I try to send but I get "login failed" every time. Here's my muttrc (minus the password). All the info is correct as far as server names. Smtp works with thunderbird and other graphical email clients. imap and smtp use ssl. The imap works fine, I just can't send mail.

muttrc:

set send_charset="utf-8"
set assumed_charset="iso-8859-1"
set editor=nvi
set menu_scroll=yes
auto_view application/msword
auto_view application/pdf
set simple_search="~f %s | ~C %s | ~s %s"
set sort=threads
set strict_threads=yes
set realname = "Ed LaBonte"
set from = ewlabonte at riseup.net
set imap_pass='My password'
set smtp_pass='My password'
set smtp_url="smtps://ewlabonte@mail.riseup.net:465"
set mail_check=60
set imap_keepalive=300
set folder=imaps://ewlabonte@imap.riseup.net/
set spoolfile=imaps://ewlabonte@imap.riseup.net/
set record=imaps://ewlabont@imap.riseup.net/Sent
set postponed=imaps://ewlabonte@imap.riseup.net/Drafts
set header_cache=/var/tmp/.mutt
mailboxes "="
mailboxes "=Lists"
#macro pager \cb <pipe-entry>'urlview'<enter> 'Follow links with urlview'
macro pager \cb <pipe-entry>'w3m'<enter> 'Follow links in w3m'
#auto_view text/html # view html
#alternative_order text/plain text/enriched text/html # save html for last

per This page:

smtp[s]://[user[ass]@]host[ort]

try this syntax for that setting.

Nope, I still get "login failed."

so you tried changing the setting to something like this:

smtps://ewlabonte:P@$$word@mail.riseup.net:465

try without the quotes?
also try removing
set smtp_pass='My password'

Yes, I changed it with the password after the userid: I also got rid of the quotes and commented out the smtp_pass line. Still "login failed." My password is rather long with a lot of non-alphanumeric characters. But it works with imap.

first off, i don't user mutt, just trying to help.

reading up on it, older versions need sendmail or some other mta to send email, even to a smarthost.

newer versions, >=1.5.x do have smtp capability if it is compiled in.
you can run:
mutt -v

On my Slackware 14.1 it is compiled with these:
+USE_POP +USE_IMAP +USE_SMTP
+USE_SSL_OPENSSL -USE_SSL_GNUTLS +USE_SASL

I'm guessing you will need at least +USE_SMTP and +USE_SASL. Depending on the encryption you might need the SSL stuff as well.

I appreciate your help, whether or not you use mutt. I'm running slackware 14.1 also. Mutt is version 1.5.22 and it was compiled with +USE_IMAP +USE_POP and +USE_SMTP. But it's still not working, so I'm at a loss.

ok i will mess with mutt tonight and see what i come up with

I gave up on it and switched to alpine, which I like. Once you get past the horrific configuration process, it just works.