Terminal email client
Termail syncs mail over IMAP, keeps a local SQLite copy you can search offline, and sends over SMTP — all through a keyboard-first interface built with Bun, TypeScript, and OpenTUI.
One screen, three regions: folders on the left, messages in the middle, and a status bar along the bottom. Everything is reachable without leaving the keyboard.
Termail discovers your account's folders on first sync, prefers INBOX, and tracks a per-folder checkpoint so later syncs resume where they left off. Move between folders with h / Left or l / Right (or Tab); the status bar always shows the current folder, message counts, and sync state.
Step through mail with j / Down and k / Up, open with Enter, step back with Esc. Press / to search the local full-text index — backed by SQLite FTS5 — with structured operators:
from:, to:, subject:,
is:read, is:unread,
has:attachment, folder:,
after:, before:.
| j / Down, k / Up | Next / previous email |
|---|---|
| h / Left, l / Right, Tab | Previous / next folder |
| Enter | Open the highlighted email |
| Esc | Back to the list, keeping the highlight |
| / | Search (Esc cancels, Enter submits) |
| r | Sync the current folder |
| s / d | AI summary / AI-drafted reply (opt-in, never auto-sends) |
| q | Quit |
What Termail does today — email, synchronization, configuration, and optional AI — as implemented in the repository.
smtpHost on the account; port and mode default to implicit TLS on 465.~/.config/termail/config.json, validated with Zod.bun run test:sequential).Current limitation: sending works through the compose service and AI-drafted replies routed into compose for review. There is no full-screen compose editor yet; external-editor composition is planned.
From the repository README. Requires Bun v1.4.1 (pinned in
package.json and CI).
git clone https://github.com/arjunmaybe/Termail.git
cd Termail
bun installbun run dev
bun run build
bun run test:sequential
bun run typecheck
bun run lint~/.config/termail/config.json, then save
the password once into the OS credential store (input is hidden):
bun run src/main.ts --set-password work
Also available: --set-oauth-token,
--delete-password,
--delete-oauth-token. On platforms without OS
credential storage, use per-account environment variables instead
(see Security).
A plain summary of the implementation and security policy — what stays local, what leaves the machine, and what Termail does not promise.
Mail is stored in a local SQLite database that is not encrypted by Termail. On POSIX systems Termail restricts its data directories to owner-only access; on Windows no ACL hardening is performed, so configure filesystem ACLs externally on shared machines.
Passwords and tokens never live in config.json, the
mail database, logs, or issue reports. The fastest option is the
one-time OS credential-store save (Windows Credential Manager).
OS storage is implemented on Windows only; elsewhere — and for
headless use — set
TERMAIL_<ACCOUNT_ID>_PASSWORD or
TERMAIL_<ACCOUNT_ID>_OAUTH_TOKEN. Environment
variables take precedence when both are configured.
Only when you press s or d: the selected
email's headers (From, To, Cc, Subject, Date) and up to
maxBodyChars body characters (default 8000, sent
inside an explicit <email> block marked as
data). The default endpoint is OpenRouter's chat-completions API.
Output is display text or a draft for review.
Only the latest main commit receives security fixes.
Report issues through GitHub private vulnerability reporting with
redacted material — never live credentials or mailbox contents.
There is no paid bounty program.
Bun v1.4.1, a clone of the repository, and bun install. You also need at least one email account with IMAP details (and smtpHost if you want to send).
At ~/.config/termail/config.json (version 1), validated with Zod. It holds database path, UI preferences, accounts, and AI settings — never secrets.
OS credential storage is Windows-only today. On other platforms, set per-account secrets in the environment: TERMAIL_<ACCOUNT_ID>_PASSWORD or TERMAIL_<ACCOUNT_ID>_OAUTH_TOKEN.
No. Termail does not encrypt the SQLite database. POSIX systems get owner-only directories and files; Windows needs externally configured filesystem ACLs on shared machines.
No. AI only summarizes or drafts when you explicitly press s or d. Drafts go into compose for review and nothing is auto-sent. AI is off by default.
Sending works through the compose service and AI-drafted replies routed into compose for review. There is no full-screen compose editor yet.