# Install abook with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper

Address book with mutt support. Version 0.6.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-10. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install abook.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:abook
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install abook
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install abook
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: mail/abook/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add abook
```

  Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: abook from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install abook
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: abook from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install abook
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: abook from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#abook
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ab/abook/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install abook
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: abook from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:abook
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 0.6.2
- **Source summary:** Address book with mutt support
- **Homepage:** <https://abook.sourceforge.io/>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-10T13:29:30-04:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- abook (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 0.6.2
## Project history and usage

abook is a terminal address-book program centered on simple local contact storage and integration with the mutt mail client. It matters in package-manager culture because it is the kind of small ncurses utility Unix users install to make mail workflows scriptable without adopting a desktop contacts stack.

### Project history

The project README identifies abook as an addressbook program with mutt support and credits JH, while the manual page credits Jaakko Heinonen as the author. Its ChangeLog shows a long 0.x development line with early 0.1.0 pre-releases, migration through 0.4.x terminal and import/export work, and later 0.6.x releases adding custom fields, vCard improvements, color, mouse support, key remapping, iCalendar output, and XDG-related changes.

### Adoption history

abook spread as a packaging-friendly Unix utility: the input metadata lists packages for Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Ubuntu, and openSUSE. The upstream README also lists successful builds across Linux, Darwin, Solaris, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, GNU/Hurd, AIX, HPUX, Irix, and DEC Alpha-era systems.

### How it is used

The documented mutt workflow sets query_command to run abook --mutt-query and can pipe messages to abook --add-email. The manual also documents conversion between abook, LDIF, mutt aliases, Pine, CSV, Palm CSV, vCard, HTML, text, ELM, Wanderlust, iCalendar, BSD calendar, and custom formats.

### Why package nerds care

For package nerds, abook is notable as a compact ncurses-era tool with optional readline behavior, many text import/export filters, and a stable command-line interface that fits mailcap-style Unix composition. Its continued packaging across many distributions reflects the durability of mutt-adjacent tools.

### Timeline

- 0.1.0-pre-release 1: Earliest ChangeLog entry.
- 0.3.0: New portable file format, FreeBSD build support, mutt send-mail command, and multiple e-mail address support.
- 0.4.9: Added support for the systemwide /etc/abook.conf configuration file.
- 2002: 2002 ChangeLog entries added getopt parsing, readline support, and storage of rcfile and addressbook under the .abook directory.
- 0.5.5: Added internationalization and several translations.
- 0.6.1: Added vCard parser improvements, color support, mouse support, and mutt groups support.
- 0.6.2: Upgraded license to GPLv3 and added XDG base-directory compliance.

### Related projects

- mutt is the closest companion project in the upstream documentation, since abook is designed to answer mutt address queries and ingest mail senders. The README also positions abook among Unix contact-file formats by documenting conversion to and from LDIF, Pine, vCard, CSV, ELM, and Wanderlust data.

### Sources

- <https://sourceforge.net/p/abook/git/ci/master/tree/ChangeLog>
- <https://sourceforge.net/p/abook/git/ci/master/tree/README>
- <https://sourceforge.net/p/abook/git/ci/master/tree/abook.1>
- <https://sourceforge.net/p/abook/git/ci/master/tree/abookrc.5>
- input source_facts.package-manager


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Unix: ~/.abook/abookrc, $XDG_DATA_HOME/abook/abookrc
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - abook - 0.6.1-3+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: abook from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | text-based ncurses address book application | http://abook.sourceforge.net/
- Nix - abook: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ab/abook/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - abook - 0.6.1-3build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: abook from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | text-based ncurses address book application | http://abook.sourceforge.net/
- apk - abook - 0.6.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: abook from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Text-based addressbook designed for use with Mutt | https://abook.sourceforge.net/
- apk - abook-doc - 0.6.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: abook-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Text-based addressbook designed for use with Mutt (documentation) | https://abook.sourceforge.net/
- apk - abook-lang - 0.6.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: abook-lang from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Languages for package abook | https://abook.sourceforge.net/
- dnf - abook - 0.6.2-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: abook from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Text-based addressbook program for mutt | https://abook.sourceforge.io/
- zypper - abook - 0.6.1-4.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: abook from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Text-based addressbook program | http://abook.sourceforge.net/
- zypper - abook-lang - 0.6.1-4.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: abook-lang from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Translations for package abook | http://abook.sourceforge.net/
- MacPorts - abook: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: mail/abook/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/abook.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/abook.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph