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+date = 2024-04-18
+title = "Email in Doom Emacs with Mu4e on macOS"
+description = ""
+draft = false
++++
+
+This post was heavily inspired by [Email setup in Emacs with Mu4e on
+macOS](https://macowners.club/posts/email-emacs-mu4e-macos/), but with
+my own tweaks for a single-account configuration and some Doom-specific
+configurations.
+
+# Overview
+
+[Mu4e](https://github.com/emacsmirror/mu4e) is an Emacs-based email
+client based on [mu](https://www.djcbsoftware.nl/code/mu/), an indexer
+that stores email in the Maildir format.
+
+This blog post covers the installation of Mu4e in Doom Emacs on macOS.
+This guide should be very similar to GNU Emacs and Linux-based systems,
+with a few tweaks required in the various configuration files.
+
+# Installation
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+### Create the Folder Structure
+
+Start by creating the base folder structure:
+
+```sh
+mkdir ~/.maildir
+mkdir ~/.maildir/example      # use whatever name you want to call your email account
+mkdir ~/.maildir/certificates # used to store system root certificates
+```
+
+### Store Email Account Passwords in macOS Keychain
+
+Next, I will be using the macOS Keychain to store my email account
+passwords using the command below.
+
+```sh
+security add-generic-password -s mu4e-example -a you@example.com -w
+```
+
+This will prompt you to input your password twice to confirm. Keep the
+`mu4e-example` name in mind, as you will need to reference it
+later in the IMAP and SMTP configuration files.
+
+### Store Root Certificates
+
+In order to use IMAP and SMTP, we need to provide certificates to the
+local services. We will use the macOS defaults for this.
+
+1.  Open `Keychain Access.app`.
+2.  Select `System Roots` in the sidebar.
+3.  Select all items with `CMD + a`.
+4.  Export selected items with `SHIFT + CMD + a` to the file
+    `~/.maildir/certificates/root-certificates.pem`.
+
+### Install Dependencies
+
+Install `mbsync` (via `isync`) to fetch emails via
+IMAP, `mu` to index emails, and `msmtp` to send
+emails via SMTP.
+
+```sh
+brew install mu isync msmtp
+```
+
+## Installing Mu4e
+
+Within Doom Emacs, we can install Mu4e by enabling the package.
+
+```sh
+nano ~/.doom.d/init.el
+```
+
+In this file, uncomment the `mu4e` line within the
+`:email` section. You can also enable the `+org`
+and `+gmail` options if you prefer.
+
+```lisp
+(doom! :input
+       ...
+       :email
+       mu4e
+       ;;(mu4e +org +gmail)
+       ...
+       (default +bindings +smartparens))
+```
+
+# Configuration
+
+As an overall suggestion, I create the following configuration files in
+the `~/.maildir` directory and using symlinks to their proper
+locations so that I can backup and restore these files easily.
+
+```sh
+touch ~/.maildir/.mbsyncrc && \
+touch ~/.maildir/.msmtprc  && \
+ln -s /Users/username/.maildir/.mbsyncrc /Users/username/.mbsyncrc && \
+ln -s /Users/username/.maildir/.msmtprc /Users/username/.msmtprc
+```
+
+You can also create these files in your home directory and skip the
+symlinking process above.
+
+## IMAP
+
+Next, let\'s configure `mbsync` in the file created above.
+Paste the following information and customize it to match your mail
+provider\'s information.
+
+```sh
+nano ~/.maildir/.mbsyncrc
+```
+
+``` conf
+IMAPAccount example
+Host imap.example.com
+User dummy@example.com
+PassCmd "security find-generic-password -s mu4e-example -a dummy@example.com -w"
+Port 993
+SSLType IMAPS
+AuthMechs Login
+CertificateFile ~/.maildir/certificates/root-certificates.pem
+
+IMAPStore example-remote
+Account example
+
+MaildirStore example-local
+SubFolders Verbatim
+Path ~/.maildir/example/
+Inbox ~/.maildir/example/INBOX
+
+Channel example
+Far :example-remote:
+Near :example-local:
+Patterns *
+Create Near
+Sync All
+Expunge Both
+SyncState *
+```
+
+## SMTP
+
+Next, let\'s configured `msmtprc` in the file created above.
+Paste the following information and customize it to match your mail
+provider\'s information.
+
+```sh
+nano ~/.maildir/.msmtprc
+```
+
+```conf
+# Set default values for all the accounts.
+defaults
+logfile ~/.maildir/msmtp.log
+tls_trust_file ~/.maildir/certificates/root-certificates.pem
+
+# ======================================================================
+
+account startmail
+auth on
+host smtp.startmail.com
+port 465
+protocol smtp
+from hello@cleberg.net
+user hello@cleberg.net
+passwordeval security find-generic-password -s startmail -a hello@cleberg.net -w
+tls on
+tls_starttls off
+
+# ======================================================================
+
+account default : startmail
+```
+
+## Doom Emacs
+
+Finally, we need to configure Doom Emacs to use the proper packages and
+set some variables and functions.
+
+```sh
+nano ~/.doom.d/config.el
+```
+
+```lisp
+;; load packages and programs
+(use-package mu4e
+  :load-path  "/Users/username/.emacs.d/modules/email/mu4e/")
+(require 'smtpmail)
+(setq mu4e-mu-binary (executable-find "mu"))
+
+;; set base directory
+(setq mu4e-maildir "~/.maildir")
+
+;; sync imap servers
+(setq mu4e-get-mail-command (concat (executable-find "mbsync") " -a"))
+
+;; how often to sync in seconds
+(setq mu4e-update-interval 300)
+
+;; save attachments to defined directory
+(setq mu4e-attachment-dir "~/Downloads")
+
+;; rename files when moving - needed for mbsync:
+(setq mu4e-change-filenames-when-moving t)
+
+;; list of your email adresses:
+(setq mu4e-user-mail-address-list '("you@example.com"))
+
+;; check your ~/.maildir to see naming of subdirectories
+(setq   mu4e-maildir-shortcuts
+        '(("/example/INBOX" . ?e)
+          ("/example/Sent" . ?E)))
+
+(setq mu4e-contexts
+      `(,(make-mu4e-context
+          :name "example"
+          :enter-func
+          (lambda () (mu4e-message "Enter you@example.com context"))
+          :leave-func
+          (lambda () (mu4e-message "Leave you@example.com context"))
+          :match-func
+          (lambda (msg)
+            (when msg
+              (mu4e-message-contact-field-matches msg
+                                                  :to "you@example.com")))
+          :vars '((user-mail-address . "you@example.com")
+                  (user-full-name . "Christian Cleberg")
+                  ;; check your ~/.maildir to see how the subdirectories are called
+                  ;; e.g `ls ~/.maildir/example'
+                  (mu4e-drafts-folder . "/example/Drafts")
+                  (mu4e-refile-folder . "/example/Archive")
+                  (mu4e-sent-folder . "/example/Sent")
+                  (mu4e-trash-folder . "/example/Trash")))))
+
+(setq mu4e-context-policy 'pick-first) ;; start with the first (default) context;
+(setq mu4e-compose-context-policy 'ask) ;; ask for context if no context matches;
+
+;; gpg encryptiom & decryption:
+;; this can be left alone
+(require 'epa-file)
+(epa-file-enable)
+(setq epa-pinentry-mode 'loopback)
+(auth-source-forget-all-cached)
+
+;; don't keep message compose buffers around after sending:
+(setq message-kill-buffer-on-exit t)
+
+;; send function:
+(setq send-mail-function 'sendmail-send-it
+      message-send-mail-function 'sendmail-send-it)
+
+;; send program:
+(setq sendmail-program (executable-find "msmtp"))
+
+;; select the right sender email from the context.
+(setq message-sendmail-envelope-from 'header)
+
+;; mu4e cc & bcc
+(add-hook 'mu4e-compose-mode-hook
+          (defun timu/add-cc-and-bcc ()
+            "My Function to automatically add Cc & Bcc: headers.
+    This is in the mu4e compose mode."
+            (save-excursion (message-add-header "Cc:\n"))
+            (save-excursion (message-add-header "Bcc:\n"))))
+
+;; mu4e address completion
+(add-hook 'mu4e-compose-mode-hook 'company-mode)
+```
+
+Be sure to sync Doom to update the current configurations.
+
+```sh
+doom sync
+```
+
+If you have Doom open, execute `SPC h r r` to reload the new
+configurations.
+
+# Initial Sync
+
+Once you have configured all of the relevant files, you can perform an
+initial sync. Note that you can perform syncing within Mu4e itself afer
+this.
+
+```sh
+mbsync -aV
+```
+
+Once you sync the data, you can index the emails.
+
+```sh
+mu init -m ~/.maildir --my-address you@example.com && \
+mu index
+```
+
+The emails will now to be ready to use!
+
+# Screenshots
+
+You can now launch Doom and open Mu4e with `SPC o m`. You can
+also explore the Mu4e options with `SPC : mu4e`.
+
+The home page shows various options and metdata about the account
+you\'ve opened.
+
+![Mu4e Home Page](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240418-mu4e/mu4e.png)
+
+When composing an email, you can see the metadata fields at the top and
+compose the message below the indicator line.
+
+![Composition
+Screen](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240418-mu4e/draft.png)
+
+When in a folder, you can view emails in a pane and perform actions as
+needed.
+
+![Inbox](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240418-mu4e/inbox.png)