# Install alot with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman Text mode MUA using notmuch mail. Version 0.12 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:alot ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install alot ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install alot ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: mail/alot/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install alot ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: alot from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install alot ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: alot 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#alot ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/al/alot/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S alot ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: alot from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:alot - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.12 - **Source summary:** Text mode MUA using notmuch mail - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:02:42-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - alot (cli) - alot (alias) ## Dependencies - gpgmepy - libmagic - notmuch - python@3.14 ## Build dependencies - sphinx-doc - swig ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.12 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/pazz/alot - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage alot is a terminal-based mail user agent for the notmuch mail system. It provides a full MUA experience with a modular, command-prompt-driven interface built in Python with urwid. ### Project history The official README defines alot as an alternative to the Emacs mode shipped with notmuch. Its manual is copyright 2012-24 Patrick Totzke, and the repository has a long 0.x release line, making it one of the durable terminal clients in the notmuch ecosystem. Rather than replacing mail delivery, synchronization, or indexing, alot focuses on the user-agent layer: browsing notmuch-indexed mail, composing replies, managing accounts for sending through sendmail, invoking external editors, and exposing hooks, theming, and key bindings. ### Adoption history alot's adoption has been strongest among users who already chose the notmuch model: mail is synchronized and indexed outside the client, then a specialized frontend provides interaction. The README points users to the manual, a wiki for contributed hooks and hacks, GitHub issues and pull requests, and an IRC channel for developer/community discussion. Its package-manager spread across Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and Ubuntu reflects the Unix-mail niche: not huge by desktop-client standards, but visible wherever terminal mail clients and notmuch workflows are packaged. ### How it is used Users run `alot` to open a terminal UI with buffers and modes. Movement works with arrow keys, page keys, `j`, `k`, and Space; `:` opens the command prompt; `?` shows key bindings for the current mode. Configuration is an INI-style file at `~/.config/alot/config`. The docs say all config is optional, but sending mail requires at least one account entry. Features include configurable keyboard maps, colors and layout themes, contact completion commands, Python hooks, PGP/MIME signing and encryption, and notmuch database write-queue management. ### Why package nerds care alot is significant as a small, composable Unix mail package: it assumes notmuch for indexing and lets other tools handle sync, sendmail, editors, contacts, and crypto. That makes dependency and integration metadata more important than a single monolithic app description. It is also a good example of a lowercase command/package name that intentionally belongs to a larger toolchain. Package users rarely install `alot` alone; they install it as part of a notmuch-centered terminal mail setup. ### Timeline - 2012-2024: Official manual copyright range for Patrick Totzke. - 0.x era: Git tags show a long 0.x release series through v0.12. - Current: README and Read the Docs manual describe alot as a notmuch-based terminal MUA with modular command-prompt UI. ### Related projects - notmuch is the mail indexer that alot builds on. - urwid is the Python terminal UI toolkit used by alot. - sendmail-compatible tools, external editors, and PGP/MIME tooling are part of common alot deployments. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for alot. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## 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: ~/.config/alot/config ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** alot - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 2 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - alot - 0.11-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: alot from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Text mode MUA using notmuch mail | https://github.com/pazz/alot/ - Debian apt - alot-doc - 0.11-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: alot-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Text mode MUA using notmuch mail - documentation | https://github.com/pazz/alot/ - Nix - alot: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/al/alot/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - alot - 0.10-2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: alot from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Text mode MUA using notmuch mail | https://github.com/pazz/alot/ - Ubuntu apt - alot-doc - 0.10-2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: alot-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Text mode MUA using notmuch mail - documentation | https://github.com/pazz/alot/ - dnf - alot - 0.12-6.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: alot from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Experimental terminal MUA based on notmuch mail | https://github.com/pazz/alot - pacman - alot - 0.12-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: alot from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Terminal-based MUA for the notmuch mail system | https://github.com/pazz/alot - MacPorts - alot: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: mail/alot/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [notmuch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/notmuch/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [python@3.14](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-3-14/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [sphinx-doc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sphinx-doc/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [swig](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/swig/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [neomutt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/neomutt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, notmuch, productivity, terminal. - [aerc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aerc/) - 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. - [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. - [nmail](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nmail/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, email, libmagic, productivity, terminal. - [offlineimap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/offlineimap/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, email, productivity, python, python-3-14. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/alot.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/alot.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