Documentation / git-send-email.txton commit don't let the delta cache grow unbounded in 'git repack' (5749b0b)
   1git-send-email(1)
   2=================
   3
   4NAME
   5----
   6git-send-email - Send a collection of patches as emails
   7
   8
   9SYNOPSIS
  10--------
  11'git send-email' [options] <file|directory|rev-list options>...
  12
  13
  14DESCRIPTION
  15-----------
  16Takes the patches given on the command line and emails them out.
  17Patches can be specified as files, directories (which will send all
  18files in the directory), or directly as a revision list.  In the
  19last case, any format accepted by linkgit:git-format-patch[1] can
  20be passed to git send-email.
  21
  22The header of the email is configurable by command line options.  If not
  23specified on the command line, the user will be prompted with a ReadLine
  24enabled interface to provide the necessary information.
  25
  26There are two formats accepted for patch files:
  27
  281. mbox format files
  29+
  30This is what linkgit:git-format-patch[1] generates.  Most headers and MIME
  31formatting are ignored.
  32
  332. The original format used by Greg Kroah-Hartman's 'send_lots_of_email.pl'
  34script
  35+
  36This format expects the first line of the file to contain the "Cc:" value
  37and the "Subject:" of the message as the second line.
  38
  39
  40OPTIONS
  41-------
  42
  43Composing
  44~~~~~~~~~
  45
  46--annotate::
  47        Review and edit each patch you're about to send. See the
  48        CONFIGURATION section for 'sendemail.multiedit'.
  49
  50--bcc=<address>::
  51        Specify a "Bcc:" value for each email. Default is the value of
  52        'sendemail.bcc'.
  53+
  54The --bcc option must be repeated for each user you want on the bcc list.
  55
  56--cc=<address>::
  57        Specify a starting "Cc:" value for each email.
  58        Default is the value of 'sendemail.cc'.
  59+
  60The --cc option must be repeated for each user you want on the cc list.
  61
  62--compose::
  63        Use $GIT_EDITOR, core.editor, $VISUAL, or $EDITOR to edit an
  64        introductory message for the patch series.
  65+
  66When '--compose' is used, git send-email will use the From, Subject, and
  67In-Reply-To headers specified in the message. If the body of the message
  68(what you type after the headers and a blank line) only contains blank
  69(or GIT: prefixed) lines the summary won't be sent, but From, Subject,
  70and In-Reply-To headers will be used unless they are removed.
  71+
  72Missing From or In-Reply-To headers will be prompted for.
  73+
  74See the CONFIGURATION section for 'sendemail.multiedit'.
  75
  76--from=<address>::
  77        Specify the sender of the emails.  If not specified on the command line,
  78        the value of the 'sendemail.from' configuration option is used.  If
  79        neither the command line option nor 'sendemail.from' are set, then the
  80        user will be prompted for the value.  The default for the prompt will be
  81        the value of GIT_AUTHOR_IDENT, or GIT_COMMITTER_IDENT if that is not
  82        set, as returned by "git var -l".
  83
  84--in-reply-to=<identifier>::
  85        Specify the contents of the first In-Reply-To header.
  86        Subsequent emails will refer to the previous email
  87        instead of this if --chain-reply-to is set (the default)
  88        Only necessary if --compose is also set.  If --compose
  89        is not set, this will be prompted for.
  90
  91--subject=<string>::
  92        Specify the initial subject of the email thread.
  93        Only necessary if --compose is also set.  If --compose
  94        is not set, this will be prompted for.
  95
  96--to=<address>::
  97        Specify the primary recipient of the emails generated. Generally, this
  98        will be the upstream maintainer of the project involved. Default is the
  99        value of the 'sendemail.to' configuration value; if that is unspecified,
 100        this will be prompted for.
 101+
 102The --to option must be repeated for each user you want on the to list.
 103
 104
 105Sending
 106~~~~~~~
 107
 108--envelope-sender=<address>::
 109        Specify the envelope sender used to send the emails.
 110        This is useful if your default address is not the address that is
 111        subscribed to a list. If you use the sendmail binary, you must have
 112        suitable privileges for the -f parameter. Default is the value of
 113        the 'sendemail.envelopesender' configuration variable; if that is
 114        unspecified, choosing the envelope sender is left to your MTA.
 115
 116--smtp-encryption=<encryption>::
 117        Specify the encryption to use, either 'ssl' or 'tls'.  Any other
 118        value reverts to plain SMTP.  Default is the value of
 119        'sendemail.smtpencryption'.
 120
 121--smtp-pass[=<password>]::
 122        Password for SMTP-AUTH. The argument is optional: If no
 123        argument is specified, then the empty string is used as
 124        the password. Default is the value of 'sendemail.smtppass',
 125        however '--smtp-pass' always overrides this value.
 126+
 127Furthermore, passwords need not be specified in configuration files
 128or on the command line. If a username has been specified (with
 129'--smtp-user' or a 'sendemail.smtpuser'), but no password has been
 130specified (with '--smtp-pass' or 'sendemail.smtppass'), then the
 131user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.
 132
 133--smtp-server=<host>::
 134        If set, specifies the outgoing SMTP server to use (e.g.
 135        `smtp.example.com` or a raw IP address).  Alternatively it can
 136        specify a full pathname of a sendmail-like program instead;
 137        the program must support the `-i` option.  Default value can
 138        be specified by the 'sendemail.smtpserver' configuration
 139        option; the built-in default is `/usr/sbin/sendmail` or
 140        `/usr/lib/sendmail` if such program is available, or
 141        `localhost` otherwise.
 142
 143--smtp-server-port=<port>::
 144        Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
 145        servers typically listen to smtp port 25 and ssmtp port
 146        465); symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 465)
 147        are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
 148        'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.
 149
 150--smtp-ssl::
 151        Legacy alias for '--smtp-encryption ssl'.
 152
 153--smtp-user=<user>::
 154        Username for SMTP-AUTH. Default is the value of 'sendemail.smtpuser';
 155        if a username is not specified (with '--smtp-user' or 'sendemail.smtpuser'),
 156        then authentication is not attempted.
 157
 158
 159Automating
 160~~~~~~~~~~
 161
 162--cc-cmd=<command>::
 163        Specify a command to execute once per patch file which
 164        should generate patch file specific "Cc:" entries.
 165        Output of this command must be single email address per line.
 166        Default is the value of 'sendemail.cccmd' configuration value.
 167
 168--[no-]chain-reply-to::
 169        If this is set, each email will be sent as a reply to the previous
 170        email sent.  If disabled with "--no-chain-reply-to", all emails after
 171        the first will be sent as replies to the first email sent.  When using
 172        this, it is recommended that the first file given be an overview of the
 173        entire patch series. Default is the value of the 'sendemail.chainreplyto'
 174        configuration value; if that is unspecified, default to --chain-reply-to.
 175
 176--identity=<identity>::
 177        A configuration identity. When given, causes values in the
 178        'sendemail.<identity>' subsection to take precedence over
 179        values in the 'sendemail' section. The default identity is
 180        the value of 'sendemail.identity'.
 181
 182--[no-]signed-off-by-cc::
 183        If this is set, add emails found in Signed-off-by: or Cc: lines to the
 184        cc list. Default is the value of 'sendemail.signedoffbycc' configuration
 185        value; if that is unspecified, default to --signed-off-by-cc.
 186
 187--suppress-cc=<category>::
 188        Specify an additional category of recipients to suppress the
 189        auto-cc of:
 190+
 191--
 192- 'author' will avoid including the patch author
 193- 'self' will avoid including the sender
 194- 'cc' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Cc lines in the patch header
 195  except for self (use 'self' for that).
 196- 'bodycc' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Cc lines in the
 197  patch body (commit message) except for self (use 'self' for that).
 198- 'sob' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Signed-off-by lines except
 199   for self (use 'self' for that).
 200- 'cccmd' will avoid running the --cc-cmd.
 201- 'body' is equivalent to 'sob' + 'bodycc'
 202- 'all' will suppress all auto cc values.
 203--
 204+
 205Default is the value of 'sendemail.suppresscc' configuration value; if
 206that is unspecified, default to 'self' if --suppress-from is
 207specified, as well as 'body' if --no-signed-off-cc is specified.
 208
 209--[no-]suppress-from::
 210        If this is set, do not add the From: address to the cc: list.
 211        Default is the value of 'sendemail.suppressfrom' configuration
 212        value; if that is unspecified, default to --no-suppress-from.
 213
 214--[no-]thread::
 215        If this is set, the In-Reply-To and References headers will be
 216        added to each email sent.  Whether each mail refers to the
 217        previous email (`deep` threading per 'git format-patch'
 218        wording) or to the first email (`shallow` threading) is
 219        governed by "--[no-]chain-reply-to".
 220+
 221If disabled with "--no-thread", those headers will not be added
 222(unless specified with --in-reply-to).  Default is the value of the
 223'sendemail.thread' configuration value; if that is unspecified,
 224default to --thread.
 225+
 226It is up to the user to ensure that no In-Reply-To header already
 227exists when 'git send-email' is asked to add it (especially note that
 228'git format-patch' can be configured to do the threading itself).
 229Failure to do so may not produce the expected result in the
 230recipient's MUA.
 231
 232
 233Administering
 234~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 235
 236--confirm=<mode>::
 237        Confirm just before sending:
 238+
 239--
 240- 'always' will always confirm before sending
 241- 'never' will never confirm before sending
 242- 'cc' will confirm before sending when send-email has automatically
 243  added addresses from the patch to the Cc list
 244- 'compose' will confirm before sending the first message when using --compose.
 245- 'auto' is equivalent to 'cc' + 'compose'
 246--
 247+
 248Default is the value of 'sendemail.confirm' configuration value; if that
 249is unspecified, default to 'auto' unless any of the suppress options
 250have been specified, in which case default to 'compose'.
 251
 252--dry-run::
 253        Do everything except actually send the emails.
 254
 255--[no-]format-patch::
 256        When an argument may be understood either as a reference or as a file name,
 257        choose to understand it as a format-patch argument ('--format-patch')
 258        or as a file name ('--no-format-patch'). By default, when such a conflict
 259        occurs, git send-email will fail.
 260
 261--quiet::
 262        Make git-send-email less verbose.  One line per email should be
 263        all that is output.
 264
 265--[no-]validate::
 266        Perform sanity checks on patches.
 267        Currently, validation means the following:
 268+
 269--
 270                *       Warn of patches that contain lines longer than 998 characters; this
 271                        is due to SMTP limits as described by http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt.
 272--
 273+
 274Default is the value of 'sendemail.validate'; if this is not set,
 275default to '--validate'.
 276
 277
 278CONFIGURATION
 279-------------
 280
 281sendemail.aliasesfile::
 282        To avoid typing long email addresses, point this to one or more
 283        email aliases files.  You must also supply 'sendemail.aliasfiletype'.
 284
 285sendemail.aliasfiletype::
 286        Format of the file(s) specified in sendemail.aliasesfile. Must be
 287        one of 'mutt', 'mailrc', 'pine', 'elm', or 'gnus'.
 288
 289sendemail.multiedit::
 290        If true (default), a single editor instance will be spawned to edit
 291        files you have to edit (patches when '--annotate' is used, and the
 292        summary when '--compose' is used). If false, files will be edited one
 293        after the other, spawning a new editor each time.
 294
 295sendemail.confirm::
 296        Sets the default for whether to confirm before sending. Must be
 297        one of 'always', 'never', 'cc', 'compose', or 'auto'. See '--confirm'
 298        in the previous section for the meaning of these values.
 299
 300
 301Author
 302------
 303Written by Ryan Anderson <ryan@michonline.com>
 304
 305git-send-email is originally based upon
 306send_lots_of_email.pl by Greg Kroah-Hartman.
 307
 308
 309Documentation
 310--------------
 311Documentation by Ryan Anderson
 312
 313
 314GIT
 315---
 316Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite