git: 'send-email' is not a git command. See 'git --help'

Question

I'm trying to send patches with the git send-email But I get the following error:

git: 'send-email' is not a git command. See 'git --help'.

How to make git send-email works ?

Related links:

Which version of git are you using? do you have the right 'minus' sign (if you have any internationalization) — Philip Oakley, Dec 06 '12 at 15:12
How did you install git? What OS are you using (and if Linux what distribution)? — qqx, Dec 06 '12 at 15:13
See also: full setup info (my own Q&A): [How to configure and use `git send-email` to work with gmail to email patches to developers](https://stackoverflow.com/a/68238913/4561887) — Gabriel Staples, Jul 03 '21 at 18:49
In my case, I installed `git-email` but it didn't work because I have a `nix-env` `git` installed which has precedence over the system `git` in my `$PATH`. Removing the `nix-env` version solved the issue. — Nahua Kang, Jan 11 '23 at 14:43

score 117 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:54

117

You need to install the git-email package for it to work.

On Ubuntu, the usual apt-get install git-email works fine. I can confirm the same for Fedora as well (yum install git-email).

cebewee mentions the rationale in the comments:

Linux distributions often like to split up packages to avoid dependencies needed only by optional functionality (like send-email).

Note that you have to configure it before starting.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:54

Community

answered Dec 06 '12 at 15:22

axiom

Interesting to know that as one who has msysgit-for-windows where it is all in the one package. – Philip Oakley Dec 06 '12 at 15:27
4

Linux distributions often like to split up packages to avoid dependencies needed only by optional functionality (like send-email). – Lars Noschinski Dec 06 '12 at 15:55

1 Answers1