default address is not the address that is
	subscribed to a list. If you use the sendmail binary, you must have
	suitable privileges for the -f parameter. Default is the value of
	the 'sendemail.envelopesender' configuration variable; if that is
	unspecified, choosing the envelope sender is left to your MTA.

--smtp-encryption=<encryption>::
	Specify the encryption to use, either 'ssl' or 'tls'.  Any other
	value reverts to plain SMTP.  Default is the value of
	'sendemail.smtpencryption'.

--smtp-pass[=<password>]::
	Password for SMTP-AUTH. The argument is optional: If no
	argument is specified, then the empty string is used as
	the password. Default is the value of 'sendemail.smtppass',
	however '--smtp-pass' always overrides this value.
+
Furthermore, passwords need not be specified in configuration files
or on the command line. If a username has been specified (with
'--smtp-user' or a 'sendemail.smtpuser'), but no password has been
specified (with '--smtp-pass' or 'sendemail.smtppass'), then the
user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.

--smtp-server=<host>::
	If set, specifies the outgoing SMTP server to use (e.g.
	`smtp.example.com` or a raw IP address).  Alternatively it can
	specify a full pathname of a sendmail-like program instead;
	the program must support the `-i` option.  Default value can
	be specified by the 'sendemail.smtpserver' configuration
	option; the built-in default is `/usr/sbin/sendmail` or
	`/usr/lib/sendmail` if such program is available, or
	`localhost` otherwise.

--smtp-server-port=<port>::
	Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
	servers typically listen to smtp port 25, but may also listen to
	submission port 587, or the common SSL smtp port 465);
	symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
	are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
	'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.

--smtp-ssl::
	Legacy alias for '--smtp-encryption ssl'.

--smtp-user=<user>::
	Username for SMTP-AUTH. Default is the value of 'sendemail.smtpuser';
	if a username is not specified (with '--smtp-user' or 'sendemail.smtpuser'),
	then authentication is not attempted.


Automating
~~~~~~~~~~

--cc-cmd=<command>::
	Specify a command to execute once per patch file which
	should generate patch file specific "Cc:" entries.
	Output of this command must be single email address per line.
	Default is the value of 'sendemail.cccmd' configuration value.

--[no-]chain-reply-to::
	If this is set, each email will be sent as a reply to the previous
	email sent.  If disabled with "--no-chain-reply-to", all emails after
	the first will be sent as replies to the first email sent.  When using
	this, it is recommended that the first file given be an overview of the
	entire patch series. Disabled by default, but the 'sendemail.chainreplyto'
	configuration variable can be used to enable it.

--identity=<identity>::
	A configuration identity. When given, causes values in the
	'sendemail.<identity>' subsection to take precedence over
	values in the 'sendemail' section. The default identity is
	the value of 'sendemail.identity'.

--[no-]signed-off-by-cc::
	If this is set, add emails found in Signed-off-by: or Cc: lines to the
	cc list. Default is the value of 'sendemail.signedoffbycc' configuration
	value; if that is unspecified, default to --signed-off-by-cc.

--suppress-cc=<category>::
	Specify an additional category of recipients to suppress the
	auto-cc of:
+
--
- 'author' will avoid including the patch author
- 'self' will avoid including the sender
- 'cc' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Cc lines in the patch header
  except for self (use 'self' for that).
- 'bodycc' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Cc lines in the
  patch body (commit message) except for self (use 'self' for that).
- 'sob' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Signed-off-by lines except
   for self (use 'self' for that).
- 'cccmd' will avoid running the --cc-cmd.
- 'body' is equivalent to 'sob' + 'bodycc'
- 'all' will suppress all auto cc values.
--
+
Default is the value of 'sendemail.suppresscc' configuration value; if
that is unspecified, default to 'self' if --suppress-from is
specified, as well as 'body' if --no-signed-off-cc is specified.

--[no-]suppress-from::
	If this is set, do not add the From: address to the cc: list.
	Default is the value of 'sendemail.suppressfrom' configuration
	value; if that is unspecified, default to --no-suppress-from.

--[no-]thread::
	If this is set, the In-Reply-To and References headers will be
	added to each email sent.  Whether each mail refers to the
	previous email (`deep` threading per 'git format-patch'
	wording) or to the first email (`shallow` threading) is
	governed by "--[no-]chain-reply-to".
+
If disabled with "--no-thread", those headers will not be added
(unless specified with --in-reply-to).  Default is the value of the
'sendemail.thread' configuration value; if that is unspecified,
default to --thread.
+
It is up to the user to ensure that no In-Reply-To header already
exists when 'git send-email' is asked to add it (especially note that
'git format-patch' can be configured to do the threading itself).
Failure to do so may not produce the expected result in the
recipient's MUA.


Administering
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--confirm=<mode>::
	Confirm just before sending:
+
--
- 'always' will always confirm before sending
- 'never' will never confirm before sending
- 'cc' will confirm before sending when send-email has automatically
  added addresses from the patch to the Cc list
- 'compose' will confirm before sending the first message when using --compose.
- 'auto' is equivalent to 'cc' + 'compose'
--
+
Default is the value of 'sendemail.confirm' configuration value; if that
is unspecified, default to 'auto' unless any of the suppress options
have been specified, in which case default to 'compose'.

--dry-run::
	Do everything except actually send the emails.

--[no-]format-patch::
	When an argument may be understood either as a reference or as a file name,
	choose to understand it as a format-patch argument ('--format-patch')
	or as a file name ('--no-format-patch'). By default, when such a conflict
	occurs, git send-email will fail.

--quiet::
	Make git-send-email less verbose.  One line per email should be
	all that is output.

--[no-]validate::
	Perform sanity checks on patches.
	Currently, validation means the following:
+
--
		*	Warn of patches that contain lines longer than 998 characters; this
			is due to SMTP limits as described by http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt.
--
+
Default is the value of 'sendemail.validate'; if this is not set,
default to '--validate'.


CONFIGURATION
-------------

sendemail.aliasesfile::
	To avoid typing long email addresses, point this to one or more
	email aliases files.  You must also supply 'sendemail.aliasfiletype'.

sendemail.aliasfiletype::
	Format of the file(s) specified in sendemail.aliasesfile. Must be
	one of 'mutt', 'mailrc', 'pine', 'elm', or 'gnus'.

sendemail.multiedit::
	If true (default), a single editor instance will be spawned to edit
	files you have to edit (patches when '--annotate' is used, and the
	summary when '--compose' is used). If false, files will be edited one
	after the other, spawning a new editor each time.

sendemail.confirm::
	Sets the default for whether to confirm before sending. Must be
	one of 'always', 'never', 'cc', 'compose', or 'auto'. See '--confirm'
	in the previous section for the meaning of these values.


Author
------
Written by Ryan Anderson <ryan@michonline.com>

git-send-email is originally based upon
send_lots_of_email.pl by Greg Kroah-Hartman.


Documentation
--------------
Documentation by Ryan Anderson


GIT
---
Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite