tcli commands and exit codes

This page lists every command of tcli, its arguments and options, and the exit codes.

Start with the help of the program, which lists the commands, and the help of one command, which lists its options:

tcli --help

tcli send email --help

Options of every command

Option	Meaning
--config <path>	The root folder of Tilde, ~/.config/tilde by default. A path that is a file (it exists, or ends with .toml) is the configuration file. It goes before or after the command.
--version	Prints only the version.
-h, --help	Prints the usage of tcli or of the command.

Commands

Command	What it does	Page
tcli accounts	Lists the mail and chat accounts. It connects to nothing and shows no credential.	Accounts and check
tcli check	Reads the configuration and creates every part of every account.	Accounts and check
tcli send email	Sends a message from a mail account; the body is the standard input.	Send
tcli send chat	Sends a text from a chat account; the text is the standard input.	Send
tcli read <account> <id>	Shows one message, decrypted and checked when it is OpenPGP.	Read
tcli cache reset <account>	Deletes the mail cache of an account.	Cache
tcli cache rebuild <account>	Empties the mail cache of an account and fills it again.	Cache
tcli cache build <account>	Updates the mail cache of an account without emptying it.	Cache
tcli cache search <account> <text>	Searches the sender, subject and body in the mail cache, offline.	Cache
tcli plugins list	Lists the active plugins: id, name, version, author, needs.
tcli rules [name]	Applies the mail rules of init.lua, or only name, to the newest messages of a folder.	Rules
tcli scripts	Loads the scripts, shows what they print and log, and lists the commands and rules they added.	Scripts
tcli watch	Writes one line for each event of the accounts until Ctrl-c.	Watch

Options of each command

Command	Option	Type	Default	Meaning
check	--connect	flag	off	Also logs in to every server, 15 seconds each.
send email	--subject	text	required	The subject.
send email	--to	list	required	A recipient, address or Name <address>; repeat it or separate with commas.
send email	--cc, --bcc	list	none	Recipients in copy and in hidden copy.
send email	--attach	list	none	A file to attach; repeat it for more files.
send email	--account	text	the only one	The id of the mail account.
send email	--sign	flag	off	Signs with OpenPGP.
send email	--encrypt	flag	off	Encrypts with OpenPGP.
send chat	--to	text	required	A nick or channel (IRC), a JID or room (XMPP).
send chat	--account	text	the only one	The id of the chat account.
send chat	--join	flag	off	Joins the channel or room first.
read	--folder	text	INBOX	The folder that holds the message.
read	--attachment	number	none	The number of the attachment to save; needs --output.
read	--output	path	none	The file to write; it must not exist.
cache rebuild, cache build	--bodies	flag	Maildir: on	Indexes the text of every message too.
cache rebuild, cache build	--no-bodies	flag	remote: on	Leaves the text out.
cache rebuild, cache build	--jobs	number	processors, at most 8	Messages of a Maildir read at once.
cache search	--limit	number	50	The most hits to print, at least 1.
rules	--account	text	the only one	The id of the mail account.
rules	--folder	text	INBOX	The folder to look at.
rules	--limit	number	50	How many of the newest messages to look at.
rules	--dry-run	flag	off	Shows the steps as planned and changes nothing.
watch	--account	text	all	Only the events of one account.
watch	--all	flag	off	Every event of the event bus, typing notices and flag changes included.
watch	--json	flag	off	One JSON object per line.

tcli accounts, tcli plugins list, tcli scripts and tcli cache reset take no option.

Exit codes

Code	Meaning
0	The command did what it was asked. tcli watch ends with 0 on Ctrl-c once the accounts are closed.
1	The command failed: the configuration is wrong, an account refuses, a file is missing, a script failed.
2	The command line is wrong: an unknown command or option, an address or target that is not valid, an account that does not exist or is not chosen, nothing piped in.
130	The command was stopped with Ctrl-c.

Some commands use the codes in their own way:

Command	Code 1	Code 2
check	A problem in the file, a part that cannot be created, or with --connect a part that cannot connect.
cache search	The cache is off, cannot be opened or fails. No hit is still 0.	A bad account, an empty text, a text with no letter or digit, a limit under 1.
read	The message cannot be decrypted, or the output file exists or cannot be written.	--output without --attachment, or an attachment number the message does not have.
rules	A step, a script or the login failed, or the folder does not exist.	The account, the rule or the limit cannot be used.
scripts	A script failed, or [scripting] has enabled = false.	An argument was given.
watch	Tilde does not start. Ctrl-c while the accounts start gives 130.	The account does not exist.

All the details are in the README of tcli.