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, Commented Dec 6, 2012 at 15:12
How did you install git? What OS are you using (and if Linux what distribution)? — qqx, Commented Dec 6, 2012 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 — Gabriel Staples, Commented Jul 3, 2021 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, Commented Jan 11, 2023 at 14:43

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 11:54:31Z

124

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.

CommunityBot

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answered Dec 6, 2012 at 15:22

Aman

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Interesting to know that as one who has msysgit-for-windows where it is all in the one package.
– Philip Oakley
Commented Dec 6, 2012 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
Commented Dec 6, 2012 at 15:55

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