Before all that fun and learn I want to explain the concept of mail and general email-flow concept.

What is MUTT?

We  all know various mail services and we are using them like our organ.  Now can’t live without them literally. That is why we are extending them to our life. That is the reason Blackberry got famous because of their exclusive mail service blended in it; more providers came into play, they also tried to extend it to mobiles not exactly like Blackberry but in their own ways. Now every smart phone has Mail app. Mails are  an essential component of our life now.  Most prominent of them  Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail etc are all available across  the  cloud.

Now when we say mailclient, they are the  one which organize  those  mails and let you arrange /store  and read them according to your own preferences. You use them, some  of the popular ones  are: Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft office Outlook and Outlook Express and the  one which is topic of this  article  MUTT.  So now it is clear that mutt is an email client or what we say MUA(Mail User Agent).

These are following protocols used for mail  purpose:

• IMAP4(Most recent one in the list)
• SMTP
• POP3
• HTTP

IMAP4 replaced POP3 in business. IMAP4 is better/faster/lighter and more proper than POP3 so it got over POP3 in maximum mail services. IMPA4 and POP3 is for incoming. Ports defined for IMAP4 is 993, where it is  995 for POP3. SMTP is used for outgoing and port for it is 465. HTTP is not only dedicated to email services but it is used for accessing mailboxes. Secured version is used, so port is 443.

MAIL Components Explained:

MUA,MTA, MDA and MRA are involved in a ideal mailflow process. Now what are they I just give them here a brief intro and explain them by the process of email flow.

MUA(Mail User Agent): It is the client program in which the user sends and receives mail. It may use scripts to complete its actions. It can be highly configurable like we do have MUTT. For instance for explaining one can configure text editors or word processors of its own choice for writing the email. Various other Linux MUAs are kmail, evolution, sylpheed, mulberry, pegasus, pine and elm.

MTA(Mail Transfer Agent): They are the one which receive envelopes from MUA and send, receive and route them accordingly. MTA don’t read headers they just see if the envelopes can be delivered to mailboxes. MTAs are vital components they don’t just send it ahead. But they decide whether emails are valid and can be moved ahead or not, if it contains error mail is sent back to user. It also acts SPAM FILTER for mail services. MTAs test the emails against a certain blacklist which they have. So they are not just transfer agent, they are smart agent. MTA uses SMTP for talking. Some of the popular MTAs for the job are sendmail, qmail, exim and postfix.

MDA(Mail Delivery Agent): They take mail from MTA and do the actual delivery plus filtering which may actually include many functions like virus detection, sorting and automatic answering.

Maildrop and procmail are MDAs.

MRA(Mail Retrieval Agent): MDA transfer mail to Mailbox. MRA fetch them from mailbox and then delivers to MUA. Some of them are fetchmail, getmail and retchmail.

Now I chain up them in a flow how they act in a mailflow process:

Mailflow Process

Email starts form a user who write it at MUA. MUA provides various  options  through programs and scripts. It may also contain security and encryption options . The finished mail in form of Envelope  transfers to MTA.  MTA receives  envelope and irrespective of message inside validates it. If message is proper, routes it ahead in internet cloud and if it is invalid, then it is reflected back to user with error message. Mail is checked against SPAM blacklist and validated and is forwarded to MTA. Please note if it is special mail service or dedicated mail service MUA can directly send it to receiving MTA bypassing internet. MTAs uses SMTP.

MDA receives mail from MTA and they do filtering process which include sorting according to various parameters and virus protection or may include auto-answering options. MDA delivers them to mailboxes. Then MRA fetches these mails from mailboxes using IMAP4 or POP3 and transfers them to MUA.

Now coming over to our very own MUTT, we know MUTT is MUA. It uses sendmail as MTA in our case.

Some of the key features of MUTT which makes it special are:

• Its  own configurable color setting. For messages, mailboxes and all.
• MIME support / PGP Support(Encryption/Signature)
• Support for multiple mailbox formats
• Keybindings and macros( They are superb. Easily they are one of the best feature of MUTT. You say the action and give and do any key binding for it.)
• Searches using regular expressions, including an internal pattern matching language
• It has .****rc configuration files for various setups of it, which are easy to edit and maintain.

Despite of them all it have all other regular features.

MUTT is text based because its developers think this is where it should be because if it is terminal based , it makes it more powerful.

I used MUTT version 1.4.2.3 which with sendmail as its MTA on my Ubuntu 10.10. As common user like me, you do not use our own domain services and our own mailboxes like those organizations where MUTT is highly used. I tried to configure my Gmail accounts to play with MUTT. Yes you may also configure any mail accounts using SMTP and IMAP protocols. For this you may refer MUTT manuals.

Installing MUTT is stunningly easy.

On Debians(For others too you may find tutorials) just write:

#> apt-get install mutt

Reading package lists… Done

……………

……………..

You may require the root login to install it and use it. It installs it in root directory. So if you want to access its files change to root directory after super user login where ~ indicates root home directory which is generally locked when accessing through GUI. Type:

#>cd ~

Please remember that it creates a lot of hidden directories after installation starting with . In case you don’t know.

To see all directories and files you may see all of them by pressing:

#>ls –a

MUTT directory content look like one below:

MUTT directory content

The most basic configuration file for MUTT is called .muttrc where . signifies it as hidden file. It is one power script which controls whole MUTT configuration. You may open it with any editor you want and add/remove and manipulate the stuff.

You may prepare your .muttrc file by having look on to sample .muttrc files. To give a glance I show my .muttrc file here( I am afraid of it though)

.muttrc file

Please note that this is just a stub of .muttrc file. Whole content can’t be shown here.

To start MUTT you should have super user access or user with adequate privileges. Just type mutt from any space and it will be fire up.

Now configure your gmail account you may have to add following lines to your .muttrc file :

set imap_user = “yourgmailid1@gmail.com”

set imap_pass = “”

set folder = “imaps://imap.gmail.com:993″

set spoolfile=”+INBOX”

set postponed=”+[Gmail]/Drafts”

set record=+[Gmail]/”Sent Mail”

set from = “abc@abc.com”

set realname = “yourname”

set smtp_url = “smtp://gmailuserid2@smtp.gmail.com:587/”

set smtp_pass=”"

set from=”gmailuserid2@gmail.com”

set realname=”anythingyouwant”

Please note you may use multiple accounts for incoming and outgoing mails and use Account-hook for that. If you just write down the multiple IDs in suppose incoming mails automatically the later in the queue will be opened by MUTT. I have used different incoming and outgoing IDs in my configuration. Please note I have kept the password blank because of security reason. If you don’t enter the corresponding password here you will  be asked for it while you use it in MUTT.

Note that SMTP URL and IMAP URL are the corresponding address mailboxes of Google for incoming and outgoing.

But it’s not just that you want for activating Gmail in MUTT. You need various SSL security certificates for that. They can be added right from command line using apt-get just like other packages. Every time after initializing MUTT it installs these certificates and try to access the Gmail mailbox.

Following is the accessing a mailbox in progress

Below figure shows some functions for which generic binding can be done. Above shows the above in figure shows some the keys which have been keybounded.

Generic Binding

Aliases can also be used in MUTT

An alias file needs to be created for the purpose where all the aliases are defined with their extensions. I use in this example s for sariskka@gmail.com which I have defined in my aliases file.

Aliases file format is like:

alias b namby147@gmail.com

alias s sariskka@gmail.com

alias sa sanskriver@gmail.com

Following in figure was the sa alias which was auto filled with EmaiID later.

The source for alias file need to be defined in .muttrc like :

set alias_file=~/.mutt/aliases

source ~/.mutt/aliases

Install Abook for simpler alias setting.

Just hit Ctrl A and if you have selected some mail it will let you to store alias for current email address. Or you can add more emails by accessing it through terminal. Abook is best phonebook integration for MUTT.

Following is an alias making in progress of LFY editor Aditya:

For integration of Abook you need to add following text in .muttrc file:

set query_command=”abook –mutt-query ‘%s’”

macro index,pager A “abook –add-email” “add the sender address to abook”

macro generic,index,pager \ca “abook” “launch abook”

We can use signatures in for which separate .signature file is needed.

Source for signature is defined like:

set signature=”~/.signature”

My signature looks like in light green in Gmail to which I have sent this mail. You may make it much beautiful than me.:

Signature

Please note that editor for writing mail is Nano. You may use any other editor for the purpose for this you just have to set another editor in .muttrc file like:

set editor=”emacs -nw”

Any file can be attached by simply attaching few options and giving path that too before even starting mutt.

root@tuxxxy:~# mutt -s “HI” -a “/home/tuxxxy/Desktop/jkhk”

-s is for subject

-a is for attachment file

Below in green is the attachment in mutt along with main message body attachment:

Beside these they are million options to configure MUTT.

Like below we can configure it supernumerary ways:

set timeout=60  #Check for mail every minute

set mail_check=5

That’s  why it is known as the one of the most flexible MUA ever. To switch between various mailboxes you need to just press y.

The security and encryption are one of the most important aspects in today’s time. Security is to prevent your emails from intruders. There are various security techniques like public key , and asymmetric keys and various other you must be knowing. But the strongest out of them is PGP.  PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy. MUTT supports PGP for its mail services. I have used GPG here which is GnuPG.

Following is the  key making in progress:

Key making in progress

It is very hybrid  approach to secure your mails. It uses symmetric-key cryptography for speed, and public-key cryptography with a session key to ensure maximum performance.

While mailing at the last step just before sending just press p and and it asks you what do you want to mail to be encrypted or signature or both.

Please note signature is necessary for the reason because it ensures that your mail is not manipulated in-between. By decrypting the sent signature which is sent along mail file it can be decrypted to the date and email id attached to it. For that you have to use the signature file as input in format .asc or .sig.

As I show you the mail in which I used signature. Signature file comes along with mail in a file signature.asc which user can use to verify mail.

signature.asc

Similarly press E for encryption and you will be asked for the keyID which you had generated after entering your mail will be encrypted.

Use gpg  –list-keys to list your all of keys which you have made.

These were the few of things which you can do while playing with MUTT, but please note that this is not the end to possibilities for MUTT. MUTT gives you that much space to play that neither I can cover all of them here, nor I have learnt all of them. Try using it and you will explore yourself and you may share with us all so that we can also learn.

So give wings to your excellence and let them flutter in the sky of LINUX.

GRUB Logo

This is what you get an interactive scene giving you pseudo programming language options in multiple lines. If you have Windows thing installed in your system you get a little relax after seeing Window something something.
Bootloading is the term which reminds core OS classes if you are any how related to architecture of Operating System. Boot loading is like a lift board which tells you to which floor you want to get on. The people who have heard it for first time and are of confused and making pictures of your flashy boots in your mind, Bootloader ,also called a boot manager is term for a small program that places the operating system (OS) of a computer into memory. When a computer is powered-up or restarted, the basic input/output system (BIOS) performs some initial tests, and then transfers control to the Master Boot Record (MBR) where the bootloader resides. Bootloader is the door where you bell to enter into the system. It gives you complete list of OS that too with other advance options.
The modern GRUB is called GRUB 2 and it is indeed GRUB version number 2 as there are a lot of things absent inside the new GRUB and other vital changes too.
GRUB 2′s major improvements over the original GRUB include:

GRUB 2 Config file.

• Scripting support including conditional statements and functions

• Dynamic module loading

• Rescue mode

• Custom Menus

• Graphical boot menu support and improved splash capability

• Boot LiveCD ISO images directly from hard drive

• New configuration file structure

• Non-x86 platform support (such as PowerPC)

• Universal support for UUIDs

(from: Ubuntu forums)

Before stepping up one level in the conversation let me tell you the concept of chainloading. Chainloading is skipping first default assigned kernel to boot and getting booted on present kernel.
This is an useful technique in cases where Linux do not recognize the kernel and its boot data so what usually is done is that just partition corresponding to that kernel is named and chainloder +n is set where n is the nth kernel configuration after the first. This is generally done for making Windows and other proprietary OS as default boot option.
Let me first introduce you with the some of the important of files that are critical for GRUB 2.
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
This is like the file GRUB’s /boot/grub/menu.lst. This file contains the GRUB 2 menu information but unlike GRUB’s menu.lst the grub.cfg file is not meant to be edited.

/etc/default/grub
This configuration file contains information formerly contained in the upper section of GRUB‘s menu.lst and items contained on the end of the kernel line. The entries in this file can be edited by a user with administrator (root) privileges and are incorporated into grub.cfg when it is updated. Specific configuration settings are detailed in the Configuring GRUB 2 later in this section.

/etc/grub.d/

Changes to be done here

The files in this directory are read during execution of the update-grub command and their instructions are incorporated into /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
GRUB2 has lesser editing options comparing to GRUB or we can say they have made changes making more complex.
/etc/default/grub gives few basic options to change you configuration.
Use sudo gedit /etc/default/grub for editing.
Like you can change the order of booting.
I have shown you to how to make Windows as default menu just by changing the parameter to 4 as it appears on 4th on menu list in figure.
Further we can add another kernel entry this is the format saying name and its partition location in format

hd(harddisk),nth partitionname and other generic root location.
set root=(hdX,Y)
linux /vmlinuz root=/dev/sdXY ro
initrd /initrd.img
boot

GRUB 2 edit mode while booting.

GRUB menu at the booting time can be converted to command-line by pressing c and there are few grub commands which can be used right there. There are few commands which can be listed by using help command.
ls lists defaults.

I will also explain the settings how to change the splashimage for bootloader.
For this you need to have the png, jpeg 8bit or tga format image. By default its tga format for the splashimage. You need to install a package for that:grub2-splashimages
Changes are made in the grub.d directory in the file in 05_debian_theme where there is some path given to a default splashimage which needs to be edited for your own image.
I made one that is in pic.

This splashimage I managed to add.

The crux of matter is that if you don’t want to involve in hard issues of Linux and just want a simple desktop machine with pleasant environment which is not Windows, Mint is for you. It is considered media-OS because of its wide support to play media files.
Lets begin installation procedure.
Download ISO file from Mint’s website and burn it over DVD/CD depending over the size and version.

Insert disc and you’ll have menu consisting of installation options.
The one saying install Mint inside Windows is something new on Linux distros. What it does that it allocates suitable space inside Windows without making a new partition, and install Mint in it. Also booting preferences are also given to host OS.

For the normal installation boot your system with disc inserted into it.
Choose appropriate option from menu and wait for next window.
Choose language setup.
Choose your zone for time. Enter the keyboard config for yourself.

Note Mint generally comes with Gnome as desktop environment but you can install others also if available.
Now this step is the most critical step. Giving disc space to OS.

If you want to dedicate the entire Hard disc to Mint, then you can do so by automaticoption which is the default setting. If not then choose manual from list.

I advise you to allocate free space for Linux pre installation. You can do it by visiting Disc manager on Windows and deleting the drives and merging them.
Now it will create partition on it ext3(Linux’s partition). Give it the mount point and it will ask for swap partition.

If you think you don’t have enough RAM then you can allocate double of your RAM size to Swap partition. Now go ahead and take a cup of coffee and after finishing coffee you’ll find that Mint’s installation is finished.
You can couple Windows with it.

This is what a boot menu look like:

The customize setting is very similar to that of Ubuntu. Even the package manager is also same(Synaptic).
See the customize tutorial for help. Both are Debian package based.

Download latest Mint

Remember Window’s run , a very good launchpad or window to search or launch various programs, the counterpart in Linux is available Remastersys. Shortcut is ‘Alt + F2′. You know the most important tool for a user is control panel from where he/she can customize settings like installing software. In Linux there is no control panel, all settings are distributive under administrative settings.