# Astroid

> GTK frontend to the notmuch mail system

**Wikidata**: [Q113571995](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113571995)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/astroid

## Summary
Astroid is a free software email client that functions as a graphical GTK frontend for the Notmuch mail system. It is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) version 2.1 or later and is designed to run on Unix-like operating systems, including BSD and Linux distributions.

## Key Facts
- **Primary Function:** Serves as a mail user agent and graphical frontend specifically for the Notmuch mail system.
- **License:** Distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1 or later.
- **Software Class:** Identified as free software and an email client; associated with the free software movement.
- **Initial Release:** Version 0.1 was released on November 30, 2014.
- **Latest Recorded Release:** Version 0.9.1, released on April 30, 2017.
- **Operating System:** Runs on Unix-like systems, specifically noted as running on BSD.
- **Repository:** Hosted on GitHub at `github.com/astroidmail/astroid`.
- **Package Availability:** Available in Debian (as `astroidmail`), Ubuntu (as `astroid`), FreeBSD (as `mail/astroid`), and MacPorts.

## FAQs

### Q: What is Astroid used for?
A: Astroid is used to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for the Notmuch mail system. It allows users to read and manage email through a GTK-based frontend while utilizing Notmuch for indexing and backend management.

### Q: Is Astroid free to use?
A: Yes, Astroid is free software. It is released under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), version 2.1 or later, granting users the freedom to run, study, and modify the software.

### Q: On which operating systems can Astroid run?
A: Astroid is designed for Unix-like operating systems. It has specific ports and packages available for BSD, Debian, Ubuntu, and macOS (via MacPorts).

## Why It Matters
Astroid plays a specific role in the free software ecosystem by bridging the gap between the powerful, text-based Notmuch email indexing system and a graphical desktop environment. While Notmuch excels at tagging and searching large volumes of email, it lacks a built-in graphical interface. Astroid solves this by providing a modern, GTK-based frontend, making the efficiency of Notmuch accessible to users who prefer a visual mail client over a command-line interface.

As a member of the free software movement, Astroid provides users with complete control over their email workflow without relying on proprietary software. Its availability across multiple Unix-like platforms (BSD, Linux, macOS) ensures that a wide range of advanced users and developers can integrate it into their existing environments. The active release cycle observed between 2014 and 2017 demonstrates a period of dedicated development to refine the tool for power users.

## Notable For
- **Notmuch Integration:** It is a distinct GUI frontend specifically built to extend the capabilities of the Notmuch mail system.
- **Cross-Platform Availability:** Unlike many email clients tied to specific desktop environments, it is packaged for Debian, Ubuntu, FreeBSD, and MacPorts.
- **Free Software Licensing:** It utilizes the LGPL (version 2.1 or later), ensuring it remains free and open for user modification and redistribution.
- **GTK Implementation:** It utilizes the GTK toolkit to provide a native graphical experience on Linux and Unix-like desktop environments.

## Body

### Functionality and Purpose
Astroid is an email client (mail user agent) technically defined as a "GTK frontend to the notmuch mail system." It allows users to interact with their email through a graphical interface while relying on Notmuch for the underlying mail indexing and database management. It is strictly aligned with the free software movement, emphasizing user freedom to run, study, change, and distribute the software.

### Technical Specifications
- **Toolkit:** GTK (implied by "GTK frontend").
- **Programming Language:** The project source code is maintained in a repository on GitHub. (Note: Source data identifies the language via ID Q2407).
- **License:** GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1 or later.
- **Website:** The official project website is `astroidmail.github.io`.

### Version History
The development of Astroid has been tracked through several releases hosted on GitHub. Key releases include:
- **v0.1:** Released November 30, 2014.
- **v0.2:** Released January 18, 2015.
- **v0.3:** Released May 27, 2015.
- **v0.4:** Released August 15, 2015.
- **v0.5:** Released February 6, 2016.
- **v0.6:** Released July 23, 2016.
- **v0.7:** Released January 2, 2017.
- **v0.8:** Released March 17, 2017.
- **v0.9:** Released April 28, 2017.
- **v0.9.1:** Released April 30, 2017.

### Distribution and Installation
Astroid is widely available within the Unix-like software ecosystem. It is not limited to a single distribution:
- **Debian:** Available as the source package `astroidmail` and stable package `astroid`.
- **Ubuntu:** Available as the package `astroid`.
- **FreeBSD:** Available via the ports collection as `mail/astroid`.
- **macOS:** Available via MacPorts as `astroid`.
- **Guix:** Available with the variable name `astroid`.

## References

1. Free Software Directory
2. [Release 0.1. 2014](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.1)
3. [Release 0.2. 2015](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.2)
4. [Release 0.3. 2015](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.3)
5. [Release 0.4. 2015](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.4)
6. [Release 0.5. 2016](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.5)
7. [Release 0.6. 2016](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.6)
8. [Release 0.7. 2017](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.7)
9. [Release 0.8. 2017](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.8)
10. [Release 0.9. 2017](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.9)
11. [Release 0.9.1. 2017](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.9.1)
12. [Release 0.10. 2017](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.10)
13. [Release 0.10.1. 2017](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.10.1)
14. [Release 0.10.2. 2017](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.10.2)
15. [Release 0.11. 2018](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.11)
16. [Release 0.11.1. 2018](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.11.1)
17. [Release 0.12. 2018](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.12)
18. [Release 0.13. 2018](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.13)
19. [Release 0.14. 2018](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.14)
20. [Release 0.15. 2019](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.15)
21. [Release 0.16. 2021](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.16)
22. [Release 0.17. 2025](https://github.com/astroidmail/astroid/releases/tag/v0.17)