Documentation / git-send-email.txton commit Merge branch 'nd/maint-autofix-tag-in-head' into maint (d25a265)
   1git-send-email(1)
   2=================
   3
   4NAME
   5----
   6git-send-email - Send a collection of patches as emails
   7
   8
   9SYNOPSIS
  10--------
  11[verse]
  12'git send-email' [options] <file|directory|rev-list options>...
  13
  14
  15DESCRIPTION
  16-----------
  17Takes the patches given on the command line and emails them out.
  18Patches can be specified as files, directories (which will send all
  19files in the directory), or directly as a revision list.  In the
  20last case, any format accepted by linkgit:git-format-patch[1] can
  21be passed to git send-email.
  22
  23The header of the email is configurable by command line options.  If not
  24specified on the command line, the user will be prompted with a ReadLine
  25enabled interface to provide the necessary information.
  26
  27There are two formats accepted for patch files:
  28
  291. mbox format files
  30+
  31This is what linkgit:git-format-patch[1] generates.  Most headers and MIME
  32formatting are ignored.
  33
  342. The original format used by Greg Kroah-Hartman's 'send_lots_of_email.pl'
  35script
  36+
  37This format expects the first line of the file to contain the "Cc:" value
  38and the "Subject:" of the message as the second line.
  39
  40
  41OPTIONS
  42-------
  43
  44Composing
  45~~~~~~~~~
  46
  47--annotate::
  48        Review and edit each patch you're about to send. See the
  49        CONFIGURATION section for 'sendemail.multiedit'.
  50
  51--bcc=<address>::
  52        Specify a "Bcc:" value for each email. Default is the value of
  53        'sendemail.bcc'.
  54+
  55The --bcc option must be repeated for each user you want on the bcc list.
  56
  57--cc=<address>::
  58        Specify a starting "Cc:" value for each email.
  59        Default is the value of 'sendemail.cc'.
  60+
  61The --cc option must be repeated for each user you want on the cc list.
  62
  63--compose::
  64        Invoke a text editor (see GIT_EDITOR in linkgit:git-var[1])
  65        to edit an introductory message for the patch series.
  66+
  67When '--compose' is used, git send-email will use the From, Subject, and
  68In-Reply-To headers specified in the message. If the body of the message
  69(what you type after the headers and a blank line) only contains blank
  70(or GIT: prefixed) lines the summary won't be sent, but From, Subject,
  71and In-Reply-To headers will be used unless they are removed.
  72+
  73Missing From or In-Reply-To headers will be prompted for.
  74+
  75See the CONFIGURATION section for 'sendemail.multiedit'.
  76
  77--from=<address>::
  78        Specify the sender of the emails.  If not specified on the command line,
  79        the value of the 'sendemail.from' configuration option is used.  If
  80        neither the command line option nor 'sendemail.from' are set, then the
  81        user will be prompted for the value.  The default for the prompt will be
  82        the value of GIT_AUTHOR_IDENT, or GIT_COMMITTER_IDENT if that is not
  83        set, as returned by "git var -l".
  84
  85--in-reply-to=<identifier>::
  86        Make the first mail (or all the mails with `--no-thread`) appear as a
  87        reply to the given Message-Id, which avoids breaking threads to
  88        provide a new patch series.
  89        The second and subsequent emails will be sent as replies according to
  90        the `--[no]-chain-reply-to` setting.
  91+
  92So for example when `--thread` and `--no-chain-reply-to` are specified, the
  93second and subsequent patches will be replies to the first one like in the
  94illustration below where `[PATCH v2 0/3]` is in reply to `[PATCH 0/2]`:
  95+
  96  [PATCH 0/2] Here is what I did...
  97    [PATCH 1/2] Clean up and tests
  98    [PATCH 2/2] Implementation
  99    [PATCH v2 0/3] Here is a reroll
 100      [PATCH v2 1/3] Clean up
 101      [PATCH v2 2/3] New tests
 102      [PATCH v2 3/3] Implementation
 103+
 104Only necessary if --compose is also set.  If --compose
 105is not set, this will be prompted for.
 106
 107--subject=<string>::
 108        Specify the initial subject of the email thread.
 109        Only necessary if --compose is also set.  If --compose
 110        is not set, this will be prompted for.
 111
 112--to=<address>::
 113        Specify the primary recipient of the emails generated. Generally, this
 114        will be the upstream maintainer of the project involved. Default is the
 115        value of the 'sendemail.to' configuration value; if that is unspecified,
 116        and --to-cmd is not specified, this will be prompted for.
 117+
 118The --to option must be repeated for each user you want on the to list.
 119
 120--8bit-encoding=<encoding>::
 121        When encountering a non-ASCII message or subject that does not
 122        declare its encoding, add headers/quoting to indicate it is
 123        encoded in <encoding>.  Default is the value of the
 124        'sendemail.assume8bitEncoding'; if that is unspecified, this
 125        will be prompted for if any non-ASCII files are encountered.
 126+
 127Note that no attempts whatsoever are made to validate the encoding.
 128
 129
 130Sending
 131~~~~~~~
 132
 133--envelope-sender=<address>::
 134        Specify the envelope sender used to send the emails.
 135        This is useful if your default address is not the address that is
 136        subscribed to a list. In order to use the 'From' address, set the
 137        value to "auto". If you use the sendmail binary, you must have
 138        suitable privileges for the -f parameter.  Default is the value of the
 139        'sendemail.envelopesender' configuration variable; if that is
 140        unspecified, choosing the envelope sender is left to your MTA.
 141
 142--smtp-encryption=<encryption>::
 143        Specify the encryption to use, either 'ssl' or 'tls'.  Any other
 144        value reverts to plain SMTP.  Default is the value of
 145        'sendemail.smtpencryption'.
 146
 147--smtp-domain=<FQDN>::
 148        Specifies the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) used in the
 149        HELO/EHLO command to the SMTP server.  Some servers require the
 150        FQDN to match your IP address.  If not set, git send-email attempts
 151        to determine your FQDN automatically.  Default is the value of
 152        'sendemail.smtpdomain'.
 153
 154--smtp-pass[=<password>]::
 155        Password for SMTP-AUTH. The argument is optional: If no
 156        argument is specified, then the empty string is used as
 157        the password. Default is the value of 'sendemail.smtppass',
 158        however '--smtp-pass' always overrides this value.
 159+
 160Furthermore, passwords need not be specified in configuration files
 161or on the command line. If a username has been specified (with
 162'--smtp-user' or a 'sendemail.smtpuser'), but no password has been
 163specified (with '--smtp-pass' or 'sendemail.smtppass'), then the
 164user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.
 165
 166--smtp-server=<host>::
 167        If set, specifies the outgoing SMTP server to use (e.g.
 168        `smtp.example.com` or a raw IP address).  Alternatively it can
 169        specify a full pathname of a sendmail-like program instead;
 170        the program must support the `-i` option.  Default value can
 171        be specified by the 'sendemail.smtpserver' configuration
 172        option; the built-in default is `/usr/sbin/sendmail` or
 173        `/usr/lib/sendmail` if such program is available, or
 174        `localhost` otherwise.
 175
 176--smtp-server-port=<port>::
 177        Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
 178        servers typically listen to smtp port 25, but may also listen to
 179        submission port 587, or the common SSL smtp port 465);
 180        symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
 181        are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
 182        'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.
 183
 184--smtp-server-option=<option>::
 185        If set, specifies the outgoing SMTP server option to use.
 186        Default value can be specified by the 'sendemail.smtpserveroption'
 187        configuration option.
 188+
 189The --smtp-server-option option must be repeated for each option you want
 190to pass to the server. Likewise, different lines in the configuration files
 191must be used for each option.
 192
 193--smtp-ssl::
 194        Legacy alias for '--smtp-encryption ssl'.
 195
 196--smtp-user=<user>::
 197        Username for SMTP-AUTH. Default is the value of 'sendemail.smtpuser';
 198        if a username is not specified (with '--smtp-user' or 'sendemail.smtpuser'),
 199        then authentication is not attempted.
 200
 201
 202Automating
 203~~~~~~~~~~
 204
 205--to-cmd=<command>::
 206        Specify a command to execute once per patch file which
 207        should generate patch file specific "To:" entries.
 208        Output of this command must be single email address per line.
 209        Default is the value of 'sendemail.tocmd' configuration value.
 210
 211--cc-cmd=<command>::
 212        Specify a command to execute once per patch file which
 213        should generate patch file specific "Cc:" entries.
 214        Output of this command must be single email address per line.
 215        Default is the value of 'sendemail.cccmd' configuration value.
 216
 217--[no-]chain-reply-to::
 218        If this is set, each email will be sent as a reply to the previous
 219        email sent.  If disabled with "--no-chain-reply-to", all emails after
 220        the first will be sent as replies to the first email sent.  When using
 221        this, it is recommended that the first file given be an overview of the
 222        entire patch series. Disabled by default, but the 'sendemail.chainreplyto'
 223        configuration variable can be used to enable it.
 224
 225--identity=<identity>::
 226        A configuration identity. When given, causes values in the
 227        'sendemail.<identity>' subsection to take precedence over
 228        values in the 'sendemail' section. The default identity is
 229        the value of 'sendemail.identity'.
 230
 231--[no-]signed-off-by-cc::
 232        If this is set, add emails found in Signed-off-by: or Cc: lines to the
 233        cc list. Default is the value of 'sendemail.signedoffbycc' configuration
 234        value; if that is unspecified, default to --signed-off-by-cc.
 235
 236--suppress-cc=<category>::
 237        Specify an additional category of recipients to suppress the
 238        auto-cc of:
 239+
 240--
 241- 'author' will avoid including the patch author
 242- 'self' will avoid including the sender
 243- 'cc' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Cc lines in the patch header
 244  except for self (use 'self' for that).
 245- 'bodycc' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Cc lines in the
 246  patch body (commit message) except for self (use 'self' for that).
 247- 'sob' will avoid including anyone mentioned in Signed-off-by lines except
 248   for self (use 'self' for that).
 249- 'cccmd' will avoid running the --cc-cmd.
 250- 'body' is equivalent to 'sob' + 'bodycc'
 251- 'all' will suppress all auto cc values.
 252--
 253+
 254Default is the value of 'sendemail.suppresscc' configuration value; if
 255that is unspecified, default to 'self' if --suppress-from is
 256specified, as well as 'body' if --no-signed-off-cc is specified.
 257
 258--[no-]suppress-from::
 259        If this is set, do not add the From: address to the cc: list.
 260        Default is the value of 'sendemail.suppressfrom' configuration
 261        value; if that is unspecified, default to --no-suppress-from.
 262
 263--[no-]thread::
 264        If this is set, the In-Reply-To and References headers will be
 265        added to each email sent.  Whether each mail refers to the
 266        previous email (`deep` threading per 'git format-patch'
 267        wording) or to the first email (`shallow` threading) is
 268        governed by "--[no-]chain-reply-to".
 269+
 270If disabled with "--no-thread", those headers will not be added
 271(unless specified with --in-reply-to).  Default is the value of the
 272'sendemail.thread' configuration value; if that is unspecified,
 273default to --thread.
 274+
 275It is up to the user to ensure that no In-Reply-To header already
 276exists when 'git send-email' is asked to add it (especially note that
 277'git format-patch' can be configured to do the threading itself).
 278Failure to do so may not produce the expected result in the
 279recipient's MUA.
 280
 281
 282Administering
 283~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 284
 285--confirm=<mode>::
 286        Confirm just before sending:
 287+
 288--
 289- 'always' will always confirm before sending
 290- 'never' will never confirm before sending
 291- 'cc' will confirm before sending when send-email has automatically
 292  added addresses from the patch to the Cc list
 293- 'compose' will confirm before sending the first message when using --compose.
 294- 'auto' is equivalent to 'cc' + 'compose'
 295--
 296+
 297Default is the value of 'sendemail.confirm' configuration value; if that
 298is unspecified, default to 'auto' unless any of the suppress options
 299have been specified, in which case default to 'compose'.
 300
 301--dry-run::
 302        Do everything except actually send the emails.
 303
 304--[no-]format-patch::
 305        When an argument may be understood either as a reference or as a file name,
 306        choose to understand it as a format-patch argument ('--format-patch')
 307        or as a file name ('--no-format-patch'). By default, when such a conflict
 308        occurs, git send-email will fail.
 309
 310--quiet::
 311        Make git-send-email less verbose.  One line per email should be
 312        all that is output.
 313
 314--[no-]validate::
 315        Perform sanity checks on patches.
 316        Currently, validation means the following:
 317+
 318--
 319                *       Warn of patches that contain lines longer than 998 characters; this
 320                        is due to SMTP limits as described by http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt.
 321--
 322+
 323Default is the value of 'sendemail.validate'; if this is not set,
 324default to '--validate'.
 325
 326--force::
 327        Send emails even if safety checks would prevent it.
 328
 329
 330CONFIGURATION
 331-------------
 332
 333sendemail.aliasesfile::
 334        To avoid typing long email addresses, point this to one or more
 335        email aliases files.  You must also supply 'sendemail.aliasfiletype'.
 336
 337sendemail.aliasfiletype::
 338        Format of the file(s) specified in sendemail.aliasesfile. Must be
 339        one of 'mutt', 'mailrc', 'pine', 'elm', or 'gnus'.
 340
 341sendemail.multiedit::
 342        If true (default), a single editor instance will be spawned to edit
 343        files you have to edit (patches when '--annotate' is used, and the
 344        summary when '--compose' is used). If false, files will be edited one
 345        after the other, spawning a new editor each time.
 346
 347sendemail.confirm::
 348        Sets the default for whether to confirm before sending. Must be
 349        one of 'always', 'never', 'cc', 'compose', or 'auto'. See '--confirm'
 350        in the previous section for the meaning of these values.
 351
 352EXAMPLE
 353-------
 354Use gmail as the smtp server
 355~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 356To use 'git send-email' to send your patches through the GMail SMTP server,
 357edit ~/.gitconfig to specify your account settings:
 358
 359        [sendemail]
 360                smtpencryption = tls
 361                smtpserver = smtp.gmail.com
 362                smtpuser = yourname@gmail.com
 363                smtpserverport = 587
 364
 365Once your commits are ready to be sent to the mailing list, run the
 366following commands:
 367
 368        $ git format-patch --cover-letter -M origin/master -o outgoing/
 369        $ edit outgoing/0000-*
 370        $ git send-email outgoing/*
 371
 372Note: the following perl modules are required
 373      Net::SMTP::SSL, MIME::Base64 and Authen::SASL
 374
 375SEE ALSO
 376--------
 377linkgit:git-format-patch[1], linkgit:git-imap-send[1], mbox(5)
 378
 379GIT
 380---
 381Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite