# Install mairix with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Email index and search tool. Version 0.24 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:mairix ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install mairix ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install mairix ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: mail/mairix/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install mairix ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: mairix from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install mairix ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mairix 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#mairix ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ma/mairix/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S mairix ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: mairix from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install mairix ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: mairix from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:mairix - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.24 - **Source summary:** Email index and search tool - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - mairix (cli) - mairix (alias) ## 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: 0.24 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/vandry/mairix - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage mairix is a command-line indexer and search tool for email collections stored in Maildir, MH, MMDF, mbox, and later IMAP-backed folders. ### Project history The official README identifies Richard P. Curnow as the original author and dates the original copyright period to 2002-2004. It also says Kim Vandry has maintained the project since 2017, matching the current GitHub repository location. The NEWS file shows mairix growing from a local maildir/MH search tool into a broader mail search utility. Version 0.4 added MH folder support, 0.12 added mbox indexing and output, 0.17 notes a migration to Git for revision control, and version 0.24 added remote IMAP folder support. ### Adoption history Upstream positions mairix as a complement to mail readers such as mutt and Sylpheed, because searches produce a match folder that normal mail clients can open. That workflow made mairix attractive to users who wanted fast local search without changing their main terminal mail client. The README notes a mairix-users mailing list available since July 2006, and the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS file lists a broad patch and suggestion history. That is modest, but real, evidence of a small long-lived user and contributor community. ### How it is used mairix indexes configured mail folders into a database, then search mode creates a match folder containing symlinks or copied messages, depending on the source and result folder formats. It can also print raw matches or excerpts for scripts. Configuration lives in $HOME/.mairixrc unless overridden with -f or --rcfile. The mairixrc manual documents required base, mfolder, database, and folder directives, plus optional IMAP settings including imap_username and imap_password. ### Why package nerds care mairix is a classic small Unix mail tool: narrow job, plain text configuration, fast incremental indexing, and output designed to compose with existing mail clients. It is especially notable for supporting several old mailbox formats without insisting on a new mail store. For package maintainers, mairix sits in the same ecosystem as mutt, MH/nmh-style folders, Sylpheed, Claws Mail, and Gnus. Its value is less about being a full mail app and more about being the search engine you can bolt onto one. ### Timeline - 2002-2004: Original Richard P. Curnow copyright period documented in README. - 2006: mairix-users mailing list is documented as available since July 2006. - 2007: NEWS for version 0.17 notes migration to Git revision control. - 2017: README says maintenance passed to Kim Vandry; GitHub release 0.24 is dated August 13, 2017. ### Related projects - mutt is named by the README as a useful companion mail program. - Sylpheed is named by the README as a useful companion mail program. - Claws Mail, Evolution, Gnus, and xmh appear in the manpage as supported MH-family folder variants. ### 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: ~/.mairixrc ## Credential files - Unix: ~/.mairixrc ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** mairix - **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 - mairix - 0.24-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: mairix from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | indexes and searches locally-stored email | https://github.com/vandry/mairix - Nix - mairix: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ma/mairix/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - mairix - 0.24-2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mairix from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | indexes and searches locally-stored email | https://github.com/vandry/mairix - dnf - mairix - 0.24-23.20220920git1cc06f.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mairix from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A program for indexing and searching email messages | http://www.rc0.org.uk/mairix - pacman - mairix - 0.24-5: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: mairix from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A program for indexing and searching emails | https://github.com/vandry/mairix - zypper - mairix - 0.24-1.32: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: mairix from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A maildir indexer and searcher | http://www.rc0.org.uk/mairix/ - MacPorts - mairix: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: mail/mairix/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. - [mu](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mu/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, maildir, productivity, search. - [mail-deduplicate](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mail-deduplicate/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, maildir, productivity. - [mailcheck](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mailcheck/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, maildir, productivity. - [meli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, maildir, productivity. - [offlineimap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/offlineimap/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, maildir, productivity. - [aerc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aerc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. - [alot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. - [alpine](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alpine/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. - [gmailctl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gmailctl/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, email, productivity. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/mairix.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/mairix.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