Documentation / git-send-email.txton commit clone: use --progress to force progress reporting (5a518ad)
   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        Invoke a text editor (see GIT_EDITOR in linkgit:git-var[1])
  64        to edit an 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. In order to use the 'From' address, set the
 112        value to "auto". If you use the sendmail binary, you must have
 113        suitable privileges for the -f parameter.  Default is the value of the
 114        'sendemail.envelopesender' configuration variable; if that is
 115        unspecified, choosing the envelope sender is left to your MTA.
 116
 117--smtp-encryption=<encryption>::
 118        Specify the encryption to use, either 'ssl' or 'tls'.  Any other
 119        value reverts to plain SMTP.  Default is the value of
 120        'sendemail.smtpencryption'.
 121
 122--smtp-pass[=<password>]::
 123        Password for SMTP-AUTH. The argument is optional: If no
 124        argument is specified, then the empty string is used as
 125        the password. Default is the value of 'sendemail.smtppass',
 126        however '--smtp-pass' always overrides this value.
 127+
 128Furthermore, passwords need not be specified in configuration files
 129or on the command line. If a username has been specified (with
 130'--smtp-user' or a 'sendemail.smtpuser'), but no password has been
 131specified (with '--smtp-pass' or 'sendemail.smtppass'), then the
 132user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.
 133
 134--smtp-server=<host>::
 135        If set, specifies the outgoing SMTP server to use (e.g.
 136        `smtp.example.com` or a raw IP address).  Alternatively it can
 137        specify a full pathname of a sendmail-like program instead;
 138        the program must support the `-i` option.  Default value can
 139        be specified by the 'sendemail.smtpserver' configuration
 140        option; the built-in default is `/usr/sbin/sendmail` or
 141        `/usr/lib/sendmail` if such program is available, or
 142        `localhost` otherwise.
 143
 144--smtp-server-port=<port>::
 145        Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
 146        servers typically listen to smtp port 25, but may also listen to
 147        submission port 587, or the common SSL smtp port 465);
 148        symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
 149        are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
 150        'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.
 151
 152--smtp-ssl::
 153        Legacy alias for '--smtp-encryption ssl'.
 154
 155--smtp-user=<user>::
 156        Username for SMTP-AUTH. Default is the value of 'sendemail.smtpuser';
 157        if a username is not specified (with '--smtp-user' or 'sendemail.smtpuser'),
 158        then authentication is not attempted.
 159
 160
 161Automating
 162~~~~~~~~~~
 163
 164--cc-cmd=<command>::
 165        Specify a command to execute once per patch file which
 166        should generate patch file specific "Cc:" entries.
 167        Output of this command must be single email address per line.
 168        Default is the value of 'sendemail.cccmd' configuration value.
 169
 170--[no-]chain-reply-to::
 171        If this is set, each email will be sent as a reply to the previous
 172        email sent.  If disabled with "--no-chain-reply-to", all emails after
 173        the first will be sent as replies to the first email sent.  When using
 174        this, it is recommended that the first file given be an overview of the
 175        entire patch series. Default is the value of the 'sendemail.chainreplyto'
 176        configuration value; if that is unspecified, default to --chain-reply-to.
 177
 178--identity=<identity>::
 179        A configuration identity. When given, causes values in the
 180        'sendemail.<identity>' subsection to take precedence over
 181        values in the 'sendemail' section. The default identity is
 182        the value of 'sendemail.identity'.
 183
 184--[no-]signed-off-by-cc::
 185        If this is set, add emails found in Signed-off-by: or Cc: lines to the
 186        cc list. Default is the value of 'sendemail.signedoffbycc' configuration
 187        value; if that is unspecified, default to --signed-off-by-cc.
 188
 189--suppress-cc=<category>::
 190        Specify an additional category of recipients to suppress the
 191        auto-cc of:
 192+
 193--
 194- 'author' will avoid including the patch author
 195- 'self' will avoid including the sender
 196- 'cc' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Cc lines in the patch header
 197  except for self (use 'self' for that).
 198- 'bodycc' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Cc lines in the
 199  patch body (commit message) except for self (use 'self' for that).
 200- 'sob' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Signed-off-by lines except
 201   for self (use 'self' for that).
 202- 'cccmd' will avoid running the --cc-cmd.
 203- 'body' is equivalent to 'sob' + 'bodycc'
 204- 'all' will suppress all auto cc values.
 205--
 206+
 207Default is the value of 'sendemail.suppresscc' configuration value; if
 208that is unspecified, default to 'self' if --suppress-from is
 209specified, as well as 'body' if --no-signed-off-cc is specified.
 210
 211--[no-]suppress-from::
 212        If this is set, do not add the From: address to the cc: list.
 213        Default is the value of 'sendemail.suppressfrom' configuration
 214        value; if that is unspecified, default to --no-suppress-from.
 215
 216--[no-]thread::
 217        If this is set, the In-Reply-To and References headers will be
 218        added to each email sent.  Whether each mail refers to the
 219        previous email (`deep` threading per 'git format-patch'
 220        wording) or to the first email (`shallow` threading) is
 221        governed by "--[no-]chain-reply-to".
 222+
 223If disabled with "--no-thread", those headers will not be added
 224(unless specified with --in-reply-to).  Default is the value of the
 225'sendemail.thread' configuration value; if that is unspecified,
 226default to --thread.
 227+
 228It is up to the user to ensure that no In-Reply-To header already
 229exists when 'git send-email' is asked to add it (especially note that
 230'git format-patch' can be configured to do the threading itself).
 231Failure to do so may not produce the expected result in the
 232recipient's MUA.
 233
 234
 235Administering
 236~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 237
 238--confirm=<mode>::
 239        Confirm just before sending:
 240+
 241--
 242- 'always' will always confirm before sending
 243- 'never' will never confirm before sending
 244- 'cc' will confirm before sending when send-email has automatically
 245  added addresses from the patch to the Cc list
 246- 'compose' will confirm before sending the first message when using --compose.
 247- 'auto' is equivalent to 'cc' + 'compose'
 248--
 249+
 250Default is the value of 'sendemail.confirm' configuration value; if that
 251is unspecified, default to 'auto' unless any of the suppress options
 252have been specified, in which case default to 'compose'.
 253
 254--dry-run::
 255        Do everything except actually send the emails.
 256
 257--[no-]format-patch::
 258        When an argument may be understood either as a reference or as a file name,
 259        choose to understand it as a format-patch argument ('--format-patch')
 260        or as a file name ('--no-format-patch'). By default, when such a conflict
 261        occurs, git send-email will fail.
 262
 263--quiet::
 264        Make git-send-email less verbose.  One line per email should be
 265        all that is output.
 266
 267--[no-]validate::
 268        Perform sanity checks on patches.
 269        Currently, validation means the following:
 270+
 271--
 272                *       Warn of patches that contain lines longer than 998 characters; this
 273                        is due to SMTP limits as described by http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt.
 274--
 275+
 276Default is the value of 'sendemail.validate'; if this is not set,
 277default to '--validate'.
 278
 279
 280CONFIGURATION
 281-------------
 282
 283sendemail.aliasesfile::
 284        To avoid typing long email addresses, point this to one or more
 285        email aliases files.  You must also supply 'sendemail.aliasfiletype'.
 286
 287sendemail.aliasfiletype::
 288        Format of the file(s) specified in sendemail.aliasesfile. Must be
 289        one of 'mutt', 'mailrc', 'pine', 'elm', or 'gnus'.
 290
 291sendemail.multiedit::
 292        If true (default), a single editor instance will be spawned to edit
 293        files you have to edit (patches when '--annotate' is used, and the
 294        summary when '--compose' is used). If false, files will be edited one
 295        after the other, spawning a new editor each time.
 296
 297sendemail.confirm::
 298        Sets the default for whether to confirm before sending. Must be
 299        one of 'always', 'never', 'cc', 'compose', or 'auto'. See '--confirm'
 300        in the previous section for the meaning of these values.
 301
 302
 303Author
 304------
 305Written by Ryan Anderson <ryan@michonline.com>
 306
 307git-send-email is originally based upon
 308send_lots_of_email.pl by Greg Kroah-Hartman.
 309
 310
 311Documentation
 312--------------
 313Documentation by Ryan Anderson
 314
 315
 316GIT
 317---
 318Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite