# Install getmail6 with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix Extensible mail retrieval system with POP3, IMAP4, SSL support. Version 6.20.00 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:getmail6 ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install getmail6 ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install getmail6 ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: mail/getmail6/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add getmail6 ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: getmail6 from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install getmail6 ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: getmail6 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install getmail6 ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: getmail6 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#getmail6 ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ge/getmail6/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:getmail6 - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 6.20.00 - **Source summary:** Extensible mail retrieval system with POP3, IMAP4, SSL support - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-15T21:15:00Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - getmail (cli) - getmail_fetch (cli) - getmail_maildir (cli) - getmail_mbox (cli) - getmail (alias) - getmail_fetch (alias) - getmail_maildir (alias) - getmail_mbox (alias) ## Uses from macOS - python ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 6.20.00 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-15 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/getmail6/getmail6 - Upstream latest detected: v6.20.00 (current) ## Project history and usage getmail6 is the Python 3 continuation of getmail, an extensible mail retrieval system for POP3, IMAP4, SSL-protected mailboxes, filtering, and delivery to local mail stores or external delivery agents. ### Project history The official documentation describes getmail version 6 as a port of getmail version 5 to Python 3 without adding features. The project preserves Charles Cazabon's getmail design while carrying the code through Python 3 compatibility, XDG configuration behavior, OAuth-related fixes, and mail-server compatibility changes. ### Adoption history getmail6 took over an established role from getmail after Python 2 era packaging became harder to sustain. Its appearance in Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, and Ubuntu package sets reflects the need for a maintained fetchmail alternative in Unix-like mail setups. ### How it is used Practitioners configure one or more retrievers and destinations in `getmailrc`, then run `getmail` manually, from cron, or as part of a local mail workflow. Common uses include pulling mail from POP3 or IMAP accounts, writing Maildir or mboxrd files, invoking an MDA, filtering messages, and using helper commands such as `getmail_fetch`, `getmail_maildir`, and `getmail_mbox`. ### Why package nerds care For package users, getmail6 matters because it keeps the conservative getmail workflow available on Python 3 systems. The project is intentionally evolutionary: compatibility fixes, configuration-path behavior, and mail-provider authentication changes carry more weight than new feature breadth. ### Timeline - 1998: The getmail copyright history begins. - 2019: getmail 5.14 was released by the original line. - 2020: getmail6 version 6.00 made the code compatible with Python 3. - 2020: Version 6.7 added XDG configuration-directory behavior. - 2025: Version 6.19.08 removed Python 2 support code. ### Related projects - getmail6 is related to the original getmail project and to fetchmail as the older mail retriever it was designed to replace. ### Sources - - - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## 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/getmail/getmailrc, ~/.config/getmail/getmailrc, ~/.getmail/getmailrc ## Credential files - Unix: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/getmail/getmailrc, ~/.config/getmail/getmailrc, ~/.getmail/getmailrc ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** getmail6 - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - getmail6 - 6.19.07-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: getmail6 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | mail retriever with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SDPS | https://getmail6.org/ - Nix - getmail6: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ge/getmail6/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - getmail6 - 6.18.13-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: getmail6 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | mail retriever with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SDPS | https://getmail6.org/ - apk - getmail6 - 6.19.12-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: getmail6 from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | mail retriever with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SDPS | https://getmail6.org/ - apk - getmail6-doc - 6.19.12-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: getmail6-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | mail retriever with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SDPS (documentation) | https://getmail6.org/ - apk - getmail6-pyc - 6.19.12-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: getmail6-pyc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Precompiled Python bytecode for getmail6 | https://getmail6.org/ - dnf - getmail6 - 6.19.12-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: getmail6 from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A mail retrieval, sorting, and delivering system | https://www.getmail6.org/ - MacPorts - getmail6: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: mail/getmail6/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - MacPorts - getmail: installed executable or alias match | MacPorts ports tree: mail/getmail/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Language runtime packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Security and crypto packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/security-crypto-tools/) - Matched security, identity, cryptography, password, signing, or certificate metadata. - [fetchmail](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fetchmail/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, imap, mail-retrieval, networking. - [mailutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mailutils/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, imap, networking, pop3. - [mpop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mpop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, mail-retrieval, networking, pop3. - [isync](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/isync/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, imap, networking. - [checkdmarc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/checkdmarc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, networking. - [dovecot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dovecot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, imap, networking, pop3. - [msmtp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/msmtp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, networking. - [sendemail](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sendemail/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, networking. - [haraka](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/haraka/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, email, extensible, mail, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/getmail6.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/getmail6.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