# Install mu with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, winget Tool for searching e-mail messages stored in the maildir-format. Version 1.14.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-21. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:mu ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install mu ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install mu ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: mail/mu/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add mu ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mu from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#mu ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mu/mu/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Windows - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id Mu.Mu -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: Mu.Mu from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:mu - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.14.2 - **Source summary:** Tool for searching e-mail messages stored in the maildir-format - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-21T16:45:17-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - mu (cli) - mu (alias) ## Dependencies - fmt - gettext - glib - gmime - guile - xapian ## Build dependencies - cli11 - emacs - libgpg-error - libtool - meson - ninja - pkgconf - texinfo ## 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: 1.14.2 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-21 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/djcb/mu - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage mu is Dirk-Jan C. Binnema's Maildir search and indexing toolkit for Unix-like systems. The project site says the first mu versions date to 2008, and presents the package as a response to large personal mail stores: index the Maildir once, then find, view, extract attachments from, and organize messages through command-line tools. ### Project history Its technical niche is the combination of fast Maildir indexing, a Xapian-backed query database, and package-shipped companion interfaces. The best-known companion is mu4e, a GNU Emacs mail client built on top of mu; the package also exposes Guile/Scheme bindings. In practice, users initialize a database for a Maildir, run `mu index` after mail is delivered by tools such as mbsync, offlineimap, or fetchmail, and query it from the `mu` CLI or from mu4e inside Emacs. ### How it is used In package-manager terms, mu sits at the intersection of mail tooling, desktop productivity, and Emacs workflows. It is packaged by several Unix-like distributions, sometimes under the name `maildir-utils`, while Homebrew and similar managers expose it as `mu`. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** mu - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Conflicts With:** mu-repo - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - mu: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mu/mu/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - mu - 1.14.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mu from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Utilities for indexing and searching Maildirs | https://www.djcbsoftware.nl/code/mu/ - apk - mu-doc - 1.14.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mu-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Utilities for indexing and searching Maildirs (documentation) | https://www.djcbsoftware.nl/code/mu/ - apk - mu4e - 1.14.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mu4e from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Emacs-based e-mail client which uses mu as its back-end | https://www.djcbsoftware.nl/code/mu/ - MacPorts - mu: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: mail/mu/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget - Mu.Mu: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: Mu.Mu from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Related links - [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. - [Productivity CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/productivity-cli-packages/) - Matched curated productivity category metadata from av.db. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glib/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [guile](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/guile/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [xapian](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xapian/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [emacs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/emacs/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libgpg-error](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libgpg-error/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libtool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libtool/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [mairix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mairix/) - 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. - [neomutt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/neomutt/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, e-mail, email, gettext, mail. - [sylpheed](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sylpheed/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, email, gettext, glib, mail. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/mu.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/mu.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - 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