Setting up mail command on Linux system when the command is unavailable

Setting up /usr/bin/mail on Linux

Mail notifications don't necessarily require a mail server be configured on Linux systems, as LightningTip will also use /usr/bin/mail.

However this tool needs to be setup in some cases to work properly. Usually having a local mail server installed will do this for you, even if just a satellite host, but in some cases you may be required to do it yourself, and the following is how.

Ubuntu/Debian/LinuxMint Systems

You can install the mailutils package as follows

apt-get install mailutils

This will create the symlink /usr/bin/mail -> /etc/alternatives/mail

CentOS/Redhat 7/6/5 Systems

You can install the mailx package as follows

yum install mailx

Fedora 22+

You can install the mailx package as follows

dnf install mailx

Testing

Test the /usr/bin/mail command is properly installed with

echo "Message" | mail -s "Subject" [email protected]