The Mutt E-Mail Client : Mutt's MIME Support : MIME Type configuration with `mime.types`
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## 5.2. MIME Type configuration with `mime.types`

When you add an attachment to your mail message, Mutt searches your personal mime.types file at `${HOME}/.mime.types`, and then the system mime.types file at `/usr/local/share/mutt/mime.types` or `/etc/mime.types`

The mime.types file consist of lines containing a MIME type and a space separated list of extensions. For example:

> `

>     application/postscript          ps eps
>     application/pgp                 pgp
>     audio/x-aiff                    aif aifc aiff

> `

A sample `mime.types` file comes with the Mutt distribution, and should contain most of the MIME types you are likely to use.

If Mutt can not determine the mime type by the extension of the file you attach, it will look at the file. If the file is free of binary information, Mutt will assume that the file is plain text, and mark it as `text/plain`. If the file contains binary information, then Mutt will mark it as `application/octet-stream`. You can change the MIME type that Mutt assigns to an attachment by using the `edit-type` command from the compose menu (default: ˆT). The MIME type is actually a major mime type followed by the sub-type, separated by a '/'. 6 major types: application, text, image, video, audio, and model have been approved after various internet discussions. Mutt recognises all of these if the appropriate entry is found in the mime.types file. It also recognises other major mime types, such as the chemical type that is widely used in the molecular modelling community to pass molecular data in various forms to various molecular viewers. Non-recognised mime types should only be used if the recipient of the message is likely to be expecting such attachments.

The Mutt E-Mail Client : Mutt's MIME Support : MIME Type configuration with `mime.types`
Previous: The Compose Menu
Next: MIME Viewer configuration with `mailcap`