Figured out mu4e.

.emacs.d/custom.el

@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@
  '(epg-gpg-program "/usr/local/bin/gpg")
  '(global-hl-line-mode t)
  '(org-agenda-files
-   '("/home/josiah/dhd/org/big-bend-notes.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/documentation.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/finances.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/fitness.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/housing.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/hoyden.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/jlj-template.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/pagedout.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/pagedout2.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/personal.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/refile-beorg.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/someday.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/stjohns.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/webwiki.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/work.org"))
+   '("/home/josiah/dhd/org/big-bend-notes.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/documentation.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/finances.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/fitness.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/housing.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/hoyden.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/jlj-template.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/pagedout.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/pagedout2.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/personal.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/refile-beorg.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/someday.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/stjohns-trello.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/stjohns.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/webwiki.org" "/home/josiah/dhd/org/work.org"))
  '(org-trello-current-prefix-keybinding "C-c o" nil (org-trello))
  '(org-trello-files '("~/dhd/org/stjohns-trello.org") nil (org-trello))
  '(package-selected-packages
-   '(org-trello python-black rust-mode company lsp-mode nix-mode markdown-mode flycheck s lsp-pyright ido-vertical-mode dash-functional region-bindings-mode jinja2-mode dockerfile-mode sudo-edit modus-themes org-caldav json-mode pdf-tools org-special-block-extras neotree sr-speedbar lsp-python-ms fira-code-mode yasnippet org-pdftools phps-mode projectile webfeeder znc pinboard yaml-mode which-key web-mode virtualenvwrapper use-package twittering-mode try smex racer powershell poetry pipenv ox-reveal outline-magic org-pdfview org-bullets ob-restclient multiple-cursors magit lua-mode lsp-ui iedit helm flycheck-rust exec-path-from-shell eglot edit-indirect company-lsp ansible ace-window))
+   '(mu4e org-trello python-black rust-mode company lsp-mode nix-mode markdown-mode flycheck s lsp-pyright ido-vertical-mode dash-functional region-bindings-mode jinja2-mode dockerfile-mode sudo-edit modus-themes org-caldav json-mode pdf-tools org-special-block-extras neotree sr-speedbar lsp-python-ms fira-code-mode yasnippet org-pdftools phps-mode projectile webfeeder znc pinboard yaml-mode which-key web-mode virtualenvwrapper use-package twittering-mode try smex racer powershell poetry pipenv ox-reveal outline-magic org-pdfview org-bullets ob-restclient multiple-cursors magit lua-mode lsp-ui iedit helm flycheck-rust exec-path-from-shell eglot edit-indirect company-lsp ansible ace-window))
  '(request-backend 'url-retrieve))
  '(znc-servers
    `(("bouncer.awful.club" 5000 t

.emacs.d/jlj-generic.el

@@ -247,6 +247,20 @@
 (use-package dockerfile-mode
   :ensure t)
 
+;; add weird mu4e path to emacs
+;; THIS IS A HARD CODED NIX DERIV rather than something better. be careful.
+;; I expect this to break a decent amount
+(when (string= (system-name) "hoyden")
+  (add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/src/mu4e")
+  (require 'mu4e)
+  (require 'mu4e-view-gnus) ; this is required on nixos for some reason; maybe in other places? if you don't, you can't view messages
+  (setq mail-user-agent 'mu4e-user-agent)
+  ;; use 'fancy' non-ascii characters in various places in mu4e
+  (setq mu4e-use-fancy-chars t)
+  ;; attempt to show images when viewing messages
+  (setq mu4e-view-show-images t))
+
+
 (server-start)
 
 ;;; jlj-generic.el ends here