GIT-MAILSPLIT(1) Git Manual GIT-MAILSPLIT(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

git-mailsplit - Simple UNIX mbox splitter program

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
git mailsplit [-b] [-f<nn>] [-d<prec>] [--keep-cr] [--mboxrd]


                -o<directory> [--] [(<mbox>|<Maildir>)...]
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Splits a mbox file or a Maildir into a list of files: "0001" "0002" .. in the specified directory so you can process them further from there.

**Important**

Maildir splitting relies upon filenames being sorted to output patches in the correct order.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

&lt;mbox&gt;

Mbox file to split. If not given, the mbox is read from the standard input.

&lt;Maildir&gt;

Root of the Maildir to split. This directory should contain the cur, tmp and new subdirectories.

-o&lt;directory&gt;

Directory in which to place the individual messages.

-b

If any file doesn’t begin with a From line, assume it is a single mail message instead of signaling an error.

-d&lt;prec&gt;

Instead of the default 4 digits with leading zeros, different precision can be specified for the generated filenames.

-f&lt;nn&gt;

Skip the first &lt;nn&gt; numbers, for example if -f3 is specified, start the numbering with 0004.

--keep-cr

Do not remove **\\r** from lines ending with **\\r\\n**.

--mboxrd

Input is of the "mboxrd" format and "^&gt;+From " line escaping is reversed.

# [GIT](#GIT)

Part of the [**git**(1)](/man/os/git/git.1) suite

2026-06-29 Git 2.55.0

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Document: git-mailsplit(1) from git 2.55.0-r8 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://kernel.googlesource.com/pub/scm/git/git.git