Keyboard native
Vim-style navigation, command palette, multi-select actions, macros, and configurable keymaps for every view.
public preview · v0.8.4
Email that feels native to your shell.
Drenbox is a keyboard-first terminal email client built for people who live in tmux, read fast, and prefer plain text workflows over noisy browser tabs.
drenbox — inbox@localhost
Release notes: compact thread view
Thread folding, inline patches, and better quoted text trimming
[PATCH 2/4] add oauth device flow
Adds token refresh and keyring-backed storage for providers
Weekly digest
12 conversations, 4 mentions, 2 starred messages
Invoice parser test fixtures
Plain text extraction now keeps attachment metadata intact
Calendar invite handling
Experimental .ics preview and tentative response shortcuts
:search from:maintainers has:patch before:30d
Built for quiet, precise email.
No dashboards, no engagement tricks, no forced cloud account. Just a fast local client with readable defaults and scriptable behavior.
Local indexing
Search mailboxes with notmuch-compatible indexing, saved filters, tags, and instant thread switching.
Security aware
First-class plain text mode, optional GPG integration, attachment previews, and remote image blocking by default.
Works with existing mail
Connect to IMAP and SMTP providers, or point Drenbox at an existing local Maildir workflow.
Scriptable rules
Filter, label, archive, or pipe messages into your own scripts without waiting for plugin support.
Readable TUI
Accessible colors, soft wrapping, structured headers, and a thread view designed for long reading sessions.
Preview install
The repository is currently in early public preview. Packages are signed, reproducible builds are planned for the stable release.
# macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://drenbox.dev/install.sh | sh
# Arch
paru -S drenbox-bin
# From source
git clone https://example.invalid/drenbox/drenbox
cd drenbox
cargo build --release
# First account
drenbox init
drenbox sync --allConfiguration stays simple
Drenbox stores readable TOML config in your home directory. Accounts, identities, signatures, colors, aliases, and rules can be versioned like any other dotfile.
[account.work]
email = "you@example.com"
sync_interval = "5m"
remote_images = "never"
editor = "nvim"Roadmap
Small releases, clear changelogs, and no surprise rewrites. The focus is stability before more provider-specific integrations.
0.9
Offline-first composer
Queue messages locally, resolve send conflicts, and keep drafts synchronized between devices.
1.0
Stable config and plugin API
Freeze core config fields, publish plugin hooks, and add migration helpers for early adopters.
later
Calendar and contact bridges
Optional CalDAV/CardDAV helpers for invite previews, contact completion, and lightweight scheduling flows.
18ksynthetic tests
42msmedian search
31themes
0tracking pixels loaded
Try a calmer inbox.
Install the preview, import one account, and keep your email workflow inside the terminal you already use.