Install Mailcatcher on OSX - works well with macOS Sierra High 10.12.X

mailcatcher-install.md

05/25/2018: tested with macOS Sierra High 10.12.6

08/04/2020: added @mayesa's suggestion to fix an exception with EventMachine 08/04/2020: tested with macOS Catalina 10.15.5

Install MailCatcher:

brew install ruby
sudo gem install mailcatcher

Run:

mailcatcher &

Or set it up a daemon.

To set it up for PHP: edit php.ini (on OSX brew, /usr/local/etc/php/5.5/conf.d/mailcatcher.ini) and paste the following configuration:

sendmail_path = /usr/bin/env /usr/local/bin/catchmail -f catcher@mailcatcher.me

put any email you want instead of catcher@mailcatcher.me

To test it:

php -r "mail('john.doed@test.fr', 'test', 'test');"

Then, visit the mailcatcher backend : http://localhost:1080

Troubleshoot

• If you got a 'require': cannot load such file -- i18n/core_ext/string/interpolate (LoadError) exception, run:

sudo gem uninstall i18n
sudo gem install i18n -v 0.6.11
sudo gem install interpolate

(see sj26/mailcatcher#155)

• If you got an Unable to load the EventMachine C extension exception, run:

sudo gem uninstall mailcatcher eventmachine
sudo gem install mailcatcher

Symfony2 Swiftmailer configuration with mailcatcher:

swiftmailer:
   transport:  smtp
   host:       localhost:1025
   username:   null
   password:   null
   #port:       %mailer_port%
   #encryption: %mailer_encryption%
   #spool:      { type: memory }

In case you get this error (probably because of El Capitan upgrade):
.....
checking for gethrtime()... no
creating Makefile

make "DESTDIR=" clean

make "DESTDIR="
compiling binder.cpp
In file included from binder.cpp:20:
./project.h:116:10: fatal error: 'openssl/ssl.h' file not found

include <openssl/ssl.h>

     ^

1 error generated.
make: *** [binder.o] Error 1

make failed, exit code 2

Install it like this:
gem install mailcatcher -- --with-cppflags=-I/usr/local/opt/openssl/include

Thank you Tantuss , that was exactly the problem i was running into.

Thanks Tantuss that helped with my problem

@Tantuss you rock, that fixed it for me as well.

Not sure why but I had to copy mailcatcher and catchmail from /usr/local/Cellar/ruby/2.0.0-p247/bin to /usr/local/opt/bin to get it working. On my other iMac I did not have to copy the files. Probably the ruby version did it (other iMac had version 2.3.1).

On macOS Sierra (only sudo gem install mailcatcher run, without brew ruby), correct line is:

sendmail_path = /usr/bin/env /usr/local/bin/catchmail -f catcher@mailcatcher.me

It didn't worked for me any other way.

On macOS Sierra (only sudo gem install mailcatcher run, without brew ruby), correct line is:

sendmail_path = /usr/bin/env /usr/local/bin/catchmail -f catcher@mailcatcher.me

It didn't worked for me any other way.

@FlorinMotoc You just saved my day buddy! Thanks a ton.

To use with CakePHP 3, adjust config/app.php:

 'EmailTransport' => [
	'mailcatcher' => [
		'className' => 'Smtp',
		'host' => 'localhost',
		'port' => 1025,
	],
 ],

and

'Email' => [
    'default' => [
        'transport' => 'mailcatcher',
        'from' => 'anything@here.com',
        'charset' => 'utf-8',
        'headerCharset' => 'utf-8',
    ],
],

Hello, I installed mailcatcher using command:
sudo gem install mailcatcher
Then create /mailcatcher.ini
and put there "sendmail_path = /usr/bin/env catchmail -f catcher@mailcatcher.me"

But "mailcatcher" catch mail only when I send email from cli.
Like this: php -r "mail('john.doed@test.fr', 'test', 'test');"
When i try send email via script from browser mail function returns false.

Can you help how to fix this behavior?

Perfect solution for testing a legacy app with the built in php server. Thx!

Not sure if anyone had an issue on Macs, but I had a problem on Mac OS Sierra. I changed

sendmail_path = /usr/bin/env catchmail -f catcher@mailcatcher.me
to
sendmail_path = /usr/bin/env /usr/local/bin/catchmail -f catcher@mailcatcher.me

and it worked!

If you're having issue on CLI or Unit testing. Make sure that
php -i | grep sendmail_path returns the correct configuration of mailcathcer.

For Symfony 4+ usage, modify .env file as follows:
MAILER_URL=smtp://localhost:1025

Tanks so much for this. I had almost given up.

For Symfony 4+ usage, modify .env file as follows:
MAILER_URL=smtp://localhost:1025

And start from Symfony 4.3, if you use the new Symfony Mailer component:

MAILER_DSN=smtp://localhost:1025

Hi i have installed mailcatcher using the standard 'brew' and 'gem' approach described above. During the past year everything worked fine, but quite recently (using MacOS Catalina 10.15.4) i started getting following error message and i'm unable to start mailcatcher:

Unable to load the EventMachine C extension; To use the pure-ruby reactor, require 'em/pure_ruby' Traceback (most recent call last): 10: from /usr/local/bin/mailcatcher:23:in '<main>' 9: from /usr/local/bin/mailcatcher:23:in 'load' 8: from /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/mailcatcher-0.7.1/bin/mailcatcher:3:in '<top (required)>' 7: from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in 'require' 6: from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in 'require' 5: from /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/mailcatcher-0.7.1/lib/mail_catcher.rb:15:in '<top (required)>' 4: from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in 'require' 3: from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in 'require' 2: from /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/eventmachine-1.0.9.1/lib/eventmachine.rb:8:in '<top (required)>' 1: from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in 'require' /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in 'require': dlopen(/Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/eventmachine-1.0.9.1/lib/rubyeventmachine.bundle, 0x0009): dependent dylib '/usr/local/opt/openssl/lib/libcrypto.1.0.0.dylib' not found for '/Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/eventmachine-1.0.9.1/lib/rubyeventmachine.bundle' - /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/eventmachine-1.0.9.1/lib/rubyeventmachine.bundle (LoadError)

Same here

@radrr I fixed the above error by running

sudo gem uninstall mailcatcher eventmachine
sudo gem install mailcatcher

@radrr I fixed the above error by running

sudo gem uninstall mailcatcher eventmachine
sudo gem install mailcatcher

Hey Mayesa, you have solved the issue, mailcatcher now runs again as a charm :) many thanks!

Can also confirm that @mayesa's solution works.

To fix build issues with Catalina:

gem install thin -v 1.5.1 -- --with-cflags="-Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration"
gem install mailcatcher

source

@mayesa's solution works

gem install thin -v 1.5.1 -- --with-cflags="-Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration"

This is what worked for me on Mac M1. Thank you

gem install thin -v 1.5.1 -- --with-cflags="-Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration"

Works on OS Big Sur. Thank you!

To fix build issues with Catalina:

gem install thin -v 1.5.1 -- --with-cflags="-Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration"
gem install mailcatcher

source

works on Big Sur!

macOS Monterey work:

gem install thin -v 1.5.1 -- --with-cflags="-Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration"
gem install mailcatcher

Got this with my macbook air on Monterey:

ERROR: While executing gem ... (Gem::FilePermissionError)
You don't have write permissions for the /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0 directory.
macbookair@macbooks-air ~ %

To fix build issues with Catalina:

gem install thin -v 1.5.1 -- --with-cflags="-Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration"
gem install mailcatcher

source

Worked on Monterey, thanks!