# Install aerc with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Email client that runs in your terminal. Version 0.21.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-02. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:aerc ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install aerc ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install aerc ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: mail/aerc/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add aerc ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: aerc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install aerc ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: aerc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install aerc ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aerc from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#aerc ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ae/aerc/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S aerc ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: aerc from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install aerc ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: aerc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:aerc - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.21.0 - **Source summary:** Email client that runs in your terminal - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-02T11:12:14-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - aerc (cli) - carddav-query (cli) - aerc (alias) - carddav-query (alias) ## Dependencies - notmuch ## Build dependencies - go - scdoc ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.21.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-02 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://aerc-mail.org/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage aerc is a terminal email client for users who want a fast, keyboard-driven mail workflow inside the Unix terminal rather than a graphical mail application. Its official site describes it as an email client that runs in the terminal, with embedded-terminal composition, Vim-style key bindings, an ex-command system, Git-and-email workflows, and support for IMAP, JMAP, Maildir, Notmuch, Mbox, SMTP, and sendmail. ### Project history The project is hosted on SourceHut at git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc and publishes release tags beginning with the 0.x series. Its public project identity has stayed close to hacker-oriented terminal mail: the homepage slogan is "a pretty good email client", and the official SourceHut summary says it is a pretty good email client that runs in your terminal. The project has continued as an actively maintained SourceHut project, with source, releases, mailing lists, bug tracker, and wiki all linked from the official homepage. The homepage also links FOSDEM 2024 and FOSDEM 2025 aerc material, reflecting a project with conference-facing Unix desktop and email-culture presence rather than a quiet one-off utility. ### Adoption history aerc is packaged across mainstream Unix package ecosystems, including Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE according to the supplied package-manager facts. That breadth is a useful signal for a terminal mail client: package maintainers consider it a normal installable tool rather than a source-only niche. Its adoption niche overlaps with developers who use email as part of source-control workflows. The homepage calls out first-class support for working with git and email, a notable feature for users who review and send patches through mailing lists. ### How it is used Users configure aerc through XDG-style configuration files under the aerc config directory. The official aerc-config manpage says aerc uses aerc.conf, binds.conf, and accounts.conf under XDG config home plus aerc, defaulting to ~/.config/aerc, and that alternate files can be supplied on the command line. The accounts.conf file is security-sensitive. The official aerc-accounts manpage says it configures mail accounts, defaults to ~/.config/aerc/accounts.conf, may include account credentials, and must be kept secret. The config manpage also documents that accounts.conf permissions are expected to be restrictive unless the unsafe-accounts-conf option is explicitly enabled. ### Why package nerds care aerc matters to package nerds because it is a modern terminal mail client with a broad backend matrix and a Unix-native configuration model. It sits in the same cultural space as mutt/neomutt and alpine, but with Go-era packaging, SourceHut-native development, and explicit Git email support. The package is also a good example of how terminal applications increasingly bundle rich workflows without leaving the terminal: embedded terminal composition, terminal browser rendering, patch highlighting, threading, PGP integration, and asynchronous network support are all advertised by the project itself. ### Timeline - 0.1.0: Earliest public release tag visible in the official SourceHut repository. - 2024: Official homepage links a FOSDEM 2024 aerc talk. - 2025: Official homepage links FOSDEM 2025 aerc slides. - 2026: SourceHut repository remains active, with 0.21.0 visible among release tags. ### Related projects - Related tools and protocols include IMAP, JMAP, Maildir, Notmuch, Mbox, SMTP, sendmail, GnuPG, git-send-email, mutt, neomutt, and SourceHut mailing-list workflows. ### Sources - - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## 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 - Unix: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/aerc/aerc.conf, ~/.config/aerc/aerc.conf ## Credential files - Unix: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/aerc/accounts.conf, ~/.config/aerc/accounts.conf ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** aerc - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - aerc - 0.20.0-2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: aerc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Pretty Good Email Client | https://aerc-mail.org - Nix - aerc: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ae/aerc/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - aerc - 0.17.0-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: aerc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Pretty Good Email Client | https://aerc-mail.org - apk - aerc - 0.21.0-r8: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: aerc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | email client for your terminal | https://aerc-mail.org - apk - aerc-doc - 0.21.0-r8: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: aerc-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | email client for your terminal (documentation) | https://aerc-mail.org - dnf - aerc - 0.21.0-5.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aerc from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Email client for your terminal | https://git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc - pacman - aerc - 0.21.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: aerc from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Email Client for your Terminal | https://git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc - zypper - aerc - 0.21.0-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: aerc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | An email client for terminals | https://aerc-mail.org/ - MacPorts - aerc: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: mail/aerc/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Productivity CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/productivity-cli-packages/) - Matched curated productivity category metadata from av.db. - [notmuch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/notmuch/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [scdoc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/scdoc/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [alot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [alpine](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alpine/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [neomutt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/neomutt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [pop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [urlscan](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/urlscan/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [extract_url](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/extract-url/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. - [gmailctl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gmailctl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. - [himalaya](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/himalaya/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/aerc.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/aerc.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph