macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install abooklocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install abookMacPorts ports tree · mail/abook/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install abook with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper
Address book with mutt support. Version 0.6.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-26.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add abookAlpine Linux edge package indexes · abook · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install abookDebian stable package indexes · abook · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install abookFedora Rawhide package metadata · abook · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#abooknixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ab/abook/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install abookopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · abook · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Address book with mutt support
Project links
Commands and aliases
- abook
history
Project history and usage
abook is a terminal address-book program centered on simple local contact storage and integration with the mutt mail client. It matters in package-manager culture because it is the kind of small ncurses utility Unix users install to make mail workflows scriptable without adopting a desktop contacts stack.
Project history
The project README identifies abook as an addressbook program with mutt support and credits JH, while the manual page credits Jaakko Heinonen as the author. Its ChangeLog shows a long 0.x development line with early 0.1.0 pre-releases, migration through 0.4.x terminal and import/export work, and later 0.6.x releases adding custom fields, vCard improvements, color, mouse support, key remapping, iCalendar output, and XDG-related changes.
Adoption history
abook spread as a packaging-friendly Unix utility: the input metadata lists packages for Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Ubuntu, and openSUSE. The upstream README also lists successful builds across Linux, Darwin, Solaris, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, GNU/Hurd, AIX, HPUX, Irix, and DEC Alpha-era systems.
How it is used
The documented mutt workflow sets query_command to run abook --mutt-query and can pipe messages to abook --add-email. The manual also documents conversion between abook, LDIF, mutt aliases, Pine, CSV, Palm CSV, vCard, HTML, text, ELM, Wanderlust, iCalendar, BSD calendar, and custom formats.
Why package nerds care
For package nerds, abook is notable as a compact ncurses-era tool with optional readline behavior, many text import/export filters, and a stable command-line interface that fits mailcap-style Unix composition. Its continued packaging across many distributions reflects the durability of mutt-adjacent tools.
Timeline
- 0.1.0-pre-release 1: Earliest ChangeLog entry.
- 0.3.0: New portable file format, FreeBSD build support, mutt send-mail command, and multiple e-mail address support.
- 0.4.9: Added support for the systemwide /etc/abook.conf configuration file.
- 2002: 2002 ChangeLog entries added getopt parsing, readline support, and storage of rcfile and addressbook under the .abook directory.
- 0.5.5: Added internationalization and several translations.
- 0.6.1: Added vCard parser improvements, color support, mouse support, and mutt groups support.
- 0.6.2: Upgraded license to GPLv3 and added XDG base-directory compliance.
Related projects
- mutt is the closest companion project in the upstream documentation, since abook is designed to answer mutt address queries and ingest mail senders. The README also positions abook among Unix contact-file formats by documenting conversion to and from LDIF, Pine, vCard, CSV, ELM, and Wanderlust data.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
- Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 3 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.abook/abookrc$XDG_DATA_HOME/abook/abookrc
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
abook | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.6.2
manager updated2026-05-26
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://abook.sourceforge.io/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:abook |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.6.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/abook |
| Homepage | https://abook.sourceforge.io/ |
| Repository | https://sourceforge.net/p/abook/git/ci/master/tree |
| Upstream docs | https://abook.sourceforge.io/ |
| License | GPL-3.0-only AND GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.0-or-later AND BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-4.3RENO |
| Source archive | https://abook.sourceforge.io/devel/abook-0.6.2.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-05-26T23:37:46-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | gettext, readline |
| Build dependencies | autoconf, automake, gettext |
| Uses from macOS | ncurses |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | abook |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
abook 0.6.1-3+b1
text-based ncurses address book application
sudo apt install abook- Section: mail
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: abook
- 6 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
Nix95%
abook
nix profile install nixpkgs#abook- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
Ubuntu apt95%
abook 0.6.1-3build2
text-based ncurses address book application
sudo apt install abook- Section: universe/mail
- Architecture: amd64
- 6 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
apk95%
abook 0.6.2-r0
Text-based addressbook designed for use with Mutt
https://abook.sourceforge.net/
sudo apk add abook- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: abook
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
apk95%
abook-doc 0.6.2-r0
Text-based addressbook designed for use with Mutt (documentation)
https://abook.sourceforge.net/
sudo apk add abook-doc- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: abook
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
apk95%
abook-lang 0.6.2-r0
Languages for package abook
https://abook.sourceforge.net/
sudo apk add abook-lang- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: abook
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
dnf95%
abook 0.6.2-1.fc45
Text-based addressbook program for mutt
sudo dnf install abook- License: GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: abook
- 6 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
zypper95%
abook 0.6.1-4.3
Text-based addressbook program
sudo zypper install abook- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Productivity/Other
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: abook
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
zypper95%
abook-lang 0.6.1-4.3
Translations for package abook
sudo zypper install abook-lang- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: System/Localization
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: abook
- 1 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
MacPorts95%
abook
sudo port install abook- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Abook
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment