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10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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280 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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289 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
290 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
293 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
294 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
295 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
296 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
297 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
298 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
299 License'' in the Emacs manual.
301 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
302 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
303 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
305 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
306 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
307 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
308 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
316 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
318 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
319 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
321 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
322 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
323 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
324 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
325 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
326 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
327 License'' in the Emacs manual.
329 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
330 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
331 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
333 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
334 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
335 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
336 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
344 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
347 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
348 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
349 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
351 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
352 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
353 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
354 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
355 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
356 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
357 License'' in the Emacs manual.
359 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
360 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
361 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
363 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
364 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
365 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
366 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
375 @top The Gnus Newsreader
379 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
380 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
381 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
384 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v.
395 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
396 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
398 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
399 being accused of plagiarism:
401 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
402 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
403 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
404 can even read news with it!
406 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
407 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
408 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
409 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
410 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
416 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
417 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
418 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
419 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
420 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
421 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
422 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
423 * Various:: General purpose settings.
424 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
425 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
426 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
427 * Key Index:: Key Index.
430 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
434 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
435 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
436 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
437 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
438 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
439 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
440 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
441 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
442 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
443 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
444 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
448 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
449 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
450 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
454 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
455 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
456 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
457 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
458 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
459 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
460 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
461 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
462 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
463 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
464 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
465 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
466 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
467 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
468 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
469 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
470 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
474 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
475 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
476 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
480 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
481 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
482 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
483 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
484 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
488 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
489 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
490 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
491 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
492 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
496 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
497 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
498 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
499 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
500 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
502 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
503 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
504 * Threading:: How threads are made.
505 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
506 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
507 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
508 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
509 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
510 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
511 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
512 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
513 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
514 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
515 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
516 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
517 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
518 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
519 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
520 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
521 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
522 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
523 or reselecting the current group.
524 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
525 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
526 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
527 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
529 Summary Buffer Format
531 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
532 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
533 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
534 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
538 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
539 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
541 Reply, Followup and Post
543 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
544 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
545 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
546 * Canceling and Superseding::
550 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
551 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
552 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
554 * Generic Marking Commands::
555 * Setting Process Marks::
559 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
560 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
561 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
565 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
566 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
568 Customizing Threading
570 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
571 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
572 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
573 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
577 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
578 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
579 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
580 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
581 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
582 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
586 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
587 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
588 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
592 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
593 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
594 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
595 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
596 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
597 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
598 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
599 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
601 Alternative Approaches
603 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
604 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
606 Various Summary Stuff
608 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
609 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
610 * Summary Generation Commands::
611 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
615 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
616 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
617 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
618 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
619 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
623 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
624 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
625 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
626 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
627 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
628 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
629 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
630 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
634 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
635 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
636 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
637 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
638 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
639 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
640 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
641 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
645 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
646 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
647 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
648 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
649 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
650 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
651 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
655 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
656 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
660 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
661 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
662 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
666 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
667 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
668 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
669 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
670 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
671 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
672 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
673 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
674 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
675 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
676 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
677 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
678 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
679 * Archiving Mail:: How to backup your mail.
683 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
684 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
685 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
687 Choosing a Mail Back End
689 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
690 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
691 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
692 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
693 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
694 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
698 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
699 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
700 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
701 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
702 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
703 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
707 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
708 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
709 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
713 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
714 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
715 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
716 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
717 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
721 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
725 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
726 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
727 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
731 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
732 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
736 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
737 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
738 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
739 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
740 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
741 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
742 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
743 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
744 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
745 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
749 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
750 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
751 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
755 * Group Agent Commands::
756 * Summary Agent Commands::
757 * Server Agent Commands::
761 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
762 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
763 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
764 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
765 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
766 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
767 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
768 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
769 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
770 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
771 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
772 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
773 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
774 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
775 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
776 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
777 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
781 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
782 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
783 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
784 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
788 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
789 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
790 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
794 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
795 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
796 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
797 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
798 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
799 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
800 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
801 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
802 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
803 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
804 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
805 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
806 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
807 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
808 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
809 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
810 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
811 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
815 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
816 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
817 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
818 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
819 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
820 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
821 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
822 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
826 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
827 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
828 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
829 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
833 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
834 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
835 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
836 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
837 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
841 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
842 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
843 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
844 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
845 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
846 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
847 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
851 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
852 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
853 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
854 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
855 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
856 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
857 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
858 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
859 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
863 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
864 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
865 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
866 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
867 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
871 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
872 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
873 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
874 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
878 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
879 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
880 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
881 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
882 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
883 * Group Info:: The group info format.
884 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
885 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
886 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
890 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
891 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
892 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
893 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
894 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
895 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
899 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
900 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
904 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
905 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
911 @chapter Starting Gnus
916 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
917 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
920 @findex gnus-other-frame
921 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
922 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
923 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
925 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
926 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
927 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
929 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
930 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
933 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
934 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
935 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
936 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
937 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
938 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
939 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
940 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
941 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
942 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
943 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
947 @node Finding the News
948 @section Finding the News
951 @vindex gnus-select-method
953 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
954 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
955 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
956 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
959 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
960 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
963 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
966 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
969 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
972 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
973 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
974 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
976 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
978 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
979 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
980 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
981 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
982 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
983 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
985 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
986 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
987 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
988 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
990 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
991 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
992 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
993 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
994 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
995 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
996 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
997 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
998 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1001 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1003 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1004 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1005 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1006 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1007 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1008 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1010 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1012 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1013 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1014 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1015 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1016 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1017 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1020 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1021 you would typically set this variable to
1024 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1028 @node The First Time
1029 @section The First Time
1030 @cindex first time usage
1032 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1033 be subscribed by default.
1035 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1036 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1037 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1038 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1041 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1042 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1043 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1045 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1046 help you with most common problems.
1048 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1049 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1053 @node The Server is Down
1054 @section The Server is Down
1055 @cindex server errors
1057 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1058 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1059 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1061 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1062 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1063 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1064 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1065 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1066 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1067 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1069 @findex gnus-no-server
1070 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1072 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1073 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1074 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1075 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1076 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1077 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1078 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1082 @section Slave Gnusae
1085 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1086 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1087 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1088 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1090 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1091 @code{.newsrc} file.
1093 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1094 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1095 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1096 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1097 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1098 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1099 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1101 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1102 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1103 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1104 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1105 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1106 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1107 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1108 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1110 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1111 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1114 @node Fetching a Group
1115 @section Fetching a Group
1116 @cindex fetching a group
1118 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1119 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1120 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1121 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1122 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1123 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1129 @cindex subscription
1131 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1132 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1133 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1134 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1135 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1136 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1137 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1138 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1139 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1142 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1143 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1144 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1148 @node Checking New Groups
1149 @subsection Checking New Groups
1151 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1152 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1153 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1154 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1155 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1156 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1157 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1158 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1159 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1160 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1162 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1163 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1164 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1165 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1166 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1167 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1168 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1169 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1170 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1171 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1172 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1174 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1175 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1176 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1177 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1178 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1179 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1182 @node Subscription Methods
1183 @subsection Subscription Methods
1185 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1186 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1187 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1189 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1190 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1192 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1196 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1197 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1198 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1199 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1200 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1202 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1203 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1204 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1205 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1207 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1208 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1209 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1211 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1212 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1213 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1214 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1215 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1216 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1217 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1218 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1219 up. Or something like that.
1221 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1222 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1223 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1224 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1225 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1227 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1228 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1229 Kill all new groups.
1231 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1232 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1233 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1234 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1235 topic parameter that looks like
1241 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1244 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1249 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1250 A closely related variable is
1251 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1252 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1253 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1254 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1257 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1258 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1259 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1260 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1263 @node Filtering New Groups
1264 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1266 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1267 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1268 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1271 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1274 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1275 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1276 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1277 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1278 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1279 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1280 subscribing these groups.
1281 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1282 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1284 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1285 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1286 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1287 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1288 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1289 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1290 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1291 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1293 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1294 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1295 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1296 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1297 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1298 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1299 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1300 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1301 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1302 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1304 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1305 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1308 @node Changing Servers
1309 @section Changing Servers
1310 @cindex changing servers
1312 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1313 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1314 very flaky and you want to use another.
1316 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1317 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1321 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1322 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1323 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1324 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1327 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1328 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1329 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1330 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1332 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1333 @findex gnus-change-server
1334 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1335 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1336 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1337 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1338 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1340 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1341 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1342 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1343 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1344 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1346 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1347 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1348 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1349 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1350 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1351 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1353 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1354 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1355 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1359 @section Startup Files
1360 @cindex startup files
1365 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1366 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1368 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1369 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1370 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1371 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1372 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1373 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1374 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1376 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1377 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1378 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1379 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1380 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1381 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1383 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1384 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1385 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1386 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1387 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1388 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1389 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1390 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1391 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1392 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1394 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1395 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1396 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1397 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1398 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1399 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1400 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1401 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1402 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1403 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1404 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1405 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1407 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1408 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1409 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1410 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1412 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1413 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1414 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1415 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1416 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1417 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1418 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1419 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1420 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1421 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1424 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1425 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1427 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1428 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1431 @vindex gnus-init-file
1432 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1433 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1434 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1435 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1436 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1437 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1438 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1439 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1440 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1446 @cindex dribble file
1449 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1450 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1451 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1452 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1453 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1456 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1457 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1460 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1461 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1462 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1464 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1465 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1466 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1467 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1468 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1469 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1471 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1472 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1473 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1476 @node The Active File
1477 @section The Active File
1479 @cindex ignored groups
1481 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1482 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1483 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1485 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1486 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1487 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1488 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1489 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1490 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1491 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1494 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1495 @c if you set it to anything else.
1497 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1499 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1500 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1501 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1503 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1504 you actually subscribe to.
1506 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1507 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1508 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1509 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1511 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1512 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1513 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1514 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1515 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1516 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1518 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1519 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1520 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1523 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1524 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1525 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1526 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1527 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1528 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1530 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1531 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1533 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1534 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1536 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1537 secondary select methods.
1540 @node Startup Variables
1541 @section Startup Variables
1545 @item gnus-load-hook
1546 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1547 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1548 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1549 times you start Gnus.
1551 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1552 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1553 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1555 @item gnus-startup-hook
1556 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1557 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1559 @item gnus-started-hook
1560 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1561 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1564 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1565 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1566 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1567 generating the group buffer.
1569 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1570 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1571 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1572 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1573 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1574 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1575 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1576 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1578 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1579 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1580 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1581 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1582 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1583 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1585 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1586 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1587 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1589 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1590 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1591 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1593 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1594 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1595 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1596 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1602 @chapter Group Buffer
1603 @cindex group buffer
1605 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1607 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1608 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1609 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1610 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1611 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1612 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1613 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1614 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1615 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1616 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1617 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1618 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1619 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1620 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1621 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1622 @c human rights at 9...
1625 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1626 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1627 long as Gnus is active.
1631 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1632 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1633 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1634 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1635 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1636 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1637 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1638 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1644 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1645 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1646 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1647 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1648 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1649 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1650 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1651 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1652 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1653 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1654 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1655 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1656 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1657 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1658 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1659 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1660 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1664 @node Group Buffer Format
1665 @section Group Buffer Format
1668 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1669 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1670 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1674 @node Group Line Specification
1675 @subsection Group Line Specification
1676 @cindex group buffer format
1678 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1679 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1681 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1684 25: news.announce.newusers
1685 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1690 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1691 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1692 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1693 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1695 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1696 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1697 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1698 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1699 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1700 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1702 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1704 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1705 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1706 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1707 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1708 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1710 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1711 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1712 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1714 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1719 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1722 Whether the group is subscribed.
1725 Level of subscribedness.
1728 Number of unread articles.
1731 Number of dormant articles.
1734 Number of ticked articles.
1737 Number of read articles.
1740 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1741 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1743 Gnus uses this estimation because the NNTP protocol provides efficient
1744 access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting the true
1745 unread message count is not possible efficiently. For hysterical
1746 raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of unread
1747 messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1748 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the
1749 back end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1750 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1753 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1756 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1765 Newsgroup description.
1768 @samp{m} if moderated.
1771 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1780 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1784 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1787 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1788 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1789 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1790 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1791 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1794 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1796 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1800 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1803 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1807 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1808 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1809 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1810 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1811 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1812 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1817 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1818 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1819 group, or a bogus native group.
1822 @node Group Modeline Specification
1823 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1824 @cindex group modeline
1826 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1827 The mode line can be changed by setting
1828 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1829 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1833 The native news server.
1835 The native select method.
1839 @node Group Highlighting
1840 @subsection Group Highlighting
1841 @cindex highlighting
1842 @cindex group highlighting
1844 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1845 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1846 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1847 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1848 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1850 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1854 (cond (window-system
1855 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1856 (defface my-group-face-1
1857 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1858 (defface my-group-face-2
1859 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1860 (defface my-group-face-3
1861 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1862 (defface my-group-face-4
1863 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1864 (defface my-group-face-5
1865 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1867 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1868 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1869 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1870 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1871 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1872 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1875 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1877 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1884 The number of unread articles in the group.
1888 Whether the group is a mail group.
1890 The level of the group.
1892 The score of the group.
1894 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1896 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1897 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1899 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1900 topic being inserted.
1903 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1904 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1905 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1907 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1908 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1909 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1910 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1911 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1914 @node Group Maneuvering
1915 @section Group Maneuvering
1916 @cindex group movement
1918 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1919 expected, hopefully.
1925 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1926 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1927 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1933 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1934 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1935 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1939 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1940 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1944 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1945 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1949 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1950 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1951 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1955 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1956 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1957 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1960 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1966 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1967 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1968 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1973 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1974 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1975 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1979 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1980 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1981 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1984 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1985 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1986 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1987 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1991 @node Selecting a Group
1992 @section Selecting a Group
1993 @cindex group selection
1998 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1999 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2000 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2001 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2002 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2003 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2004 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2005 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2006 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2007 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2009 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2010 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2011 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2013 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2014 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2019 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2020 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2021 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2022 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2023 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2027 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2028 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2029 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2030 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2031 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2032 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2033 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2034 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2035 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2036 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2039 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2040 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2041 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2042 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2043 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2046 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2047 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2048 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2049 doing any processing of its contents
2050 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2051 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2052 manner will have no permanent effects.
2056 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2057 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2058 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2059 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2060 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2061 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2062 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2063 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2066 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2067 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2068 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
2069 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2074 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
2075 full summary buffer.
2078 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
2081 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2086 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2087 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2088 Useful functions include:
2091 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2092 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2093 don't select the article.
2095 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2096 Select the first unread article.
2098 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2099 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2103 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2104 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2105 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2109 @node Subscription Commands
2110 @section Subscription Commands
2111 @cindex subscription
2119 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2120 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2121 Toggle subscription to the current group
2122 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2128 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2129 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2130 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2131 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2137 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2138 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2139 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2145 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2146 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2149 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2150 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2151 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2152 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2153 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2159 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2160 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2164 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2165 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2168 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2169 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2170 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2171 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2172 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2173 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2174 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2175 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2176 @file{.newsrc} file.
2180 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2190 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2191 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2192 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2193 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2194 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2195 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2200 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2201 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2202 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2206 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2207 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2208 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2210 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2211 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2212 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2213 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2214 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2215 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2222 @section Group Levels
2226 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2227 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2228 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2229 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2230 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2232 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2238 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2239 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2240 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2241 prompted for a level.
2244 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2245 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2246 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2247 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2248 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2249 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2250 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2251 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2252 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2253 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2254 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2255 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2256 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2257 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2258 reasons of efficiency.
2260 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2261 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2263 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2264 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2265 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2266 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2267 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2268 groups are hidden, in a way.
2270 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2271 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2272 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2273 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2274 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2275 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2277 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2278 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2279 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2280 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2281 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2282 list of killed groups.)
2284 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2285 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2286 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2288 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2289 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2290 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2291 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2292 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2293 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2294 relevant valid ranges.
2296 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2297 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2298 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2299 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2300 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2301 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2304 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2305 one with the best level.
2307 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2308 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2309 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2312 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2313 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2314 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2315 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2318 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2319 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2320 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2321 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2323 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2324 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2325 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2326 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2327 to 5. The default is 6.
2331 @section Group Score
2336 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2337 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2338 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2341 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2342 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2343 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2344 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2345 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2346 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2347 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2348 least significant part.))
2350 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2351 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2352 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2353 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2354 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2355 action after each summary exit, you can add
2356 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2357 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2358 slow things down somewhat.
2361 @node Marking Groups
2362 @section Marking Groups
2363 @cindex marking groups
2365 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2366 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2367 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2368 bidding on those groups.
2370 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2371 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2372 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2380 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2381 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2387 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2388 Remove the mark from the current group
2389 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2393 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2394 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2398 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2399 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2403 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2404 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2408 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2409 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2410 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2413 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2415 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2416 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2417 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2418 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2419 the command to be executed.
2422 @node Foreign Groups
2423 @section Foreign Groups
2424 @cindex foreign groups
2426 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2427 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2428 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2429 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2436 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2437 @cindex making groups
2438 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2439 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2440 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2444 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2445 @cindex renaming groups
2446 Rename the current group to something else
2447 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2448 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2454 @findex gnus-group-customize
2455 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2459 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2460 @cindex renaming groups
2461 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2462 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2466 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2467 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2468 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2472 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2473 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2474 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2478 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2480 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2481 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2486 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2487 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2491 @cindex (ding) archive
2492 @cindex archive group
2493 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2494 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2495 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2496 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2497 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2498 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2499 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2503 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2505 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2506 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2507 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2508 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2512 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2514 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2515 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2516 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2520 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2521 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2523 Make a group based on some file or other
2524 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2525 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2526 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2527 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2528 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2529 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2530 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2531 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2532 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2536 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2537 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2538 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2539 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2543 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2548 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2549 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2550 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2551 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2552 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2553 @xref{Web Searches}.
2555 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2556 to a particular group by using a match string like
2557 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2560 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2561 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2562 This function will delete the current group
2563 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2564 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2565 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2566 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2567 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2571 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2572 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2573 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2577 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2578 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2579 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2582 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2585 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2586 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2587 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2588 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2589 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2590 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2594 @node Group Parameters
2595 @section Group Parameters
2596 @cindex group parameters
2598 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2599 Here's an example group parameter list:
2602 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2606 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2607 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2608 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2609 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2611 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2612 is an alist of regexps and values.
2614 The following group parameters can be used:
2619 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2622 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2625 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2626 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2627 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2628 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2629 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2631 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2632 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2633 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2634 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2635 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2636 list address instead.
2638 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2642 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2645 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2648 It is totally ignored
2649 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2650 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2652 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2653 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2654 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2655 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2656 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2658 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2659 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2660 sending the message.
2662 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2663 @cindex Mail List Groups
2664 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2665 entering summary buffer.
2667 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2671 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2672 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2673 of whether it has any unread articles.
2675 @item broken-reply-to
2676 @cindex broken-reply-to
2677 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2678 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2679 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2680 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2681 broken behavior. So there!
2685 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2686 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2690 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2691 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2692 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2697 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2698 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2699 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2700 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2701 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2702 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2703 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2707 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2708 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2709 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2711 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2714 @cindex total-expire
2715 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2716 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2717 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2718 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2721 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2725 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2726 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2727 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2728 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2729 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2730 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2733 @cindex score file group parameter
2734 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2735 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2736 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2739 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2740 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2741 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2742 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2745 @cindex admin-address
2746 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2747 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2748 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2749 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2753 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2754 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2758 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2761 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2762 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2765 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2769 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2771 Here are some examples:
2775 Display only read articles.
2778 Display everything except expirable articles.
2780 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2781 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2785 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2786 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2787 @code{read}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2788 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2789 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{seen} and @code{recent}.
2793 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2794 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2795 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2799 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2800 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2801 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2806 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2807 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2808 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2810 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2812 @item ignored-charsets
2813 @cindex ignored-charset
2814 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2815 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2816 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2818 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2821 @cindex posting-style
2822 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2823 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2824 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2825 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2826 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2828 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2829 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2830 like this in the group parameters:
2835 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2840 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2841 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2845 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2846 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2847 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2848 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2849 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2853 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2854 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2855 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2856 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2858 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2859 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2860 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2861 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2864 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2865 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2869 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2872 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2873 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2874 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2875 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2876 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2877 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2878 @code{eval}ed there.
2880 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2881 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2882 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2883 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2884 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2888 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2889 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2890 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2891 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2892 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2894 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2895 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2899 (setq gnus-parameters
2901 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2902 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2903 (gnus-summary-line-format
2904 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2908 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2912 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2916 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2919 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2920 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2923 @node Listing Groups
2924 @section Listing Groups
2925 @cindex group listing
2927 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2935 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2936 List all groups that have unread articles
2937 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2938 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2939 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2940 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2947 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2948 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2949 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2950 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2951 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2952 unsubscribed groups).
2956 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2957 List all unread groups on a specific level
2958 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2959 with no unread articles.
2963 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2964 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2965 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2966 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2971 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2972 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2976 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2977 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2978 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2982 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2983 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2987 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2988 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2989 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2990 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2991 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2992 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2993 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2994 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2998 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2999 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3000 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3004 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3005 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3006 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3010 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3011 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3015 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3016 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3020 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3021 List groups limited within the current selection
3022 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3026 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3027 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3031 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3032 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3036 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3037 @cindex visible group parameter
3038 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3039 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3040 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3041 get the same effect.
3043 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3044 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3045 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3046 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3047 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3050 @node Sorting Groups
3051 @section Sorting Groups
3052 @cindex sorting groups
3054 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3055 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3056 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3057 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3058 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3059 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3064 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3065 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3066 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3068 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3069 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3070 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3072 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3073 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3074 Sort by group level.
3076 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3077 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3078 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3080 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3081 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3082 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3083 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3085 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3086 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3087 Sort by number of unread articles.
3089 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3090 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3091 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3093 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3094 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3095 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3100 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3101 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3105 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3106 some sorting criteria:
3110 @kindex G S a (Group)
3111 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3112 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3113 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3116 @kindex G S u (Group)
3117 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3118 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3119 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3122 @kindex G S l (Group)
3123 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3124 Sort the group buffer by group level
3125 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3128 @kindex G S v (Group)
3129 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3130 Sort the group buffer by group score
3131 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3134 @kindex G S r (Group)
3135 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3136 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3137 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3140 @kindex G S m (Group)
3141 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3142 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3143 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3147 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3148 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3150 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3151 commands will sort in reverse order.
3153 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3157 @kindex G P a (Group)
3158 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3159 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3160 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3163 @kindex G P u (Group)
3164 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3165 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3166 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3169 @kindex G P l (Group)
3170 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3171 Sort the groups by group level
3172 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3175 @kindex G P v (Group)
3176 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3177 Sort the groups by group score
3178 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3181 @kindex G P r (Group)
3182 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3183 Sort the groups by group rank
3184 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3187 @kindex G P m (Group)
3188 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3189 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3190 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3194 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3198 @node Group Maintenance
3199 @section Group Maintenance
3200 @cindex bogus groups
3205 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3206 Find bogus groups and delete them
3207 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3211 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3212 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3213 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3214 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3215 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3219 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3220 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3221 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3222 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3223 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3224 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3227 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3228 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3229 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3230 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3235 @node Browse Foreign Server
3236 @section Browse Foreign Server
3237 @cindex foreign servers
3238 @cindex browsing servers
3243 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3244 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3245 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3246 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3249 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3250 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3251 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3252 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3254 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3259 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3260 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3264 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3265 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3268 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3269 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3270 Enter the current group and display the first article
3271 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3274 @kindex RET (Browse)
3275 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3276 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3280 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3281 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3282 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3288 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3289 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3293 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3294 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3295 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3300 @section Exiting Gnus
3301 @cindex exiting Gnus
3303 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3308 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3309 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3310 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3311 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3315 @findex gnus-group-exit
3316 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3317 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3321 @findex gnus-group-quit
3322 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3323 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3326 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3327 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3328 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3329 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3330 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3335 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3336 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3337 trying to customize meta-variables.
3342 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3343 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3344 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3350 @section Group Topics
3353 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3354 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3355 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3356 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3357 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3358 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3362 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3363 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3374 2: alt.religion.emacs
3377 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3379 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3380 13: comp.sources.unix
3383 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3385 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3386 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3387 is a toggling command.)
3389 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3390 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3391 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3392 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3395 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3396 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3397 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3400 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3404 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3405 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3406 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3407 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3408 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3412 @node Topic Commands
3413 @subsection Topic Commands
3414 @cindex topic commands
3416 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3417 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3418 definitions slightly.
3420 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3421 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3422 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3423 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3424 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3425 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3427 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3434 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3435 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3436 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3440 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3442 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3443 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3444 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3445 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3448 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3449 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3450 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3451 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3455 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3456 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3457 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3458 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3464 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3465 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3466 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3470 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3471 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3472 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3475 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3476 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3477 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3478 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3479 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3481 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3482 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3486 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3487 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3494 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3496 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3497 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3498 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3499 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3500 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3501 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3505 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3511 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3512 Move the current group to some other topic
3513 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3514 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3518 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3519 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3523 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3524 Copy the current group to some other topic
3525 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3526 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3530 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3531 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3532 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3536 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3537 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3538 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3542 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3543 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3544 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3545 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3546 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3547 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3548 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3551 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3552 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3556 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3557 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3558 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3562 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3563 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3564 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3568 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3569 Toggle hiding empty topics
3570 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3574 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3575 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3576 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3579 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3580 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3581 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3582 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3585 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3586 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3587 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3588 expiry process (if any)
3589 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3593 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3594 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3597 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3598 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3599 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3603 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3604 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3605 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3609 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3610 @cindex group parameters
3611 @cindex topic parameters
3613 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3614 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3619 @node Topic Variables
3620 @subsection Topic Variables
3621 @cindex topic variables
3623 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3624 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3626 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3627 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3628 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3641 Number of groups in the topic.
3643 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3645 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3648 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3649 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3650 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3653 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3654 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3656 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3657 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3658 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3662 @subsection Topic Sorting
3663 @cindex topic sorting
3665 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3671 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3672 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3673 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3674 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3677 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3678 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3679 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3680 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3683 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3684 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3685 Sort the current topic by group level
3686 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3689 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3690 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3691 Sort the current topic by group score
3692 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3695 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3696 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3697 Sort the current topic by group rank
3698 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3701 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3702 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3703 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3704 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3707 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3708 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3709 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3710 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3714 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3717 @node Topic Topology
3718 @subsection Topic Topology
3719 @cindex topic topology
3722 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3728 2: alt.religion.emacs
3731 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3733 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3734 13: comp.sources.unix
3737 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3738 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3739 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3744 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3745 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3749 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3750 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3751 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3752 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3753 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3754 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3756 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3757 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3758 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3761 @node Topic Parameters
3762 @subsection Topic Parameters
3763 @cindex topic parameters
3765 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3766 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3767 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3769 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3774 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3775 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3776 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3779 @item subscribe-level
3780 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3781 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3782 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3786 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3787 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3788 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3789 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3795 2: alt.religion.emacs
3799 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3801 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3802 13: comp.sources.unix
3806 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3807 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3808 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3809 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3810 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3811 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3813 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3814 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3815 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3816 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3817 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3819 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3820 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3821 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3822 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3823 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3824 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3825 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3826 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3829 @node Misc Group Stuff
3830 @section Misc Group Stuff
3833 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3834 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3835 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3836 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3837 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3844 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3845 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3846 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3850 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3851 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3852 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3853 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3854 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3855 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3856 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3860 @findex gnus-group-mail
3861 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3862 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3863 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3864 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3868 @findex gnus-group-news
3869 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3870 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3871 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3873 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3874 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3875 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3876 in question. The corresponding backend must have a request-post method
3877 for this to work though.
3881 Variables for the group buffer:
3885 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3886 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3887 is called after the group buffer has been
3890 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3891 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3892 is called after the group buffer is
3893 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3896 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3897 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3898 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3899 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3901 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3902 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3903 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3904 whether they are empty or not.
3906 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3907 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3908 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3909 non-ASCII group names.
3913 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3914 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3917 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3918 @cindex UTF-8 group names
3919 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3920 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
3921 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
3922 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
3926 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3927 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3932 @node Scanning New Messages
3933 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3934 @cindex new messages
3935 @cindex scanning new news
3941 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3942 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3943 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3944 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3945 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3946 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3951 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3952 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3953 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3954 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3955 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3956 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3957 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3959 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3960 @cindex activating groups
3962 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3963 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3968 @findex gnus-group-restart
3969 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3970 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3971 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
3975 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3976 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3978 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3979 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3983 @node Group Information
3984 @subsection Group Information
3985 @cindex group information
3986 @cindex information on groups
3993 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3994 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3997 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3998 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3999 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4000 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4001 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4002 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4003 for fetching the file.
4005 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4006 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4010 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4012 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4013 @cindex describing groups
4014 @cindex group description
4015 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4016 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4017 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4021 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4022 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4023 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4030 @findex gnus-version
4031 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4035 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4036 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4039 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4042 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4043 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4047 @node Group Timestamp
4048 @subsection Group Timestamp
4050 @cindex group timestamps
4052 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4053 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4054 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4057 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4060 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4062 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4063 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4066 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4067 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4070 This will result in lines looking like:
4073 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4074 0: custom 19961002T012713
4077 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4078 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4082 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4083 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4088 @subsection File Commands
4089 @cindex file commands
4095 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4096 @vindex gnus-init-file
4097 @cindex reading init file
4098 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4099 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4103 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4104 @cindex saving .newsrc
4105 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4106 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4107 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4110 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4111 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4112 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4117 @node Sieve Commands
4118 @subsection Sieve Commands
4119 @cindex group sieve commands
4121 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4122 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4123 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4124 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4125 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4127 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4128 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4129 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4130 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4131 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4132 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4133 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4134 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4135 regenerate the Sieve script.
4137 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4138 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4139 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4140 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4141 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4142 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4143 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4144 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4145 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4146 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4149 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4150 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4155 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4161 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4162 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4163 @cindex generating sieve script
4164 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4165 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4169 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4170 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4171 @cindex updating sieve script
4172 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4173 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4174 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4179 @node Summary Buffer
4180 @chapter Summary Buffer
4181 @cindex summary buffer
4183 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4184 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4186 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4187 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4189 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4192 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4193 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4194 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4195 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4196 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4197 * Delayed Articles::
4198 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4199 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4200 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4201 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4202 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4203 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4204 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4205 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4206 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4207 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4208 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4209 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4210 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4211 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4212 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4213 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4214 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4215 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4216 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4217 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4218 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4219 or reselecting the current group.
4220 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4221 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4222 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4223 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4227 @node Summary Buffer Format
4228 @section Summary Buffer Format
4229 @cindex summary buffer format
4233 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4234 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4235 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4241 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4242 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4243 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4244 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4247 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4248 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4249 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4250 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4251 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4252 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4253 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4254 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4255 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4256 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4257 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4260 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4261 'mail-extract-address-components)
4264 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4265 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4266 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4267 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4270 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4271 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4273 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4274 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4275 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4276 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4277 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4279 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4280 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4281 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4282 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4283 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4284 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4286 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%) %s\n}.
4288 The following format specification characters and extended format
4289 specification(s) are understood:
4295 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4296 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4298 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4299 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4300 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4302 Full @code{From} header.
4304 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4306 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
4307 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
4309 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4310 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4311 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4312 may be more thorough.
4314 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4317 Number of lines in the article.
4319 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4320 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4322 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4324 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4327 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4328 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4330 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4331 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4333 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4334 for adopted articles.
4336 One space for each thread level.
4338 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4343 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4344 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4348 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4350 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4351 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4352 default level. If the difference between
4353 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4354 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4362 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4364 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4370 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4371 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4373 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4374 article has any children.
4380 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4381 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4383 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4384 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4385 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4386 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4387 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4388 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4391 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4392 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4393 There can only be one such area.
4395 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4396 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4397 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4398 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4399 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4400 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4402 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4403 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4405 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4408 @node To From Newsgroups
4409 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4413 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4414 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4415 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4416 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4417 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4421 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4422 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4423 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4427 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4428 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4431 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4432 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4435 @findex gnus-extra-header
4436 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4437 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4438 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4441 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4445 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4446 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4447 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4448 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4449 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4450 headers are used instead.
4454 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4455 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4456 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4457 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4460 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4461 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4462 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4463 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4465 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4469 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4471 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4472 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4473 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4474 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4478 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4479 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4486 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4487 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4490 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4491 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4493 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4494 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4495 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4496 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4498 Here are the elements you can play with:
4504 Unprefixed group name.
4506 Current article number.
4508 Current article score.
4512 Number of unread articles in this group.
4514 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4517 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4518 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4519 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4520 and no unselected ones.
4522 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4523 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4525 Subject of the current article.
4527 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4529 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4531 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4533 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4535 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4537 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4541 @node Summary Highlighting
4542 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4546 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4547 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4548 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4549 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4550 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4552 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4553 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4554 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4555 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4557 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4558 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4559 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4560 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4562 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4563 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4564 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4565 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4566 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4567 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4570 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4571 ((> score default) . bold))
4573 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4574 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4578 @node Summary Maneuvering
4579 @section Summary Maneuvering
4580 @cindex summary movement
4582 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4583 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4585 None of these commands select articles.
4590 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4591 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4592 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4593 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4594 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4598 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4599 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4600 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4601 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4602 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4605 @kindex G g (Summary)
4606 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4607 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4608 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4611 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4612 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4613 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4614 to the group buffer.
4616 Variables related to summary movement:
4620 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4621 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4622 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4623 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4624 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4625 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4626 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4627 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4628 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4629 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4630 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4631 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4632 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4633 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4635 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4636 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4637 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4638 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4639 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4640 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4641 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4643 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4645 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4646 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4647 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4648 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4649 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4651 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4652 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4653 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4654 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4655 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4656 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4657 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4658 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4661 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4662 the given number of lines from the top.
4667 @node Choosing Articles
4668 @section Choosing Articles
4669 @cindex selecting articles
4672 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4673 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4677 @node Choosing Commands
4678 @subsection Choosing Commands
4680 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4681 and they all select and display an article.
4683 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4684 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4688 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4689 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4690 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4691 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4696 @kindex G n (Summary)
4697 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4698 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4699 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4704 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4705 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4706 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4711 @kindex G N (Summary)
4712 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4713 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4718 @kindex G P (Summary)
4719 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4720 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4723 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4724 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4725 Go to the next article with the same subject
4726 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4729 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4730 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4731 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4732 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4736 @kindex G f (Summary)
4738 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4739 Go to the first unread article
4740 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4744 @kindex G b (Summary)
4746 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4747 Go to the article with the highest score
4748 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4753 @kindex G l (Summary)
4754 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4755 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4758 @kindex G o (Summary)
4759 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4761 @cindex article history
4762 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4763 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4764 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4765 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4766 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4767 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4772 @kindex G j (Summary)
4773 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4774 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4775 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4780 @node Choosing Variables
4781 @subsection Choosing Variables
4783 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4786 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4787 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4788 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4789 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4790 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4791 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4793 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4794 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4795 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4796 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4798 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4799 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4800 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4801 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4802 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4803 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4804 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4805 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4806 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4807 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4808 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4809 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4810 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4811 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4816 @node Paging the Article
4817 @section Scrolling the Article
4818 @cindex article scrolling
4823 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4824 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4825 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4826 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4827 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4830 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4831 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4832 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4835 @kindex RET (Summary)
4836 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4837 Scroll the current article one line forward
4838 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4841 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4842 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4843 Scroll the current article one line backward
4844 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4848 @kindex A g (Summary)
4850 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4851 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4852 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4853 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4854 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4855 the way it came from the server.
4857 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4858 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4859 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4862 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4867 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4872 @kindex A < (Summary)
4873 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4874 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4875 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4880 @kindex A > (Summary)
4881 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4882 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4886 @kindex A s (Summary)
4888 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4889 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4890 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4894 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4895 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4900 @node Reply Followup and Post
4901 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4904 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4905 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4906 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4907 * Canceling and Superseding::
4911 @node Summary Mail Commands
4912 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4914 @cindex composing mail
4916 Commands for composing a mail message:
4922 @kindex S r (Summary)
4924 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4925 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4926 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4927 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4928 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4933 @kindex S R (Summary)
4934 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4935 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4936 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4937 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4938 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4941 @kindex S w (Summary)
4942 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4943 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4944 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4945 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4946 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4949 @kindex S W (Summary)
4950 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4951 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4952 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4953 the process/prefix convention.
4956 @kindex S v (Summary)
4957 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
4958 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
4959 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
4960 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4961 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
4962 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
4966 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4967 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4968 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4969 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4970 Forward the current article to some other person
4971 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
4972 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
4973 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4974 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
4975 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4976 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
4977 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4978 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4979 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4984 @kindex S m (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4986 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4987 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
4988 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
4989 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4994 @kindex S i (Summary)
4995 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
4996 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
4997 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
4998 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5000 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5001 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5002 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5003 in question. The corresponding backend must have a request-post method
5004 for this to work though.
5007 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5008 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5009 @cindex bouncing mail
5010 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5011 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5012 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5013 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5014 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5015 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5016 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5017 very well fail, though.
5020 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5021 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5022 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5023 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5024 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5025 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5026 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5027 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5028 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5029 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5031 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5032 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5033 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5034 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5035 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
5037 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5038 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5041 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5042 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5043 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5044 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5045 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5048 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5049 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5050 @cindex crossposting
5051 @cindex excessive crossposting
5052 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5053 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5055 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5056 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5057 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5058 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5059 command understands the process/prefix convention
5060 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5064 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5065 Manual}, for more information.
5068 @node Summary Post Commands
5069 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5071 @cindex composing news
5073 Commands for posting a news article:
5079 @kindex S p (Summary)
5080 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5081 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5082 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5083 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5084 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5089 @kindex S f (Summary)
5090 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5091 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5092 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5096 @kindex S F (Summary)
5098 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5099 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5100 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5101 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5102 process/prefix convention.
5105 @kindex S n (Summary)
5106 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5107 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5108 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5111 @kindex S N (Summary)
5112 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5113 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5114 message through mail and include the original message
5115 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5116 the process/prefix convention.
5119 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5120 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5121 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5122 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5123 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5124 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5125 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5126 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5127 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5128 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5129 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5130 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5131 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
5134 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5135 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5137 @cindex making digests
5138 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5139 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5140 process/prefix convention.
5143 @kindex S u (Summary)
5144 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5145 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5146 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5147 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5150 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5151 Manual}, for more information.
5154 @node Summary Message Commands
5155 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5159 @kindex S y (Summary)
5160 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5161 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5162 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5163 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5164 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5169 @node Canceling and Superseding
5170 @subsection Canceling Articles
5171 @cindex canceling articles
5172 @cindex superseding articles
5174 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5175 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5177 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5179 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5181 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5182 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5183 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5184 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5185 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5186 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5188 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5189 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5192 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5193 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5194 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5196 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5197 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5198 your original article.
5200 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5202 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5203 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5204 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5207 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5208 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5209 have posted almost the same article twice.
5211 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5212 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5213 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5214 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5215 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5216 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5217 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5218 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5219 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5220 canceled/superseded.
5222 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5224 @node Delayed Articles
5225 @section Delayed Articles
5226 @cindex delayed sending
5227 @cindex send delayed
5229 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5230 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5231 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5232 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5235 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5238 @findex gnus-delay-article
5239 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5240 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5241 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5242 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5246 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5247 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5248 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5249 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5252 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5253 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5254 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5257 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5258 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5259 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5260 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5261 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5262 that means a time tomorrow.
5265 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5266 couple of variables:
5269 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5270 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5271 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5272 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5274 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5275 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5276 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5277 formats described above.
5279 @item gnus-delay-group
5280 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5281 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5282 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5283 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5285 @item gnus-delay-header
5286 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5287 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5288 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5289 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5292 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5293 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5294 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5295 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5296 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5298 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5299 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-drafts}
5300 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5301 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5302 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5303 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-drafts} function.
5306 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5307 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5308 By default, this function installs the @kbd{C-c C-j} key binding in
5309 Message mode and @code{gnus-delay-send-drafts} in
5310 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts two optional arguments,
5311 @code{no-keymap} and @code{no-check}. If @code{no-keymap} is non-nil,
5312 the @kbd{C-c C-j} binding is not intalled. If @code{no-check} is
5313 non-nil, @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed.
5315 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to change the
5316 keymap but not to change @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. Presumably, you
5317 want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles. Just don't
5318 forget to set that up :-)
5322 @node Marking Articles
5323 @section Marking Articles
5324 @cindex article marking
5325 @cindex article ticking
5328 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5330 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5331 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5332 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5334 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5337 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5338 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5339 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5343 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5347 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5348 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5349 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5353 @node Unread Articles
5354 @subsection Unread Articles
5356 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5361 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5362 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5364 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5365 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5366 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5367 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5368 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5369 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5370 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5373 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5374 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5376 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5377 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5378 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5379 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5383 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5384 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5386 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5391 @subsection Read Articles
5392 @cindex expirable mark
5394 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5399 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5400 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5401 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5404 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5405 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5408 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5409 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5410 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5413 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5414 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5417 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5418 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5421 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5422 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5425 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5426 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5429 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5430 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5433 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5434 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5437 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5438 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5442 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5443 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5444 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5448 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5449 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5451 One more special mark, though:
5455 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5456 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5458 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5459 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5460 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5461 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5467 @subsection Other Marks
5468 @cindex process mark
5471 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5477 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5478 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5479 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5480 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5481 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5484 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5485 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5486 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5487 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5489 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5490 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5491 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5493 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5494 Articles that are ``recently'' arrived in the group will be marked
5495 with an @samp{N} in the second column (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Most
5496 back end doesn't support the mark, in which case it's not shown.
5499 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5500 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5501 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5504 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5505 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5506 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5507 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5510 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5511 Articles that according to the back end haven't been seen by the user
5512 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5513 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all back ends support this
5514 mark, in which case it simply never appear.
5517 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5518 Articles that haven't been seen by the user before are marked with a
5519 @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5522 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5523 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5524 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5525 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5526 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5529 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5530 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5531 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5532 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5533 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5534 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5538 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5539 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5540 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5542 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5543 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5544 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5548 @subsection Setting Marks
5549 @cindex setting marks
5551 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5556 @kindex M c (Summary)
5557 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5558 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5559 @cindex mark as unread
5560 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5561 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5567 @kindex M t (Summary)
5568 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5569 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5570 @xref{Article Caching}.
5575 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5576 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5577 Mark the current article as dormant
5578 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5582 @kindex M d (Summary)
5584 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5585 Mark the current article as read
5586 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5590 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5591 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5592 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5597 @kindex M k (Summary)
5598 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5599 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5600 and then select the next unread article
5601 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5605 @kindex M K (Summary)
5606 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5607 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5608 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5609 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5612 @kindex M C (Summary)
5613 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5614 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5615 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5618 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5619 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5620 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5621 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5624 @kindex M H (Summary)
5625 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5626 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5627 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5630 @kindex M h (Summary)
5631 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5632 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5633 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5636 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5637 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5638 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5639 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5642 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5643 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5644 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5645 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5649 @kindex M e (Summary)
5651 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5652 Mark the current article as expirable
5653 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5656 @kindex M b (Summary)
5657 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5658 Set a bookmark in the current article
5659 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5662 @kindex M B (Summary)
5663 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5664 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5665 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5668 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5669 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5670 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5671 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5674 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5675 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5676 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5677 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5680 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5681 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5682 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5683 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5684 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5687 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5688 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5689 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5690 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5691 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5692 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5693 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5694 The default is @code{t}.
5697 @node Generic Marking Commands
5698 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5700 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5701 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5702 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5703 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5704 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5707 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5708 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5711 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5712 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5713 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5714 to list in this manual.
5716 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5717 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5718 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5719 article, you could say something like:
5722 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5723 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5724 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5730 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5731 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5735 @node Setting Process Marks
5736 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5737 @cindex setting process marks
5744 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5745 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5746 Mark the current article with the process mark
5747 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5748 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5752 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5753 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5754 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5755 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5758 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5759 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5760 Remove the process mark from all articles
5761 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5764 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5765 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5766 Invert the list of process marked articles
5767 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5770 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5771 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5772 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5773 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5776 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5777 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5778 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5779 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5782 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5783 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5784 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5787 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5788 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5789 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5790 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5793 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5794 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5795 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5796 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5799 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5800 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5801 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5802 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5805 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5806 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5807 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5810 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5811 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5812 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5813 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5816 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5817 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5818 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5821 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5822 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5823 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5824 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5827 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5828 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5829 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5830 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5833 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5834 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5835 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5836 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5839 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5840 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5841 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5842 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5846 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5847 set process marks based on article body contents.
5854 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5855 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5856 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5859 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5860 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5861 additional articles.
5867 @kindex / / (Summary)
5868 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5869 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5870 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
5874 @kindex / a (Summary)
5875 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5876 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5877 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
5881 @kindex / x (Summary)
5882 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5883 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5884 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5885 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
5890 @kindex / u (Summary)
5892 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5893 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5894 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5895 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5896 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5899 @kindex / m (Summary)
5900 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5901 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5902 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5905 @kindex / t (Summary)
5906 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5907 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5908 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5909 articles younger than that number of days.
5912 @kindex / n (Summary)
5913 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5914 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5915 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5916 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5919 @kindex / w (Summary)
5920 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5921 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5922 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5926 @kindex / v (Summary)
5927 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5928 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5929 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5932 @kindex / p (Summary)
5933 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter
5934 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
5935 group parameter predicate
5936 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter}). See @pxref{Group
5937 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
5941 @kindex M S (Summary)
5942 @kindex / E (Summary)
5943 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5944 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5945 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5948 @kindex / D (Summary)
5949 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5950 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5951 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5954 @kindex / * (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5956 Include all cached articles in the limit
5957 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5960 @kindex / d (Summary)
5961 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5962 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5963 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5966 @kindex / M (Summary)
5967 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5968 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5971 @kindex / T (Summary)
5972 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5973 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5976 @kindex / c (Summary)
5977 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5978 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5979 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5982 @kindex / C (Summary)
5983 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5984 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5985 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5986 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5989 @kindex / N (Summary)
5990 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
5991 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
5992 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
5995 @kindex / o (Summary)
5996 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
5997 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
5998 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6006 @cindex article threading
6008 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6009 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6010 hierarchical fashion.
6012 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6013 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6014 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6015 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6016 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6017 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6018 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6020 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6024 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6027 A tree-like article structure.
6030 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6033 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6034 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6035 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6036 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6037 called loose threads.
6039 @item thread gathering
6040 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6042 @item sparse threads
6043 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6044 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6050 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6051 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6055 @node Customizing Threading
6056 @subsection Customizing Threading
6057 @cindex customizing threading
6060 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6061 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6062 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6063 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6068 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6071 @cindex loose threads
6074 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6075 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6076 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6077 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6078 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6079 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6081 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6082 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6083 There are four possible values:
6087 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6088 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6089 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6090 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6091 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6096 @cindex adopting articles
6101 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6102 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6103 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6104 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6107 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6108 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6109 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6110 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6111 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6112 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6113 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6116 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6117 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6118 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6122 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6123 display them after one another.
6126 Don't gather loose threads.
6129 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6130 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6131 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6132 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6133 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6134 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6135 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6136 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6137 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6138 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6139 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6141 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6142 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6143 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6146 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6147 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6148 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6149 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6150 simplification is used.
6152 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6153 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6154 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6155 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6157 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6159 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6165 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6166 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6167 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6168 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6173 (mapconcat 'identity
6174 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6176 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6179 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6182 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6183 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6184 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6185 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6186 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6187 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6189 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6192 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6193 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6194 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6196 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6197 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6200 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6201 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6202 Remove excessive whitespace.
6205 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6208 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6209 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6210 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6211 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6212 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6213 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6214 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6215 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6217 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6218 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6219 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6220 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6221 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6222 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6223 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6224 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6225 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6229 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6230 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6231 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6232 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6234 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6235 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6236 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6239 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6243 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6244 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6250 @node Filling In Threads
6251 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6254 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6255 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6256 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6257 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6258 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6259 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6260 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6261 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6262 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6263 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
6264 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
6265 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
6267 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6268 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6269 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6271 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6272 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6273 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6274 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6275 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6276 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6277 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6278 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6279 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6280 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6281 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6282 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6283 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6284 @code{nil} by default.
6286 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6287 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6288 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6289 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6290 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6291 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6292 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6294 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6295 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6296 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6301 @node More Threading
6302 @subsubsection More Threading
6305 @item gnus-show-threads
6306 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6307 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6308 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6309 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6310 slower and more awkward.
6312 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6313 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6314 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6317 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6318 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6319 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6320 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6321 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6322 threads are expunged.
6324 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6325 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6326 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6329 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6330 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6331 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6332 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6333 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6334 result in a new thread.
6336 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6337 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6338 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6341 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6342 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6343 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6344 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6345 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6346 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6347 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6348 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6349 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6350 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6351 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6356 @node Low-Level Threading
6357 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6361 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6362 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6363 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6365 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6366 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6367 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6368 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6369 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6370 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6371 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6372 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6373 meaningful. Here's one example:
6376 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6378 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6379 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6381 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6383 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6390 @node Thread Commands
6391 @subsection Thread Commands
6392 @cindex thread commands
6398 @kindex T k (Summary)
6399 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6400 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6401 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6402 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6403 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6408 @kindex T l (Summary)
6409 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6410 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6411 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6412 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6415 @kindex T i (Summary)
6416 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6417 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6418 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6421 @kindex T # (Summary)
6422 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6423 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6424 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6427 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6428 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6429 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6430 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6433 @kindex T T (Summary)
6434 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6435 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6438 @kindex T s (Summary)
6439 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6440 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6441 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6444 @kindex T h (Summary)
6445 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6446 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6449 @kindex T S (Summary)
6450 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6451 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6454 @kindex T H (Summary)
6455 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6456 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6459 @kindex T t (Summary)
6460 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6461 Re-thread the current article's thread
6462 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6463 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6466 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6467 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6468 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6469 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6473 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6474 understand the numeric prefix.
6479 @kindex T n (Summary)
6481 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6483 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6484 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6485 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6488 @kindex T p (Summary)
6490 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6492 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6493 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6494 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6497 @kindex T d (Summary)
6498 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6499 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6502 @kindex T u (Summary)
6503 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6504 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6507 @kindex T o (Summary)
6508 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6509 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6512 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6513 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6514 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6515 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6516 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6517 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6518 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6519 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6520 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6521 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6522 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6523 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6527 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6528 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6530 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6531 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6532 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6533 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6534 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6535 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6536 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6537 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6538 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6539 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6540 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6542 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6543 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6544 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6545 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
6546 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6548 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6549 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6550 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6552 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6553 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6554 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6555 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6556 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6557 ascending article order.
6559 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6560 by number, you could do something like:
6563 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6564 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6565 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6566 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6569 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6570 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6571 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6572 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6573 which the articles arrived.
6575 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6579 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6581 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6582 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6585 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6586 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6587 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6588 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6591 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6592 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6593 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6594 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6595 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6596 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6597 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6598 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6599 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6600 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6601 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6602 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6603 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6605 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6609 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6610 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6611 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6616 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6617 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6618 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6619 @cindex article pre-fetch
6622 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6623 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6624 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6625 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6626 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6628 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6629 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6631 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6632 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6633 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6634 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6635 connection is blocked.
6637 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6638 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6639 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6640 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6642 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6643 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6644 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6645 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6648 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6651 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6652 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6653 happen automatically.
6655 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6656 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6657 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6658 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6659 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6660 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6661 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6663 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6664 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6665 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6666 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6667 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6668 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6669 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6670 data structure as the only parameter.
6672 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6675 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6676 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6677 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6678 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6681 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6684 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6685 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6686 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6688 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6689 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6690 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6691 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6695 Remove articles when they are read.
6698 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6701 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6703 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6704 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6705 @c from the next group.
6708 @node Article Caching
6709 @section Article Caching
6710 @cindex article caching
6713 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6714 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6715 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6716 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6717 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6719 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6721 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6722 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6723 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6724 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6725 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6726 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6727 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6728 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6730 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6731 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6732 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6733 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6734 as dormant, and don't worry.
6736 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6738 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6739 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6740 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6741 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6742 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6743 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6744 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6745 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6746 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6747 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6749 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6750 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6751 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6752 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6753 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6754 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6755 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6756 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6757 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6758 not then be downloaded by this command.
6760 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6761 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6762 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6763 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6764 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6765 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6767 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6768 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6769 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6770 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6771 variables, the group is not cached.
6773 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6774 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6775 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6776 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6777 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6778 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6779 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6780 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6781 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6785 @node Persistent Articles
6786 @section Persistent Articles
6787 @cindex persistent articles
6789 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6790 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6791 useful in my opinion.
6793 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6794 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6795 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6796 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6797 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6798 the expiry going on at the news server.
6800 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6801 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6802 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6808 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6809 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6812 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6813 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6814 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6815 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6819 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6821 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6822 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6823 interested in persistent articles:
6826 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6830 @node Article Backlog
6831 @section Article Backlog
6833 @cindex article backlog
6835 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6836 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6837 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
6838 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6839 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6840 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6841 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
6842 increase memory usage some.
6844 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6845 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
6846 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6847 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
6848 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6849 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6850 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6852 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6855 @node Saving Articles
6856 @section Saving Articles
6857 @cindex saving articles
6859 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6860 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6861 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6862 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6863 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6865 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6866 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
6867 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6869 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6870 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6871 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6872 deleted before saving.
6878 @kindex O o (Summary)
6880 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6881 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6882 Save the current article using the default article saver
6883 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6886 @kindex O m (Summary)
6887 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6888 Save the current article in mail format
6889 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6892 @kindex O r (Summary)
6893 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6894 Save the current article in rmail format
6895 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6898 @kindex O f (Summary)
6899 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6900 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6901 Save the current article in plain file format
6902 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6905 @kindex O F (Summary)
6906 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6907 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6908 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6911 @kindex O b (Summary)
6912 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6913 Save the current article body in plain file format
6914 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6917 @kindex O h (Summary)
6918 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6919 Save the current article in mh folder format
6920 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6923 @kindex O v (Summary)
6924 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6925 Save the current article in a VM folder
6926 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6930 @kindex O p (Summary)
6932 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6933 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6934 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6937 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6938 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6939 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6940 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6941 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6942 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6943 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6944 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6945 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6946 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6947 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6948 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6952 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6953 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6954 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6955 functions below, or you can create your own.
6959 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6960 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6961 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6962 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6963 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6964 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6965 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6967 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6968 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6969 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6970 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6971 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6972 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6974 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6975 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6976 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6977 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6978 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6979 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6980 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6982 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
6983 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
6984 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
6985 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
6986 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6987 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6989 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6990 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6991 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6992 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6993 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6995 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6996 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6997 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6998 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6999 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7002 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7003 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7004 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7005 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7006 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7008 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7009 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7010 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7011 reader to use this setting.
7014 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7015 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7016 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7017 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7020 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7021 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7022 available functions that generate names:
7026 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7027 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7028 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7030 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7031 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7032 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7034 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7035 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7036 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7038 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7039 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7040 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7042 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7043 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7044 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7047 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7048 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7049 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7050 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7051 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7055 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7056 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7057 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7058 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7061 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7062 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7063 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7064 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7065 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7066 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7067 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7068 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7069 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7071 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7072 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7073 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7074 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7076 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7077 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7078 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7081 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7082 lots of mail groups called things like
7083 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7084 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7085 following will do just that:
7088 (defun my-save-name (group)
7089 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7090 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7092 (setq gnus-split-methods
7093 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7098 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7099 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7100 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7101 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7102 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7103 all the files in the top level directory
7104 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7105 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7106 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7107 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7109 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7110 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7111 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7112 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7113 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7116 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7120 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7121 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7122 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7125 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7126 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7127 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7128 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7131 @node Decoding Articles
7132 @section Decoding Articles
7133 @cindex decoding articles
7135 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7136 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7139 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7140 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7141 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7142 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7143 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7144 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7148 @cindex article series
7149 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7150 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7151 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7152 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7153 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7155 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7156 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7157 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7159 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7160 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7161 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7163 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7164 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7165 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7168 @node Uuencoded Articles
7169 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7171 @cindex uuencoded articles
7176 @kindex X u (Summary)
7177 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7178 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7179 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7182 @kindex X U (Summary)
7183 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7184 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7185 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7188 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7189 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7190 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7193 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7194 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7195 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7196 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7200 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7201 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7202 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7203 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7204 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7206 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7207 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7208 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7209 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7212 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7213 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7214 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7215 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7216 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7217 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7221 @node Shell Archives
7222 @subsection Shell Archives
7224 @cindex shell archives
7225 @cindex shared articles
7227 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7228 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7229 some commands to deal with these:
7234 @kindex X s (Summary)
7235 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7236 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7239 @kindex X S (Summary)
7240 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7241 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7244 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7245 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7246 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7249 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7250 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7251 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7252 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7256 @node PostScript Files
7257 @subsection PostScript Files
7263 @kindex X p (Summary)
7264 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7265 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7268 @kindex X P (Summary)
7269 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7270 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7271 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7274 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7275 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7276 View the current PostScript series
7277 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7280 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7281 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7282 View and save the current PostScript series
7283 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7288 @subsection Other Files
7292 @kindex X o (Summary)
7293 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7294 Save the current series
7295 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7298 @kindex X b (Summary)
7299 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7300 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7301 doesn't really work yet.
7305 @node Decoding Variables
7306 @subsection Decoding Variables
7308 Adjective, not verb.
7311 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7312 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7313 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7317 @node Rule Variables
7318 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7319 @cindex rule variables
7321 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7322 variables are of the form
7325 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7332 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7333 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7335 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7336 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7339 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7340 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7343 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7344 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7345 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7346 user and default view rules.
7348 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7349 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7350 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7355 @node Other Decode Variables
7356 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7359 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7361 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7362 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7363 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7364 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7365 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7369 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7370 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7373 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7374 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7375 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7378 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7379 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7380 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7381 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7382 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7385 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7386 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7387 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7389 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7390 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7391 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7392 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7393 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7396 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7397 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7398 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7400 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7401 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7402 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7403 looking for files to display.
7405 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7406 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7407 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7410 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7411 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7412 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7415 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7416 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7417 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7420 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7421 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7422 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7425 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7426 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7427 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7428 decoded articles as unread.
7430 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7431 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7432 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7433 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7435 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7436 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7437 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7439 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7440 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7442 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7443 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7444 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7445 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7447 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7448 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7449 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7450 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7451 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7452 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7453 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7454 simply dropped them.
7459 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7460 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7464 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7465 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7466 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7467 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7468 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7469 for you when you post the article.
7471 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7472 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7473 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7474 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7476 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7477 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7478 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7479 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7480 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7481 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7482 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7484 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7485 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7486 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7487 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7488 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7489 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7490 Default is @code{t}.
7496 @subsection Viewing Files
7497 @cindex viewing files
7498 @cindex pseudo-articles
7500 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7501 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7502 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7503 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7504 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7505 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7506 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7508 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7509 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7510 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7511 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7513 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7514 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7515 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7517 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7518 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7519 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7520 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7521 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7523 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7524 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7525 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7526 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7527 a list of parameters to that command.
7529 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7530 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7531 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7533 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7534 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7535 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7538 @node Article Treatment
7539 @section Article Treatment
7541 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7542 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7543 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7544 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7545 these articles easier.
7548 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7549 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7550 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7551 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7552 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7553 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7554 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7555 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7559 @node Article Highlighting
7560 @subsection Article Highlighting
7561 @cindex highlighting
7563 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7564 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7569 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7570 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7571 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7572 Do much highlighting of the current article
7573 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7574 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7577 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7578 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7579 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7580 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7581 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7582 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7583 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7584 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7585 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7586 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7587 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7588 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7591 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7592 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7593 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7595 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7598 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7600 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7601 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7602 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7604 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7605 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7606 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7608 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7609 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7610 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7611 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7612 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7613 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7615 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7616 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7617 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7619 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7620 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7621 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7623 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7624 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7625 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7626 that it's a citation.
7628 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7629 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7630 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7632 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7633 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7634 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7636 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7637 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7638 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7639 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7645 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7646 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7647 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7648 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7649 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7650 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7651 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7652 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7657 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7660 @node Article Fontisizing
7661 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7663 @cindex article emphasis
7665 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7666 @kindex W e (Summary)
7667 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7668 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7669 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7670 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7672 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7673 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7674 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7675 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7676 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7677 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7678 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7679 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7683 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7684 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7685 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7694 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7695 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7696 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7697 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7698 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7699 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7700 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7701 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7702 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7703 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7704 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7705 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7706 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7708 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7709 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7710 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7714 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7717 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7719 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7720 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7721 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7722 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7724 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7727 @node Article Hiding
7728 @subsection Article Hiding
7729 @cindex article hiding
7731 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7732 too much cruft in most articles.
7737 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7738 @findex gnus-article-hide
7739 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7740 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7741 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7744 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7745 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7746 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7750 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7751 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7752 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7753 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7756 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7757 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7758 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7762 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7763 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7764 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7765 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7766 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7767 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7768 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7769 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7773 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7774 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7775 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7776 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7781 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7782 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7783 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7784 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7785 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7786 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7787 articles that have signatures in them do:
7789 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7791 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7793 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7794 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7796 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7799 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7804 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7805 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7806 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7807 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7810 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7811 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7814 @cindex stripping advertisements
7815 @cindex advertisements
7816 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7817 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7818 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7819 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7820 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7821 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7822 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7823 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7824 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7825 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7829 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7830 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7831 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7832 customizing the hiding:
7836 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7837 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7838 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7839 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7840 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7841 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7842 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7847 Starting point of the hidden text.
7849 Ending point of the hidden text.
7851 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7853 Number of lines of hidden text.
7856 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7857 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7858 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7859 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7860 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7865 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7866 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7868 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7869 following two variables:
7872 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7873 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7874 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7875 50), hide the cited text.
7877 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7878 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7879 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7884 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7885 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7886 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7887 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7888 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7889 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7893 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7894 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7895 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7897 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7898 citation customization.
7900 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7904 @node Article Washing
7905 @subsection Article Washing
7907 @cindex article washing
7909 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7910 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7912 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7913 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7916 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7917 articles by default.
7922 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7923 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7927 @kindex W l (Summary)
7928 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7929 Remove page breaks from the current article
7930 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7934 @kindex W r (Summary)
7935 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7936 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7937 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7938 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7939 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7940 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7942 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7943 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7944 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7945 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7949 @kindex W t (Summary)
7951 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
7952 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7953 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
7956 @kindex W v (Summary)
7957 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7958 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7959 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7962 @kindex W o (Summary)
7963 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7964 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7967 @kindex W d (Summary)
7968 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7969 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7971 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
7973 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7974 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7975 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7976 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7979 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
7980 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
7981 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
7982 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
7985 @kindex W w (Summary)
7986 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7987 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7989 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7993 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7994 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7995 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7998 @kindex W C (Summary)
7999 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8000 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8001 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8004 @kindex W c (Summary)
8005 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8006 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8007 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8008 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8009 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8012 @kindex W q (Summary)
8013 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8014 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8015 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8016 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8017 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8018 readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
8019 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8020 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8021 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8024 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8025 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8026 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8027 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8028 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
8029 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8030 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8032 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8035 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8036 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8037 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8038 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8039 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8042 @kindex W h (Summary)
8043 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8044 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
8045 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
8046 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
8048 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8051 @kindex W f (Summary)
8053 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8054 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
8055 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
8056 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
8063 Look for and display any X-Face headers
8064 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
8065 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
8066 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
8067 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
8068 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
8069 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
8070 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
8071 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
8072 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
8073 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.} to view the
8074 face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the
8075 default action is to display the face before the @code{From} header.
8076 (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face support---that will
8077 make display somewhat faster. If there's no native X-Face support, Gnus
8078 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
8079 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux
8080 system look for packages with names like @code{netpbm} or
8081 @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you want to have this function in the display
8082 hook, it should probably come last.
8083 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not @code{xface}).
8086 @kindex W b (Summary)
8087 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8088 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8089 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8092 @kindex W B (Summary)
8093 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8094 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8095 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8098 @kindex W p (Summary)
8099 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8100 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8101 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8102 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8103 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8104 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8105 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8108 @kindex W s (Summary)
8109 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8110 Verify a signed (PGP, PGP/MIME or S/MIME) message
8111 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}).
8114 @kindex W W H (Summary)
8115 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
8116 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8117 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
8120 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8121 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8122 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8123 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8126 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8127 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8128 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8129 lines with a single empty line.
8130 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8133 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8134 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8135 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8136 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8139 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8140 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8141 Do all the three commands above
8142 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8145 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8146 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8147 Remove all blank lines
8148 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8151 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8152 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8153 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8154 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8157 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8158 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8159 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8160 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8164 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8167 @node Article Buttons
8168 @subsection Article Buttons
8171 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8172 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8173 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8174 button on these references.
8176 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8177 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
8178 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
8183 @item gnus-button-alist
8184 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8185 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8188 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8194 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8195 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8196 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
8199 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8200 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8201 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8204 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8205 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8206 avoid false matches.
8209 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8212 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8213 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8217 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8220 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8223 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8224 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8225 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8226 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8227 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8230 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8233 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8235 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8236 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8237 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8238 default values of the variables above.
8240 @item gnus-article-button-face
8241 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8242 Face used on buttons.
8244 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8245 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8246 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8250 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8254 @subsection Article Date
8256 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8257 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8258 when the article was sent.
8263 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8264 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8265 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8266 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8269 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8270 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8272 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8273 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8276 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8277 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8278 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8281 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8282 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8283 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8284 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8287 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8288 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8289 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8290 @findex format-time-string
8291 Display the date using a user-defined format
8292 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8293 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8294 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8295 for a list of possible format specs.
8298 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8299 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8300 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8301 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8302 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8303 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8306 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8309 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8310 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8313 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8314 into wonderful absurdities.
8316 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8319 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8322 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8323 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8327 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8328 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8329 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8330 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8331 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8332 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8333 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8337 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8338 preferred format automatically.
8341 @node Article Signature
8342 @subsection Article Signature
8344 @cindex article signature
8346 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8347 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8348 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8349 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8350 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8351 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8352 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8353 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8354 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8357 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8358 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8359 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8360 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8361 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8362 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8363 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8364 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8367 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8370 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8371 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8372 signature when displaying articles.
8376 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8379 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8382 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8383 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8385 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8386 in question is not a signature.
8389 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8390 listed above. Here's an example:
8393 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8394 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8397 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8398 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8399 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8400 signature after all.
8403 @node Article Miscellania
8404 @subsection Article Miscellania
8408 @kindex A t (Summary)
8409 @findex gnus-article-babel
8410 Translate the article from one language to another
8411 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8417 @section @sc{mime} Commands
8418 @cindex MIME decoding
8420 @cindex viewing attachments
8422 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8423 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8429 @kindex K v (Summary)
8430 View the @sc{mime} part.
8433 @kindex K o (Summary)
8434 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8437 @kindex K c (Summary)
8438 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8441 @kindex K e (Summary)
8442 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8445 @kindex K i (Summary)
8446 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8449 @kindex K | (Summary)
8450 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8453 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8458 @kindex K b (Summary)
8459 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8460 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8464 @kindex K m (Summary)
8465 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8466 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8467 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8468 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8469 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8472 @kindex X m (Summary)
8473 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8474 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8475 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8476 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8479 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8480 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
8481 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8482 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8485 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8486 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8487 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8490 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8491 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8492 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8494 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8495 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8496 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8497 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
8498 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
8499 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8502 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8503 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8504 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8511 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8512 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8513 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8514 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8517 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8520 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8524 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8525 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8526 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8527 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8528 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8529 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8532 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8533 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8534 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8535 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8536 displayed. This variable overrides
8537 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8539 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8540 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8541 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8543 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8544 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8545 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8546 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8547 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8548 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8549 save all jpegs into some directory).
8551 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8554 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8555 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8557 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8558 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8559 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8560 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8561 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8564 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8565 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8566 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8568 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8569 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8570 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8571 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8573 Ready-made functions include@*
8574 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8575 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8576 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8577 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8578 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8579 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8580 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8581 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8582 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8583 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8584 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8585 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8587 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8588 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8590 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8591 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8592 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8595 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8596 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8597 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8598 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8602 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8611 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8612 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8613 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8614 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8615 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8616 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8617 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8619 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8620 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8621 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8622 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8624 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8625 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8626 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8627 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8628 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
8629 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8630 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
8631 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
8633 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8634 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8635 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8636 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8637 quoted-printable header encoding.
8639 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8640 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8641 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8645 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8648 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8649 means encode all charsets),
8651 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8652 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8653 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8660 @cindex coding system aliases
8661 @cindex preferred charset
8663 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8665 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8666 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8669 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8670 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8673 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8674 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8676 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8679 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8682 This will almost do the right thing.
8684 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8688 (codepage-setup 1251)
8689 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8693 @node Article Commands
8694 @section Article Commands
8701 @kindex A P (Summary)
8702 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8703 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8704 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8705 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
8706 run just before printing the buffer.
8711 @node Summary Sorting
8712 @section Summary Sorting
8713 @cindex summary sorting
8715 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8716 can't really see why you'd want that.
8721 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8722 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8723 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8726 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8727 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8728 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8731 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8732 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8733 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8736 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8737 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8738 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8741 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8742 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8743 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8746 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8747 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8748 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8751 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8752 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8753 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8756 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8757 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8758 Sort using the default sorting method
8759 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8762 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8763 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8764 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8765 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8766 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8770 @node Finding the Parent
8771 @section Finding the Parent
8772 @cindex parent articles
8773 @cindex referring articles
8778 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8779 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8780 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8781 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8782 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8783 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8784 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8785 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8786 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8788 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8789 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8790 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
8791 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8792 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8796 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8797 @kindex A R (Summary)
8798 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8799 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8802 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8803 @kindex A T (Summary)
8804 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8805 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8806 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8807 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8808 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8809 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8810 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8812 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8813 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8814 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8815 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8816 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8817 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8820 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8821 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8823 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8824 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8825 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8826 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8827 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8828 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8829 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8832 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8833 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8834 by giving this command a prefix.
8836 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8837 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
8838 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8839 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8840 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8841 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8844 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8845 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8846 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8849 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8850 then ask Deja if that fails:
8853 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8855 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8858 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
8859 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox}
8860 and @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8861 @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder} and @code{nnimap}1 are only able to locate
8862 articles that have been posted to the current group. (Anything else
8863 would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at
8867 @node Alternative Approaches
8868 @section Alternative Approaches
8870 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8871 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8874 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8875 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8880 @subsection Pick and Read
8881 @cindex pick and read
8883 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8884 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8885 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8886 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8888 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8889 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8890 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8891 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8892 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8893 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8895 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8900 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8901 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8902 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8903 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8904 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8905 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8906 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8907 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8910 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8911 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8912 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8913 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8917 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8918 Unpick the thread or article
8919 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8920 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8921 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8922 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8923 the thread or article at that line.
8927 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8928 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8929 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8930 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8931 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8932 will still be visible when you are reading.
8936 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8937 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8938 which is mapped to the same function
8939 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8941 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8944 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8947 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8948 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8950 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8951 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8952 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8954 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8955 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8956 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8957 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8958 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8959 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8960 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8964 @subsection Binary Groups
8965 @cindex binary groups
8967 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8968 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8969 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8970 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8971 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8972 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8973 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8976 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8977 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8978 command, when you have turned on this mode
8979 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8981 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8982 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8986 @section Tree Display
8989 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8990 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
8991 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8992 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8995 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8998 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8999 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9000 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9002 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9003 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9004 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9005 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9006 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9008 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9009 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9010 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9011 default is @code{modeline}.
9013 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9014 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9015 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9016 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9017 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9018 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9019 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9025 The name of the poster.
9027 The @code{From} header.
9029 The number of the article.
9031 The opening bracket.
9033 The closing bracket.
9038 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9040 Variables related to the display are:
9043 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9044 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9045 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9046 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9047 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9048 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9050 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9051 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9052 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9053 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9057 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9058 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9059 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9060 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9061 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9062 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9063 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9064 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9065 other windows displayed next to it.
9067 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9068 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9069 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9070 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9071 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9072 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9073 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9077 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9080 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9090 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9094 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9095 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9097 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9099 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9104 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9105 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9106 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9109 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9110 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9111 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9112 (gnus-add-configuration
9116 (summary 0.75 point)
9121 @xref{Window Layout}.
9124 @node Mail Group Commands
9125 @section Mail Group Commands
9126 @cindex mail group commands
9128 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9129 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9131 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9132 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9137 @kindex B e (Summary)
9138 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9139 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9140 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9141 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9142 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9145 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9146 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9147 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9148 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9149 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9150 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9153 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9154 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9155 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9156 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9157 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9158 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9161 @kindex B m (Summary)
9163 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9164 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9165 Move the article from one mail group to another
9166 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9167 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9170 @kindex B c (Summary)
9172 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9173 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9174 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9175 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9176 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9179 @kindex B B (Summary)
9180 @cindex crosspost mail
9181 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9182 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9183 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9184 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9185 be properly updated.
9188 @kindex B i (Summary)
9189 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9190 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9191 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9192 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9195 @kindex B r (Summary)
9196 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9197 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9198 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9199 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9200 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9201 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9202 (which is the default).
9206 @kindex B w (Summary)
9208 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9209 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9210 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9211 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9212 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9213 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9216 @kindex B q (Summary)
9217 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9218 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9219 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9220 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9223 @kindex B t (Summary)
9224 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9225 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9226 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9229 @kindex B p (Summary)
9230 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9231 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9232 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9233 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9234 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9235 article from your news server (or rather, from
9236 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9237 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9238 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9239 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9240 just not have arrived yet.
9244 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9245 @cindex moving articles
9246 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9247 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9248 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9249 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9250 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9251 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9252 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9255 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9256 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9257 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9258 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9262 @node Various Summary Stuff
9263 @section Various Summary Stuff
9266 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9267 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9268 * Summary Generation Commands::
9269 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9273 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9274 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9275 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9277 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9278 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9279 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9280 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9281 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9282 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9285 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9286 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9287 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9288 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9289 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9291 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9292 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9293 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9296 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9297 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9298 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9299 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9300 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9301 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9302 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9303 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9304 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9305 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9307 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9308 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9309 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9310 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9311 list of articles to be selected.
9313 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9314 the list in one particular group:
9317 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9318 (if (string= group "some.group")
9319 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9323 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9324 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9325 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9326 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9327 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9328 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9329 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9330 buffers. For example:
9333 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9334 '(message-use-followup-to
9335 (gnus-visible-headers .
9336 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9342 @node Summary Group Information
9343 @subsection Summary Group Information
9348 @kindex H f (Summary)
9349 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9350 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9351 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9352 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9353 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9354 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9355 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9356 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9357 be used for fetching the file.
9360 @kindex H d (Summary)
9361 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9362 Give a brief description of the current group
9363 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9364 rereading the description from the server.
9367 @kindex H h (Summary)
9368 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9369 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9370 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9373 @kindex H i (Summary)
9374 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9375 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9379 @node Searching for Articles
9380 @subsection Searching for Articles
9385 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9386 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9387 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9388 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9391 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9392 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9393 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9394 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9398 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9399 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9400 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9401 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9402 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9403 search backward instead.
9405 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9406 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9409 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9410 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9411 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9412 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9415 @node Summary Generation Commands
9416 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9421 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9422 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9423 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9426 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9427 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9428 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9429 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9434 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9435 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9441 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9442 @kindex A D (Summary)
9443 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9444 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9445 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9446 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9447 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9448 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9449 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9450 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9454 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9455 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9456 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9457 several documents into one biiig group
9458 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9459 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9460 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9461 command understands the process/prefix convention
9462 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9465 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9466 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9467 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9468 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9469 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9470 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9474 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9475 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9476 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9479 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9480 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9481 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9482 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9485 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9486 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9487 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9488 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9493 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9494 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9495 @cindex summary exit
9496 @cindex exiting groups
9498 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9499 group and return you to the group buffer.
9505 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9507 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9508 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9509 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9510 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9511 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9512 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9513 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9514 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9515 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9516 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9517 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9521 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9523 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9524 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9525 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9529 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9531 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9532 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9533 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9534 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9537 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9538 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9539 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9540 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9543 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9544 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9545 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9546 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9549 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9550 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9551 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9552 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9553 all articles, both read and unread.
9557 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9558 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9559 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9560 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9561 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9562 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9563 articles, both read and unread.
9566 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9567 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9568 Exit the group and go to the next group
9569 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9572 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9573 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9574 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9575 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9578 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9579 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9580 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9581 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9582 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9583 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9586 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9587 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9588 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9589 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9591 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9592 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9593 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9594 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9595 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9596 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9597 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9598 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9599 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9600 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9601 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9602 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9604 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9606 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9607 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9608 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9609 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9610 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9611 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9612 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9613 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9614 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9617 @node Crosspost Handling
9618 @section Crosspost Handling
9622 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9623 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9624 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9625 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9626 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9627 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9630 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9631 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9632 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9633 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9634 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9636 @cindex cross-posting
9639 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9640 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9641 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9642 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9643 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9644 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9645 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9646 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9647 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9648 the cross reference mechanism.
9650 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9651 @cindex overview.fmt
9652 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9653 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9654 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9655 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9656 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9657 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9660 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9661 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9662 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9667 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9670 @node Duplicate Suppression
9671 @section Duplicate Suppression
9673 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9674 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9675 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9676 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9681 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9682 is evil and not very common.
9685 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9686 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9689 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9690 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9693 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9696 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9697 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9699 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9700 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9701 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9702 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9703 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9704 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9705 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9708 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9709 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9710 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9711 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9712 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9716 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9717 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9718 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9720 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9721 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9722 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9723 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9724 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
9725 session are suppressed.
9727 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9728 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9729 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9730 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9732 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9733 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9734 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9735 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9738 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
9739 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9740 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9741 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9742 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
9743 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9744 to you to figure out, I think.
9749 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
9750 The formats that are supported are PGP (plain text, RFC 1991 format),
9751 PGP/MIME (RFC 2015/3156) and S/MIME, however you need some external
9752 programs to get things to work:
9756 To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
9757 gpg.el as well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG). @xref{Using GPG}.
9760 To verify or decrypt S/MIME message, you need to install OpenSSL.
9761 OpenSSL 0.9.6 or newer is recommended.
9765 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
9766 manual. @xref{Security, ,Security, message, The Message Manual}.
9769 @item mm-verify-option
9770 @vindex mm-verify-option
9771 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9772 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9773 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9775 @item mm-decrypt-option
9776 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9777 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9778 @code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
9779 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9784 @section Mailing List
9786 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
9787 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
9788 possibly using @kbd{A M} in the summary buffer, or say:
9791 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
9794 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
9799 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
9800 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
9801 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
9804 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
9805 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
9806 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
9809 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
9810 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
9811 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
9815 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
9816 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
9817 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
9820 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
9821 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9822 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
9825 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
9826 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9827 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
9831 @node Article Buffer
9832 @chapter Article Buffer
9833 @cindex article buffer
9835 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9836 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9837 tell Gnus otherwise.
9840 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9841 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9842 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9843 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9844 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9848 @node Hiding Headers
9849 @section Hiding Headers
9850 @cindex hiding headers
9851 @cindex deleting headers
9853 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9854 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9856 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9857 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9858 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9859 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9860 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9861 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9862 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9863 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9864 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9866 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9870 @item gnus-visible-headers
9871 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9872 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9873 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9874 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9876 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9877 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9880 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9883 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9886 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9887 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9888 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9889 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9890 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9891 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9893 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
9894 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
9897 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9900 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9903 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9904 variable will have no effect.
9908 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9909 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9910 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9911 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9912 the headers are to be displayed.
9914 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9915 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9918 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9921 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9922 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9924 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9925 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9926 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9927 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
9928 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9929 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9930 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9933 These conditions are:
9936 Remove all empty headers.
9938 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9939 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9941 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9944 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9947 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
9948 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
9950 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9953 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9955 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9958 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
9961 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9962 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9965 This is also the default value for this variable.
9972 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9973 while people stand around yawning.
9975 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9976 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9978 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9979 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9980 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9982 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
9983 @findex gnus-display-mime
9984 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
9985 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
9986 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
9987 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
9989 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
9993 @findex gnus-article-press-button
9995 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
9996 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
9997 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
9999 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10000 @item M-RET (Article)
10002 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10003 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10005 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10007 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10008 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10010 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10012 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10013 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10015 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10017 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10018 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10020 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10021 @item C-o (Article)
10022 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10023 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10024 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10025 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10026 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10027 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10029 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10031 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10032 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
10034 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10036 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10037 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10038 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10039 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10040 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10043 @findex gnus-mime-internalize-part
10045 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10046 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10047 (@code{gnus-mime-internalize-part}).
10049 @findex gnus-mime-externalize-part
10051 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10052 (@code{gnus-mime-externalize-part}).
10054 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10056 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10058 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10060 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10061 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10065 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10066 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
10069 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10070 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10071 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10072 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10073 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10074 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10075 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10076 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10077 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10079 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10081 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10084 @node Customizing Articles
10085 @section Customizing Articles
10086 @cindex article customization
10088 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10089 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10090 called automatically when you select the articles.
10092 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10093 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10094 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10095 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10097 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10098 for sensible values.
10102 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10105 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10108 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10111 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10114 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10118 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10119 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10120 regexps in the list.
10123 A list where the first element is not a string:
10125 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10126 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10127 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10131 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10136 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10137 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10138 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10139 considered to contain just a single part.
10141 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10142 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10143 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10144 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10145 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10146 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10147 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10149 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10150 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10151 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10152 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10155 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10156 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10157 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10158 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10159 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10160 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10161 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10162 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10163 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10164 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10165 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
10166 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10167 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10168 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10169 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10170 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10171 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10172 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10173 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10174 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10175 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10176 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10177 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10178 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10179 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10180 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10181 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10182 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10183 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10184 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10185 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10186 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10187 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10188 @item gnus-treat-translate
10189 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10192 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10193 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10194 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10195 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10196 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10200 @node Article Keymap
10201 @section Article Keymap
10203 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10204 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10205 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10206 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10209 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10214 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10215 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10216 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10219 @kindex DEL (Article)
10220 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10221 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10224 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10225 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10226 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10227 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10228 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10231 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10232 @findex gnus-article-mail
10233 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10234 given a prefix, include the mail.
10237 @kindex s (Article)
10238 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10239 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10240 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10243 @kindex ? (Article)
10244 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10245 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10246 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10249 @kindex TAB (Article)
10250 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10251 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10252 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10255 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10256 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10257 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10263 @section Misc Article
10267 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10268 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10269 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10270 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10273 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10274 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10276 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10277 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10279 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10280 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10281 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10282 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10283 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10284 the contents of the article buffer.
10286 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10287 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10288 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10290 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10291 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10292 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10293 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10295 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10296 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10297 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10298 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10299 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10305 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10306 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10307 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10312 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10315 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10318 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10319 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10320 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10323 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10326 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10329 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10334 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10338 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10340 @item gnus-break-pages
10341 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10342 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10343 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10344 paging will not be done.
10346 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10347 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10348 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10353 @node Composing Messages
10354 @chapter Composing Messages
10355 @cindex composing messages
10358 @cindex sending mail
10364 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10365 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10366 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10367 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
10368 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10369 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10372 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10373 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
10374 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10375 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10376 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10377 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10378 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10379 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
10382 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10383 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10389 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10392 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10393 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10394 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10395 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10397 @item gnus-add-to-list
10398 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10399 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10400 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10405 @node Posting Server
10406 @section Posting Server
10408 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10409 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10411 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10413 @vindex gnus-post-method
10415 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
10416 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
10417 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
10418 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
10419 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
10420 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
10421 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10424 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10427 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10428 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10429 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10430 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10432 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10433 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10435 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10436 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10439 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10440 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10443 @node Mail and Post
10444 @section Mail and Post
10446 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10450 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10451 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10452 @cindex mailing lists
10454 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10455 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10456 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10457 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10458 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10459 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10460 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10461 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10462 still a pain, though.
10466 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10467 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10468 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10471 @findex ispell-message
10473 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10476 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10477 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10480 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10484 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10485 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10487 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10490 Modify to suit your needs.
10493 @node Archived Messages
10494 @section Archived Messages
10495 @cindex archived messages
10496 @cindex sent messages
10498 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10499 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10500 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10501 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10504 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10505 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
10506 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10509 (nnfolder "archive"
10510 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10511 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10512 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10513 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10516 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10517 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10518 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10519 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10522 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10523 '(nnfolder "archive"
10524 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10525 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10526 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10529 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10531 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10532 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10533 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10535 This variable can be used to do the following:
10540 Messages will be saved in that group.
10542 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10543 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10544 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10545 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10546 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10547 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10548 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10549 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10553 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10555 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10556 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10559 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
10564 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
10566 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
10569 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
10571 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
10574 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
10576 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10577 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
10578 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
10579 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
10582 More complex stuff:
10584 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10585 '((if (message-news-p)
10590 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
10591 messages in one file per month:
10594 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10595 '((if (message-news-p)
10597 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
10600 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
10601 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
10603 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
10604 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
10605 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
10606 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
10607 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
10608 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
10609 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
10610 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
10611 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
10612 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
10614 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
10615 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
10616 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
10617 this will disable archiving.
10620 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
10621 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
10622 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
10623 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
10624 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
10627 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
10628 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
10629 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
10632 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
10633 but the latter is the preferred method.
10635 @item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
10636 @vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
10637 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
10642 @node Posting Styles
10643 @section Posting Styles
10644 @cindex posting styles
10647 All them variables, they make my head swim.
10649 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
10650 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
10651 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
10654 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
10655 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
10656 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
10657 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
10658 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
10663 (signature "Peace and happiness")
10664 (organization "What me?"))
10666 (signature "Death to everybody"))
10667 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
10668 (organization "Emacs is it")))
10671 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
10672 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
10673 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
10674 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
10675 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
10676 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
10677 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
10678 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
10680 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
10681 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
10682 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
10683 next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
10684 the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
10685 will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
10686 variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
10687 @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
10688 then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
10690 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
10691 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
10692 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
10693 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
10694 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
10695 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
10696 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
10697 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
10698 result is thrown away.
10700 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
10701 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
10702 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
10703 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
10704 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
10705 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
10707 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
10708 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
10709 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
10711 @findex message-mail-p
10712 @findex message-news-p
10714 So here's a new example:
10717 (setq gnus-posting-styles
10719 (signature-file "~/.signature")
10721 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
10722 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
10724 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
10725 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
10726 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
10728 (signature my-news-signature))
10729 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
10730 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
10731 ((posting-from-work-p)
10732 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
10733 (address "user@@bar.foo")
10734 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
10735 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
10737 (From (save-excursion
10738 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
10739 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
10741 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
10744 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
10745 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
10746 if you fill many roles.
10753 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10754 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10755 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10756 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10757 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10759 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10760 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10761 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10762 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10763 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10767 @vindex nndraft-directory
10768 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10769 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10770 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10771 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10772 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10773 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10775 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10776 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10779 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10780 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10781 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10782 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10783 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10784 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10785 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10786 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10787 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10788 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10789 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10790 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10791 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10792 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10794 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10795 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10796 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10798 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10799 @kindex D e (Draft)
10800 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10801 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10802 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10804 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10807 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10808 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10809 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10810 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10811 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10812 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10813 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10816 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10817 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10818 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10821 @node Rejected Articles
10822 @section Rejected Articles
10823 @cindex rejected articles
10825 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10826 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10827 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10828 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10830 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
10831 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10832 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10833 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
10834 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10836 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10837 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10838 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10844 Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
10845 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
10846 verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
10848 To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
10849 @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10853 (setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
10854 (setq mml1991-use 'gpg)
10855 (setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
10858 The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
10859 to 700, for your own safety.
10861 If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
10862 @file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
10866 exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
10869 If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
10870 your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10873 (setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
10876 To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
10877 menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME,
10878 @kbd{C-c C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also
10879 @kbd{C-c C-m c p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c
10880 C-m c s} to encrypt using S/MIME. @xref{Security, ,Security, message,
10881 The Message Manual}.
10883 Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
10884 you've typed it correctly.
10886 @node Select Methods
10887 @chapter Select Methods
10888 @cindex foreign groups
10889 @cindex select methods
10891 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
10892 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
10893 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
10894 personal mail group.
10896 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
10897 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
10898 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
10899 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
10900 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
10901 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
10903 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
10904 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
10906 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
10909 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
10910 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
10911 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
10912 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
10913 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
10915 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
10918 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
10919 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
10920 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
10921 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
10922 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
10923 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
10924 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
10925 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
10929 @node Server Buffer
10930 @section Server Buffer
10932 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
10933 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
10934 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
10935 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
10936 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
10937 back end represents a virtual server.
10939 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
10940 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
10941 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
10942 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
10944 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
10945 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
10946 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
10947 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
10948 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
10949 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
10950 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
10952 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
10953 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
10956 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
10957 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
10958 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
10959 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
10960 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
10961 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
10962 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
10965 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
10966 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10969 @node Server Buffer Format
10970 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10971 @cindex server buffer format
10973 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10974 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10975 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10976 variable, with some simple extensions:
10981 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
10984 The name of this server.
10987 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10990 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10993 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10994 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10995 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10996 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11006 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11009 @node Server Commands
11010 @subsection Server Commands
11011 @cindex server commands
11017 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11018 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11022 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11023 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11026 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11027 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11028 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11032 @findex gnus-server-exit
11033 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11037 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11038 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11042 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11043 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11047 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11048 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11052 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11053 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11057 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11058 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11059 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11064 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11065 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11066 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11067 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11072 @node Example Methods
11073 @subsection Example Methods
11075 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11078 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11081 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11087 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11088 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11091 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11092 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11094 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11095 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11099 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11102 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11103 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11105 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11106 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11107 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11111 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11114 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11117 Here's the method for a public spool:
11121 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11122 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11128 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11129 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11130 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11131 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11132 should probably look something like this:
11136 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11137 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11138 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11139 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11142 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11143 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11144 configuration to the example above:
11147 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11150 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11151 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11152 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11156 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11157 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11158 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11159 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11162 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11163 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11164 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11165 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11168 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11169 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11171 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11172 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11174 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11175 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11176 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11178 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11180 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11181 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11182 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11183 will contain the following:
11193 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11194 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11195 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11198 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11199 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11200 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11203 @node Server Variables
11204 @subsection Server Variables
11206 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11207 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11208 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11209 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11210 won't change the "derived" variables.
11212 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11213 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11214 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11215 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11216 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11217 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11218 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11219 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11220 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11224 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11225 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11226 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11230 @node Servers and Methods
11231 @subsection Servers and Methods
11233 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11234 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11235 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11236 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11240 @node Unavailable Servers
11241 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11243 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11244 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11245 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11246 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11247 actually the case or not.
11249 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11250 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11251 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11252 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11253 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11254 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11255 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11256 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11258 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11259 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11261 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11262 with the following commands:
11268 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11269 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11270 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11274 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11275 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11276 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11280 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11281 Mark the current server as unreachable
11282 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11285 @kindex M-o (Server)
11286 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11287 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11288 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11291 @kindex M-c (Server)
11292 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11293 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11294 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11298 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11299 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11300 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11306 @section Getting News
11307 @cindex reading news
11308 @cindex news back ends
11310 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11311 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11312 or it can read from a local spool.
11315 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11316 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11321 @subsection @sc{nntp}
11324 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11325 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11326 server as the, uhm, address.
11328 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11329 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11330 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11331 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11333 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11334 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11335 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11337 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11342 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11343 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11344 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11346 @cindex authentification
11347 @cindex nntp authentification
11348 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11349 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11350 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11351 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11352 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11353 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11354 present in this hook.
11356 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11357 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11358 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11359 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11360 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11361 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11362 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11363 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11364 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11365 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11366 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11367 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11371 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11374 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11376 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11377 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11378 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11379 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11380 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11381 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11382 @samp{force} is explained below.
11386 Here's an example file:
11389 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11390 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11393 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11394 have to be first, for instance.
11396 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11397 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11398 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11399 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11400 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11401 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11402 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11404 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11405 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11411 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11412 previously mentioned.
11414 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11416 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11417 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11418 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11419 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11420 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11423 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11424 '(("innd" (ding))))
11427 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11429 The default value is
11432 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11433 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11434 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11437 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11438 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11440 @item nntp-maximum-request
11441 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11442 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11443 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11444 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11445 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11446 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11447 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11449 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11450 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11451 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11452 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11453 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11454 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11455 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11456 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11457 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11458 no timeouts are done.
11460 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11461 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11462 @c @cindex PPP connections
11463 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11464 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11465 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11466 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11467 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11468 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11469 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11470 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11471 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11472 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11474 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11475 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11476 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11477 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11478 @c described above.
11480 @item nntp-server-hook
11481 @vindex nntp-server-hook
11482 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
11485 @item nntp-buggy-select
11486 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
11487 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
11489 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
11490 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
11491 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
11492 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
11495 @item nntp-xover-commands
11496 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
11499 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
11500 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
11504 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
11505 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
11506 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
11507 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
11508 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
11509 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
11510 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
11511 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
11512 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
11513 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
11514 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
11516 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
11517 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
11518 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
11520 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11521 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11522 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
11523 server closes connection.
11525 @item nntp-record-commands
11526 @vindex nntp-record-commands
11527 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
11528 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
11529 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
11530 that doesn't seem to work.
11532 @item nntp-open-connection-function
11533 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
11534 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
11535 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
11536 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
11537 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
11538 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
11539 indirect ones (two pre-made).
11541 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
11542 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
11543 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
11544 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
11545 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
11546 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
11547 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
11550 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
11555 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
11556 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
11557 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
11561 @node Direct Functions
11562 @subsubsection Direct Functions
11563 @cindex direct connection functions
11565 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
11566 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
11567 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
11568 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11571 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
11572 @item nntp-open-network-stream
11573 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
11576 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
11577 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
11578 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
11579 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
11580 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
11581 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
11582 define a server as follows:
11585 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
11587 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
11589 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
11590 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
11591 (nntp-port-number "snews")
11592 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
11595 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
11596 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
11597 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
11598 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
11599 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
11600 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
11601 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
11602 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
11606 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11607 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
11608 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
11611 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
11612 session, which is not a good idea.
11616 @node Indirect Functions
11617 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
11618 @cindex indirect connection functions
11620 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
11621 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
11622 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
11623 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
11624 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
11625 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11628 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11629 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11630 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
11631 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
11632 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
11634 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11637 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
11638 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
11639 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
11640 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
11643 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11644 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11645 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
11646 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
11648 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11651 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
11652 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
11653 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
11656 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
11657 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
11658 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
11659 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
11661 @item nntp-via-user-password
11662 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
11663 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
11665 @item nntp-via-envuser
11666 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
11667 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
11668 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
11669 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
11671 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
11672 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
11673 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
11674 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
11681 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
11686 @item nntp-via-user-name
11687 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
11688 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
11690 @item nntp-via-address
11691 @vindex nntp-via-address
11692 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
11697 @node Common Variables
11698 @subsubsection Common Variables
11700 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
11701 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
11706 @item nntp-pre-command
11707 @vindex nntp-pre-command
11708 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
11709 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
11710 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
11711 wrapper for instance.
11714 @vindex nntp-address
11715 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
11717 @item nntp-port-number
11718 @vindex nntp-port-number
11719 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
11721 @item nntp-end-of-line
11722 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
11723 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
11724 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
11725 using a non native connection function.
11727 @item nntp-telnet-command
11728 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
11729 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
11730 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
11731 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
11733 @item nntp-telnet-switches
11734 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
11735 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
11742 @subsection News Spool
11746 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
11747 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
11748 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
11751 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
11752 anything else) as the address.
11754 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
11755 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
11756 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
11757 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
11761 @item nnspool-inews-program
11762 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
11763 Program used to post an article.
11765 @item nnspool-inews-switches
11766 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
11767 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
11769 @item nnspool-spool-directory
11770 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
11771 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
11772 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
11774 @item nnspool-nov-directory
11775 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
11776 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
11777 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
11779 @item nnspool-lib-dir
11780 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
11781 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
11783 @item nnspool-active-file
11784 @vindex nnspool-active-file
11785 The path to the active file.
11787 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
11788 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
11789 The path to the group descriptions file.
11791 @item nnspool-history-file
11792 @vindex nnspool-history-file
11793 The path to the news history file.
11795 @item nnspool-active-times-file
11796 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
11797 The path to the active date file.
11799 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
11800 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
11801 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
11804 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11805 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11807 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
11808 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
11809 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
11815 @section Getting Mail
11816 @cindex reading mail
11819 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
11823 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
11824 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
11825 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
11826 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
11827 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
11828 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
11829 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
11830 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
11831 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
11832 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
11833 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
11834 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
11835 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
11836 * Archiving Mail:: How to backup your mail.
11840 @node Mail in a Newsreader
11841 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
11843 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
11844 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
11845 of a culture shock.
11847 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
11848 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
11850 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
11851 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
11852 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
11853 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
11855 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
11857 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
11858 deleted? How awful!
11860 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
11861 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
11862 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
11863 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
11866 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
11867 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
11868 they want to treat a message.
11870 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
11871 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
11872 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
11873 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
11874 archived somewhere else.
11876 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
11877 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
11878 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
11879 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
11880 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
11882 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
11883 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
11884 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
11886 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
11887 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
11890 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
11891 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
11892 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
11893 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
11894 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
11896 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
11897 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
11898 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
11899 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
11900 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
11901 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
11905 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
11906 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
11908 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
11909 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
11910 and things will happen automatically.
11912 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
11913 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
11916 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
11919 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
11920 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
11921 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
11922 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
11923 like any other group.
11925 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
11928 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11929 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11930 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11934 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
11935 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
11936 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
11939 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
11940 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
11941 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
11944 @node Splitting Mail
11945 @subsection Splitting Mail
11946 @cindex splitting mail
11947 @cindex mail splitting
11949 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
11950 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
11951 to be split into groups.
11954 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11955 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11956 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11957 ("mail.other" "")))
11960 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
11961 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
11962 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
11963 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
11964 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
11965 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
11966 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
11969 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
11972 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
11973 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
11974 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
11975 mail belongs in that group.
11977 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
11978 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
11979 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
11980 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
11981 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
11982 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
11984 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
11985 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
11986 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
11987 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
11988 thinks should carry this mail message.
11990 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
11991 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
11992 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
11993 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
11995 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
11996 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
11997 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
11998 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
11999 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12001 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12004 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12005 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12006 links. If that's the case for you, set
12007 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12008 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12010 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12011 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12012 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12013 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12014 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12015 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12018 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12019 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12020 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12021 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12022 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12023 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12024 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12025 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12026 month's rent money.
12030 @subsection Mail Sources
12032 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12033 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12037 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12038 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12039 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12043 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12044 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12046 @cindex mail server
12049 @cindex mail source
12051 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12052 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12057 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12060 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12061 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12062 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12065 The following mail source types are available:
12069 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12075 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12076 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
12079 An example file mail source:
12082 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12085 Or using the default path:
12091 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12092 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12093 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12096 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12100 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12103 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12107 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12110 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12112 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12115 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12119 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
12120 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
12121 That is, mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in the
12122 group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12123 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12124 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus
12125 to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you
12126 want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12132 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12136 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12140 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12141 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12142 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12143 predicate are considered.
12147 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12151 An example directory mail source:
12154 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12159 Get mail from a POP server.
12165 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12166 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12169 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12170 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12171 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12172 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12173 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12176 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12180 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12184 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12185 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12188 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12191 The valid format specifier characters are:
12195 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12196 included in this string.
12199 The name of the server.
12202 The port number of the server.
12205 The user name to use.
12208 The password to use.
12211 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12212 corresponding keywords.
12215 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12216 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12219 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12220 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12223 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12224 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12227 @item :authentication
12228 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12229 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12234 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12235 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12237 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12238 default user name, and default fetcher:
12244 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12247 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12248 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12251 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12254 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12258 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12259 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12260 contains exactly one mail.
12266 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12267 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12270 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12271 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12273 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12274 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12275 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12278 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12279 from locking problems).
12283 Two example maildir mail sources:
12286 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12287 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12291 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12296 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12297 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12298 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12299 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12302 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12303 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12309 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12310 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12313 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12314 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12317 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12321 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12325 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12326 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12327 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12328 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12330 @item :authentication
12331 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12332 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12333 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12334 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12337 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12338 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12339 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12345 The valid format specifier characters are:
12349 The name of the server.
12352 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12355 The port number of the server.
12358 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12359 corresponding keywords.
12362 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12363 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12366 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12367 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12368 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12369 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
12370 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12371 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
12374 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12375 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12376 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12377 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
12380 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
12381 after finishing the fetch.
12385 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
12388 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
12390 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
12394 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
12395 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
12397 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
12400 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
12401 required for url "4.0pre.46".
12403 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
12409 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
12410 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
12413 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
12417 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
12421 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
12422 folder after finishing the fetch.
12426 An example webmail source:
12429 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
12431 :password "secret")
12436 @item Common Keywords
12437 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
12443 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
12444 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
12448 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
12453 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
12454 useful when you use local mail and news.
12459 @subsubsection Function Interface
12461 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
12462 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
12463 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
12464 consider the following mail-source setting:
12467 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
12468 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
12471 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
12472 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
12473 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
12474 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
12475 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
12477 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
12480 @node Mail Source Customization
12481 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
12483 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
12484 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
12488 @item mail-source-crash-box
12489 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
12490 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
12491 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
12493 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
12494 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
12495 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
12497 @item mail-source-directory
12498 @vindex mail-source-directory
12499 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
12500 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
12501 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
12504 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12505 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12506 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
12507 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
12508 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
12509 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
12511 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
12512 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
12513 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
12515 @item mail-source-movemail-program
12516 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
12517 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
12518 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
12523 @node Fetching Mail
12524 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
12526 @vindex mail-sources
12527 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
12528 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
12529 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
12530 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
12532 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
12533 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
12536 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
12537 mail server, you'd say something like:
12542 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12543 :password "secret")))
12546 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
12550 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
12551 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12554 :password "secret")))
12558 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
12559 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
12560 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
12561 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
12562 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
12563 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
12567 @node Mail Back End Variables
12568 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
12570 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
12574 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12575 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12576 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
12577 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
12579 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
12580 @item nnmail-split-hook
12581 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
12582 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
12583 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
12584 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
12585 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
12586 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
12587 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
12588 in the buffer will show up in any files.
12589 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
12592 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12593 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12594 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12595 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12596 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
12597 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
12598 starting to handle the new mail) and
12599 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
12600 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
12601 default file modes the new mail files get:
12604 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12605 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
12607 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12608 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
12611 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
12612 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
12613 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
12614 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
12615 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
12616 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
12617 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
12619 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
12620 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
12621 @findex delete-file
12622 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
12624 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12625 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12626 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
12627 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
12628 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
12633 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
12634 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
12635 @cindex mail splitting
12636 @cindex fancy mail splitting
12638 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
12639 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
12640 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
12641 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
12642 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
12643 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
12645 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
12648 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
12649 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
12650 ;; from real errors.
12651 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
12653 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
12654 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
12655 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
12656 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
12657 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
12658 ;; Other mailing lists...
12659 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
12660 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
12661 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
12662 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
12663 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
12664 ;; message was really cross-posted.
12665 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
12666 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
12668 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
12669 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
12673 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
12674 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
12675 the five possible split syntaxes:
12680 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
12681 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
12685 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
12686 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
12687 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
12688 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
12689 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
12690 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
12691 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
12692 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
12695 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12696 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
12697 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
12698 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
12701 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12702 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
12705 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
12706 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
12709 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
12710 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
12711 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
12712 function should return a @var{split}.
12715 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
12716 body of the messages:
12719 (defun split-on-body ()
12721 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
12722 (goto-char (point-min))
12723 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
12727 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
12728 when the @code{:} function is run.
12731 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12732 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
12733 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
12737 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
12741 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
12742 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
12743 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
12744 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
12745 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
12747 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
12748 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
12749 are expanded as specified by the variable
12750 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
12751 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
12754 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
12755 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
12756 when all this splitting is performed.
12758 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
12759 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
12760 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
12763 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
12766 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
12767 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
12769 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
12770 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
12771 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
12772 groupings 1 through 9.
12774 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
12775 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
12776 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
12777 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
12778 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
12779 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
12780 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
12781 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
12782 it once per thread.
12784 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
12785 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
12786 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
12789 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12790 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
12791 ;; other splits go here
12795 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
12796 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
12797 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
12798 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
12799 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
12800 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
12801 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
12802 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
12803 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
12804 unless the group name matches the regexp
12805 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
12806 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
12807 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
12808 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
12809 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12810 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
12811 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
12812 messages goes into the new group.
12815 @node Group Mail Splitting
12816 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
12817 @cindex mail splitting
12818 @cindex group mail splitting
12820 @findex gnus-group-split
12821 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
12822 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
12823 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
12824 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
12825 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
12826 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
12827 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
12828 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
12830 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
12831 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
12832 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
12833 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
12835 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
12836 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
12837 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
12838 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
12839 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
12840 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
12841 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
12843 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
12844 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
12845 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
12846 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
12847 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
12848 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
12849 @code{gnus-group-split}.
12851 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
12852 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
12853 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
12854 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
12855 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
12856 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
12857 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
12858 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
12859 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
12860 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
12861 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
12862 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
12863 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
12865 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
12870 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
12871 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
12873 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
12874 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
12875 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
12876 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
12878 ((split-spec . catch-all))
12881 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
12882 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
12883 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
12886 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
12887 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
12888 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
12892 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
12893 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
12894 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
12898 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
12901 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
12902 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
12903 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
12904 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
12905 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
12906 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
12907 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
12908 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
12909 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
12911 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
12912 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
12913 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
12914 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
12915 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
12916 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
12917 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
12918 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
12919 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
12921 @findex gnus-group-split-update
12922 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
12923 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
12924 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
12925 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
12926 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
12929 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
12932 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
12933 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
12934 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
12935 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
12936 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
12939 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
12940 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
12941 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
12942 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
12944 @node Incorporating Old Mail
12945 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
12946 @cindex incorporating old mail
12947 @cindex import old mail
12949 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
12950 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
12951 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
12954 Doing so can be quite easy.
12956 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
12957 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
12958 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
12959 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
12960 your @code{nnml} groups.
12966 Go to the group buffer.
12969 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
12970 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12973 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
12976 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
12977 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12980 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
12981 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12984 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
12985 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
12986 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
12987 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
12988 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
12990 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
12991 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
12992 using the new mail back end.
12995 @node Expiring Mail
12996 @subsection Expiring Mail
12997 @cindex article expiry
12999 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13000 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13001 different approach to mail reading.
13003 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13004 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13005 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13006 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13007 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13008 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13011 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13012 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13013 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13014 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13015 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13016 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13017 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13018 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13020 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13021 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13022 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13023 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13024 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13025 column in the summary buffer.
13027 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13028 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13029 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13030 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13033 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13035 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13036 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13037 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13040 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13041 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13042 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13043 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13044 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13046 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13047 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13050 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13051 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13054 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13055 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13057 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13058 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13059 don't really mix very well.
13061 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13062 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13063 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13064 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13067 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13068 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13069 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13070 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13073 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13075 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13077 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13079 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13081 ((string= group "important")
13087 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13088 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13090 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13091 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13092 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13095 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13096 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13098 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13099 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13100 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
13101 other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
13102 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
13103 variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
13104 overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
13105 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
13106 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
13107 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
13108 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
13109 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
13112 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13114 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13117 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13118 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13119 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13120 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13121 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13124 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13125 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13126 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13127 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13128 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13131 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13132 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13133 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13134 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13135 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13136 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13138 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13139 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13140 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13141 easier for procmail users.
13143 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13144 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13145 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13146 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13147 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13148 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13149 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13150 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13151 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13152 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13153 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13154 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13155 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13158 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13160 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13161 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13162 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13163 auto-expire turned on.
13167 @subsection Washing Mail
13168 @cindex mail washing
13169 @cindex list server brain damage
13170 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13172 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13173 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13174 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13175 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13176 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13177 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13179 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13180 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13181 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13184 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13185 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13186 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13187 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13190 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13191 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13192 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13193 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13194 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13197 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13198 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13199 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13200 Emacs running on MS machines.
13204 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13205 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13206 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13207 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13210 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13211 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13212 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13213 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13215 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13216 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13217 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13218 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13219 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13220 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13221 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13224 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13225 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13228 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13229 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13232 This can also be done non-destructively with
13233 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13235 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13236 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13237 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13239 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13240 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13242 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13243 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13244 @code{References} headers.
13248 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13249 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13250 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13254 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13255 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13256 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13263 @subsection Duplicates
13265 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13266 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13267 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13268 @cindex duplicate mails
13269 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13270 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13271 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13272 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13273 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13274 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13275 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13276 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13277 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13278 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13279 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13280 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13281 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13283 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13284 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13285 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13286 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13288 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13291 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13292 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13296 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13297 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13298 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13299 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13300 (any mail "mail.misc")
13307 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13308 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13313 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13314 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13315 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13316 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13317 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13320 @node Not Reading Mail
13321 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13323 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13324 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13325 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13327 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13328 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13329 mail, which should help.
13331 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13332 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13333 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13334 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13335 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13336 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13337 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13338 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13339 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13340 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13341 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13343 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13344 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13348 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13349 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13351 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13352 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13353 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13355 There are five different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
13356 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
13357 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
13358 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
13361 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
13362 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
13363 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
13364 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
13365 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
13366 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
13370 @node Unix Mail Box
13371 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
13373 @cindex unix mail box
13375 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13376 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13377 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
13378 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
13379 which group it belongs in.
13381 Virtual server settings:
13384 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
13385 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13386 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
13389 @item nnmbox-active-file
13390 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13391 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
13392 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
13394 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
13395 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13396 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
13397 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
13402 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
13406 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13407 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13408 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
13409 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
13410 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
13412 Virtual server settings:
13415 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
13416 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13417 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
13419 @item nnbabyl-active-file
13420 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13421 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
13422 @file{~/.rmail-active}
13424 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13425 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13426 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
13432 @subsubsection Mail Spool
13434 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
13436 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
13437 format. It should be used with some caution.
13439 @vindex nnml-directory
13440 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
13441 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
13442 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
13443 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
13445 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
13448 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
13449 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
13450 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
13451 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
13452 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
13453 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
13454 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
13455 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
13457 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
13458 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
13459 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
13460 back end when it comes to reading mail.
13462 @cindex self contained nnml servers
13463 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
13464 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13465 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13466 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
13467 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
13468 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
13469 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
13470 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
13473 Virtual server settings:
13476 @item nnml-directory
13477 @vindex nnml-directory
13478 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
13479 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
13482 @item nnml-active-file
13483 @vindex nnml-active-file
13484 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
13485 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
13487 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
13488 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
13489 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13490 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
13492 @item nnml-get-new-mail
13493 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13494 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
13497 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
13498 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
13499 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13500 default is @code{nil}.
13502 @item nnml-nov-file-name
13503 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
13504 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
13506 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13507 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13508 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
13510 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
13511 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
13512 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13513 default is @code{nil}.
13515 @item nnml-marks-file-name
13516 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
13517 The name of the @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
13521 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
13522 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
13523 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
13524 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
13525 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
13526 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
13527 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
13532 @subsubsection MH Spool
13534 @cindex mh-e mail spool
13536 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
13537 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
13538 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
13539 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
13541 Virtual server settings:
13544 @item nnmh-directory
13545 @vindex nnmh-directory
13546 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
13547 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13550 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
13551 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13552 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
13556 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
13557 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
13558 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
13559 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
13560 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
13561 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
13562 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
13567 @subsubsection Mail Folders
13569 @cindex mbox folders
13570 @cindex mail folders
13572 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
13573 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
13574 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
13577 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
13578 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
13579 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13580 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13581 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
13582 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
13583 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
13584 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
13585 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
13586 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
13587 @code{nnfolder} directory).
13589 Virtual server settings:
13592 @item nnfolder-directory
13593 @vindex nnfolder-directory
13594 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
13595 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13598 @item nnfolder-active-file
13599 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
13600 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
13602 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13603 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13604 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13605 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
13607 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
13608 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13609 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
13612 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13613 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13614 @cindex backup files
13615 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
13616 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
13617 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
13618 your @file{.emacs} file:
13621 (defun turn-off-backup ()
13622 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
13624 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
13627 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13628 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13629 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
13630 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
13631 extract some information from it before removing it.
13633 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13634 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13635 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13636 default is @code{nil}.
13638 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13639 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13640 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
13642 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
13643 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
13644 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
13645 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13647 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13648 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13649 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13650 default is @code{nil}.
13652 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13653 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13654 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
13656 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
13657 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
13658 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
13659 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13664 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
13665 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
13666 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
13667 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
13668 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
13669 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
13672 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
13673 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
13675 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
13676 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
13677 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
13678 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
13679 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
13681 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
13682 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
13683 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
13684 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
13685 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
13686 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
13687 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
13688 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
13691 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
13692 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
13693 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
13694 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
13699 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
13700 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
13701 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
13702 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
13703 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
13704 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
13705 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
13706 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
13707 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
13708 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
13709 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
13710 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
13711 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
13716 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
13717 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
13718 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
13719 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
13720 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
13721 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
13722 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
13723 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
13724 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
13725 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
13726 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
13727 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
13728 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
13729 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
13731 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
13732 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
13737 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
13738 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
13739 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
13740 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
13741 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
13742 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
13743 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
13744 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
13745 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
13746 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
13747 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
13748 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
13749 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
13750 provided by the active file and overviews.
13752 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
13753 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
13754 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
13755 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
13756 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
13759 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
13760 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
13765 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
13766 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
13767 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
13768 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
13769 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
13770 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
13771 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
13775 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
13776 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
13777 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
13778 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
13779 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
13780 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
13781 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
13782 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
13783 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
13785 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
13786 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
13787 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
13788 friendly mail back end all over.
13793 @node Browsing the Web
13794 @section Browsing the Web
13796 @cindex browsing the web
13800 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
13801 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
13802 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
13803 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
13804 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
13805 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
13806 even know what a news group is.
13808 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
13809 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
13810 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
13811 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
13812 you mad in the end.
13814 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
13817 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
13818 interfaces to these sources.
13821 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
13822 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
13823 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
13824 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
13825 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
13826 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
13829 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
13831 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
13832 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
13833 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
13834 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
13835 though, you should be ok.
13837 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
13838 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
13839 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
13840 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
13841 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
13843 @node Archiving Mail
13844 @subsection Archiving Mail
13845 @cindex archiving mail
13846 @cindex backup of mail
13848 Some of the back ends, notably nnml and nnfolder, now actually store
13849 the article marks with each group. For these servers, archiving and
13850 restoring a group while preserving marks is fairly simple.
13852 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
13853 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @code{.newsrc.eld} deity
13856 To archive an entire @code{nnml} or @code{nnfolder} server, take a
13857 recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need to shut down
13858 Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or similar. You
13859 restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and adding a server
13860 definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The @ref{Article
13861 Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things might interfer
13862 with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus before you
13865 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml} or
13866 @code{nnfolder} groups, while preserving marks. For @code{nnml}, you
13867 copy all files in the group's directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need
13868 to copy both the base folder file itself (@code{FOO}, say), and the
13869 marks file (@code{FOO.mrk} in this example). Restoring the group is
13870 done with @kbd{G m} from the Group buffer. The last step makes Gnus
13871 notice the new directory.
13874 @subsection Web Searches
13878 @cindex InReference
13879 @cindex Usenet searches
13880 @cindex searching the Usenet
13882 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
13883 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
13884 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
13885 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
13886 searches without having to use a browser.
13888 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
13889 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
13890 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
13891 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
13892 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
13894 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
13895 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
13896 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
13897 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
13898 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
13899 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
13900 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
13901 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
13902 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
13903 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
13906 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
13907 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
13908 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
13909 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
13910 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
13911 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
13913 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
13914 to use @code{nnweb}.
13916 Virtual server variables:
13921 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
13922 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
13926 @vindex nnweb-search
13927 The search string to feed to the search engine.
13929 @item nnweb-max-hits
13930 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
13931 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
13934 @item nnweb-type-definition
13935 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
13936 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
13937 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
13942 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
13946 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
13949 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
13952 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
13956 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
13963 @subsection Slashdot
13967 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
13968 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
13969 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
13971 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
13972 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
13975 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13976 '((nnslashdot "")))
13979 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
13980 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
13981 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
13982 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
13983 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
13986 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
13987 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13989 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
13990 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
13991 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
13992 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
13993 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
13994 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
13997 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14000 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14001 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14002 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14003 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14004 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14005 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14006 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14008 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14009 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14010 The login name to use when posting.
14012 @item nnslashdot-password
14013 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14014 The password to use when posting.
14016 @item nnslashdot-directory
14017 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14018 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14019 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14021 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14022 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14023 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14024 news articles and comments. The default is
14025 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14027 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14028 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14029 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14031 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14033 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14034 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14035 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14037 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14039 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14040 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14041 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14043 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14044 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14045 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14046 updated. The default is 0.
14053 @subsection Ultimate
14055 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14057 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14058 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14059 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14060 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14062 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14063 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14064 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14065 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14066 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14067 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14068 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14070 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14073 @item nnultimate-directory
14074 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14075 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14076 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14081 @subsection Web Archive
14083 @cindex Web Archive
14085 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14086 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14087 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14088 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14091 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14092 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14093 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14094 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14095 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14096 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14097 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14099 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14102 @item nnwarchive-directory
14103 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14104 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14105 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14107 @item nnwarchive-login
14108 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14109 The account name on the web server.
14111 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14112 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14113 The password for your account on the web server.
14121 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14122 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14123 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14126 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14127 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14130 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14133 @item nnrss-directory
14134 @vindex nnrss-directory
14135 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14136 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14140 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14141 the summary buffer.
14144 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14145 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14147 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14149 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14150 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14153 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14156 (require 'browse-url)
14158 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14160 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14163 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14164 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14166 (browse-url (cdr url))
14167 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14169 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14170 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14171 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14172 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14175 @node Customizing w3
14176 @subsection Customizing w3
14182 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14183 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14184 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14186 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14187 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14188 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14191 (eval-after-load "w3"
14193 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14194 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14195 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14196 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14198 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14201 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14202 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14210 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14211 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14212 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14213 specify the network address of the server.
14215 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14216 POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14217 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14218 protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
14219 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
14221 If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
14222 mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
14223 server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
14224 described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
14226 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14227 entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
14228 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14229 usage explained in this section.
14231 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14232 might look something like this:
14235 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14236 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14237 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14239 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14240 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14241 ; a UW server running on localhost
14243 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14244 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14245 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14246 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14247 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14248 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14249 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14250 (nnimap-stream network))
14251 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14253 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14254 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14255 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14258 (Note that for SSL/TLS to work, you need the external library
14259 @samp{ssl.el}, see below.)
14261 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14266 @item nnimap-address
14267 @vindex nnimap-address
14269 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14270 server name if not specified.
14272 @item nnimap-server-port
14273 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14274 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14276 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14279 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14280 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14283 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14284 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14285 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14286 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14287 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14288 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14289 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14291 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14292 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14293 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14296 Example server specification:
14299 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14300 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14301 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14304 @item nnimap-stream
14305 @vindex nnimap-stream
14306 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14307 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14308 of SSL/TLS. (IMAP over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
14309 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
14311 Example server specification:
14314 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14315 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14318 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14322 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Requires the
14323 @samp{imtest} program.
14325 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14327 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14328 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14331 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
14332 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
14333 library @samp{ssl.el}.
14335 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14337 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14340 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14341 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14342 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14343 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14344 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14345 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14346 restrictions on IMAP commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14347 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14348 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14351 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14352 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14353 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14354 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14355 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14356 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14357 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14358 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
14359 distribution, for instance).
14361 @vindex imap-shell-program
14362 @vindex imap-shell-host
14363 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14364 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14366 @item nnimap-authenticator
14367 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14369 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14370 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14372 Example server specification:
14375 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14376 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14379 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14383 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
14384 external program @code{imtest}.
14386 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
14389 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
14390 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14392 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14394 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14396 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14399 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14401 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14402 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14403 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14404 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14405 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14406 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14409 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14410 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14411 running in circles yet?
14413 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14414 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14417 The possible options are:
14422 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14425 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14426 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14427 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14428 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14430 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14435 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
14436 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
14438 If non-nil, marks dormant articles as ticked (as well), for other IMAP
14439 clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will naturally still (only) be
14440 marked as ticked. This is to make dormant articles stand out, just
14441 like ticked articles, in other IMAP clients. (In other words, Gnus has
14442 two ``Tick'' marks and IMAP has only one.)
14444 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
14445 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
14448 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
14449 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14450 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
14451 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14454 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
14455 as ticked for other users.
14457 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
14459 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
14461 This variable contain the IMAP search command sent to server when
14462 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
14463 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
14464 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
14466 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
14467 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
14468 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
14469 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
14471 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14472 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14474 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14475 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14476 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14482 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14483 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14484 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14489 @node Splitting in IMAP
14490 @subsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14491 @cindex splitting imap mail
14493 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14494 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14495 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14496 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14497 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14501 Here are the variables of interest:
14505 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14506 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14508 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14510 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14511 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14513 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14515 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14516 @cindex splitting, inbox
14518 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14520 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14521 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14525 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14526 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14529 No nnmail equivalent.
14531 @item nnimap-split-rule
14532 @cindex Splitting, rules
14533 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14535 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14538 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14539 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14540 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14541 Neither did I, we need examples.
14544 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14546 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14547 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14548 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14551 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14552 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14553 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14555 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14556 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14560 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14563 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14564 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14565 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14566 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14568 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14569 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14570 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14571 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14572 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14573 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14575 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14576 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14577 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14579 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14580 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14581 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14583 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
14585 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14586 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14587 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14590 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14591 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14592 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14593 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14594 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14595 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14598 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14599 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14600 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14601 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14602 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14603 group/function elements.
14605 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14607 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14609 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14611 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14612 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14614 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14615 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14616 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14619 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14620 @cindex splitting, fancy
14621 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14622 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14624 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14625 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14626 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14628 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14629 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14630 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14631 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14636 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14637 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14640 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14644 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14645 @subsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14646 @cindex editing imap acls
14647 @cindex Access Control Lists
14648 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14650 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14652 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14653 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14654 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14657 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14658 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14659 editing window with detailed instructions.
14661 Some possible uses:
14665 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14666 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14667 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14669 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14670 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14671 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14675 @node Expunging mailboxes
14676 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
14680 @cindex Manual expunging
14682 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14684 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
14685 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14686 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14688 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14693 @node Other Sources
14694 @section Other Sources
14696 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
14697 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
14701 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
14702 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
14703 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
14704 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
14705 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
14709 @node Directory Groups
14710 @subsection Directory Groups
14712 @cindex directory groups
14714 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
14715 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
14718 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
14719 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
14720 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
14721 back end to read directories. Big deal.
14723 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
14724 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
14725 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
14726 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
14727 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
14729 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
14731 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
14732 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
14733 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
14734 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
14737 @node Anything Groups
14738 @subsection Anything Groups
14741 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
14742 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
14743 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
14746 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
14747 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
14748 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
14749 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
14750 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
14751 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
14752 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
14753 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
14754 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
14755 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
14758 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
14759 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
14760 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
14761 in the article buffer, just as usual.
14763 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
14764 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
14765 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
14766 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
14768 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
14769 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
14770 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
14771 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
14772 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
14773 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
14774 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
14775 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
14780 @item nneething-map-file-directory
14781 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
14782 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
14783 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
14785 @item nneething-exclude-files
14786 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
14787 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
14788 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
14790 @item nneething-include-files
14791 @vindex nneething-include-files
14792 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
14793 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
14795 @item nneething-map-file
14796 @vindex nneething-map-file
14797 Name of the map files.
14801 @node Document Groups
14802 @subsection Document Groups
14804 @cindex documentation group
14807 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
14808 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
14815 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
14820 The standard Unix mbox file.
14822 @cindex MMDF mail box
14824 The MMDF mail box format.
14827 Several news articles appended into a file.
14830 @cindex rnews batch files
14831 The rnews batch transport format.
14832 @cindex forwarded messages
14835 Forwarded articles.
14838 Netscape mail boxes.
14841 MIME multipart messages.
14843 @item standard-digest
14844 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
14847 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
14850 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
14851 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
14852 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
14855 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
14856 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
14857 group. And that's it.
14859 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
14860 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
14861 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
14862 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
14863 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
14864 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
14865 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
14866 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
14867 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
14868 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
14870 Virtual server variables:
14873 @item nndoc-article-type
14874 @vindex nndoc-article-type
14875 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
14876 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
14877 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
14878 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail},
14879 @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman} or @code{guess}.
14881 @item nndoc-post-type
14882 @vindex nndoc-post-type
14883 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
14884 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
14889 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
14893 @node Document Server Internals
14894 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
14896 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
14897 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
14898 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
14899 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
14901 First, here's an example document type definition:
14905 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
14906 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
14909 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
14910 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
14911 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
14912 types can be defined with very few settings:
14915 @item first-article
14916 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
14917 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
14920 @item article-begin
14921 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
14922 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
14924 @item head-begin-function
14925 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
14928 @item nndoc-head-begin
14929 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
14932 @item nndoc-head-end
14933 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
14934 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
14936 @item body-begin-function
14937 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
14941 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
14944 @item body-end-function
14945 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
14949 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
14952 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
14953 regexp will be totally ignored.
14957 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
14958 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
14959 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
14960 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
14961 something that's palatable for Gnus:
14964 @item prepare-body-function
14965 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
14966 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
14967 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
14969 @item article-transform-function
14970 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
14971 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
14972 body of the article.
14974 @item generate-head-function
14975 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
14976 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
14977 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
14978 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
14982 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
14987 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
14988 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
14989 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
14990 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
14991 (head-end . "^ ?$")
14992 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
14993 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
14994 (subtype digest guess))
14997 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
14998 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
14999 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15000 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15001 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15003 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15004 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15005 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15006 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15007 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
15008 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15009 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15010 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15011 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15012 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15020 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15021 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15022 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15024 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15025 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15026 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15029 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15030 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15031 that interested in doing things properly.
15033 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15034 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15037 First some terminology:
15042 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15043 get news and/or mail from.
15046 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15047 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15050 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15054 @item message packets
15055 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15056 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15057 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15059 @item response packets
15060 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15061 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15062 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15072 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15073 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15074 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15075 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15078 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15081 You put the packet in your home directory.
15084 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15085 the native or secondary server.
15088 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15089 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15092 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15096 You transfer this packet to the server.
15099 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15102 You then repeat until you die.
15106 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15107 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15110 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15111 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15112 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15116 @node SOUP Commands
15117 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15119 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15123 @kindex G s b (Group)
15124 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15125 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15126 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15127 process/prefix convention.
15130 @kindex G s w (Group)
15131 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15132 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15135 @kindex G s s (Group)
15136 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15137 Send all replies from the replies packet
15138 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15141 @kindex G s p (Group)
15142 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15143 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15146 @kindex G s r (Group)
15147 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15148 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15151 @kindex O s (Summary)
15152 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15153 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15154 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15155 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15160 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
15165 @item gnus-soup-directory
15166 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
15167 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
15168 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
15170 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
15171 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
15172 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
15173 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
15175 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
15176 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
15177 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
15178 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
15180 @item gnus-soup-packer
15181 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
15182 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15183 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
15185 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
15186 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
15187 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15188 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15190 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
15191 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
15192 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
15194 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15195 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15196 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
15197 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
15203 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
15206 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
15207 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
15208 you can read them at leisure.
15210 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
15214 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
15215 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
15216 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
15217 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
15219 @item nnsoup-directory
15220 @vindex nnsoup-directory
15221 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
15222 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
15224 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
15225 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
15226 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
15227 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
15229 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
15230 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
15231 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
15232 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
15233 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
15235 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
15236 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
15237 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
15238 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
15240 @item nnsoup-active-file
15241 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
15242 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
15243 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
15244 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
15245 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
15247 @item nnsoup-packer
15248 @vindex nnsoup-packer
15249 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
15250 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
15252 @item nnsoup-unpacker
15253 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
15254 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
15255 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15257 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
15258 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
15259 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
15262 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
15263 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
15264 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
15267 @item nnsoup-always-save
15268 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
15269 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
15275 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
15277 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
15278 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
15279 more for that to happen.
15281 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
15282 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
15283 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
15286 In specific, this is what it does:
15289 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
15290 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
15293 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
15294 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
15295 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
15298 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
15299 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
15300 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
15303 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
15304 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
15305 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
15307 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
15313 @item nngateway-address
15314 @vindex nngateway-address
15315 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
15317 @item nngateway-header-transformation
15318 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
15319 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
15320 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
15321 transformation should be called, and defaults to
15322 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
15323 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
15326 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
15327 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
15328 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
15331 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
15334 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
15337 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
15340 The following pre-defined functions exist:
15342 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15345 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15346 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15347 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
15349 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15351 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15352 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15353 @code{nngateway-address}.
15358 (setq gnus-post-method
15360 "mail2news@@replay.com"
15361 (nngateway-header-transformation
15362 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
15370 So, to use this, simply say something like:
15373 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
15378 @node Combined Groups
15379 @section Combined Groups
15381 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
15385 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
15386 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
15390 @node Virtual Groups
15391 @subsection Virtual Groups
15393 @cindex virtual groups
15394 @cindex merging groups
15396 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
15399 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
15400 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
15401 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
15403 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
15404 regexp to match component groups.
15406 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
15407 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
15408 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
15409 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
15410 the virtual group.)
15412 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
15413 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
15416 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
15419 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
15420 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
15422 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
15423 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
15424 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
15425 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
15428 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
15431 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
15432 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
15433 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
15435 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
15436 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
15437 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
15438 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
15439 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
15441 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
15442 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
15443 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
15445 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
15446 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
15447 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
15448 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
15449 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
15450 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
15451 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
15452 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
15453 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
15454 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
15455 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
15457 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
15458 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
15459 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
15460 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
15461 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
15462 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
15463 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
15465 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
15466 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
15470 @node Kibozed Groups
15471 @subsection Kibozed Groups
15475 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
15476 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
15477 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
15478 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
15480 @kindex G k (Group)
15481 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
15484 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
15485 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
15486 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
15487 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
15489 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
15490 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
15491 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
15493 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
15494 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
15495 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
15496 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
15497 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
15498 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
15499 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
15500 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
15502 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
15503 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
15504 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
15505 Stranger things have happened.
15507 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
15508 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
15510 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
15511 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
15512 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
15513 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
15514 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
15515 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
15517 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
15518 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
15521 @node Gnus Unplugged
15522 @section Gnus Unplugged
15527 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
15529 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
15530 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
15531 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
15532 read news. Believe it or not.
15534 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
15535 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
15536 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
15537 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
15538 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
15540 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
15541 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
15542 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
15543 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
15544 reading news on a machine.
15546 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
15550 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
15551 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
15555 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
15556 @file{.gnus.el} file:
15563 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
15565 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
15568 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
15569 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
15570 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
15571 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
15572 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
15573 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
15574 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
15575 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
15576 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
15577 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
15582 @subsection Agent Basics
15584 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
15586 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
15587 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
15588 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
15589 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
15591 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
15592 connected to the net continuously.
15594 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
15595 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
15597 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
15602 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
15603 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
15604 already fetched while in this mode.
15607 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
15608 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
15609 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
15610 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
15611 Source Specifiers}).
15614 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
15615 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
15616 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
15617 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
15618 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
15621 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
15622 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
15623 then you read the news offline.
15626 And then you go to step 2.
15629 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
15635 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
15636 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
15637 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
15638 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
15639 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
15640 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
15643 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
15650 @node Agent Categories
15651 @subsection Agent Categories
15653 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
15654 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
15655 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
15656 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
15657 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
15658 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
15659 you're interested in the articles anyway.
15661 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
15662 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
15663 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
15664 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
15665 managing categories.
15668 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
15669 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
15670 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
15674 @node Category Syntax
15675 @subsubsection Category Syntax
15677 A category consists of two things.
15681 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
15682 are eligible for downloading; and
15685 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
15686 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
15687 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
15690 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
15691 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
15692 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
15693 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
15695 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
15696 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
15697 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
15699 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
15700 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
15701 operators sprinkled in between.
15703 Perhaps some examples are in order.
15705 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
15706 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
15712 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
15713 short (for some value of ``short'').
15715 Here's a more complex predicate:
15724 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
15725 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
15728 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
15729 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
15730 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
15732 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
15733 you want to do, you can write your own.
15737 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
15738 lines; default 100.
15741 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
15742 lines; default 200.
15745 True iff the article has a download score less than
15746 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
15749 True iff the article has a download score greater than
15750 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
15753 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
15754 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
15755 checksum and sees whether articles match.
15764 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
15765 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
15766 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
15769 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
15770 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
15771 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
15772 something along the lines of the following:
15775 (defun my-article-old-p ()
15776 "Say whether an article is old."
15777 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
15778 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
15781 with the predicate then defined as:
15784 (not my-article-old-p)
15787 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
15788 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
15789 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
15790 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
15793 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
15794 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
15795 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
15798 and simply specify your predicate as:
15804 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
15805 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
15806 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
15807 just don't give a damn.
15809 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
15810 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
15811 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
15812 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
15813 parameters like so:
15816 (agent-predicate . short)
15819 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
15820 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
15821 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
15823 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
15826 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
15829 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
15830 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
15831 predicate is assumed to be a list.
15834 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
15835 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
15836 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
15837 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
15838 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
15839 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
15841 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
15842 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
15843 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
15844 if it's to be specific to that group.
15846 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
15853 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
15854 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
15860 Category specification
15864 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
15870 Group Parameter specification
15873 (agent-score ("from"
15874 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
15879 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
15885 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
15892 Category specification
15895 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
15901 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
15905 Group Parameter specification
15908 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
15911 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
15916 Use @code{normal} score files
15918 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
15919 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
15920 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
15921 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
15923 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
15924 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
15925 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
15926 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
15930 Category Specification
15937 Group Parameter specification
15940 (agent-score . file)
15945 @node Category Buffer
15946 @subsubsection Category Buffer
15948 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
15949 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
15950 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
15952 The following commands are available in this buffer:
15956 @kindex q (Category)
15957 @findex gnus-category-exit
15958 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
15961 @kindex k (Category)
15962 @findex gnus-category-kill
15963 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
15966 @kindex c (Category)
15967 @findex gnus-category-copy
15968 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
15971 @kindex a (Category)
15972 @findex gnus-category-add
15973 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
15976 @kindex p (Category)
15977 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
15978 Edit the predicate of the current category
15979 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
15982 @kindex g (Category)
15983 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
15984 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
15985 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
15988 @kindex s (Category)
15989 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
15990 Edit the download score rule of the current category
15991 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
15994 @kindex l (Category)
15995 @findex gnus-category-list
15996 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16000 @node Category Variables
16001 @subsubsection Category Variables
16004 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16005 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16006 Hook run in category buffers.
16008 @item gnus-category-line-format
16009 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16010 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16011 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16015 The name of the category.
16018 The number of groups in the category.
16021 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16022 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16023 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16025 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16026 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16027 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16029 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16030 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16031 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16033 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16034 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16035 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16038 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16039 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16040 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16046 @node Agent Commands
16047 @subsection Agent Commands
16049 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16050 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16051 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16055 * Group Agent Commands::
16056 * Summary Agent Commands::
16057 * Server Agent Commands::
16060 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
16061 following incantation:
16063 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
16065 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
16070 @node Group Agent Commands
16071 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16075 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16076 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16077 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16078 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16081 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16082 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16083 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16086 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16087 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16088 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16089 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16092 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16093 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
16094 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
16095 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
16098 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16099 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16100 Add the current group to an Agent category
16101 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16102 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16105 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16106 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16107 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16108 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16109 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16112 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16113 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16114 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16120 @node Summary Agent Commands
16121 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16125 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16126 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16127 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16130 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16131 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16132 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16133 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16136 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16137 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16138 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16141 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16142 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16143 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16146 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16147 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16148 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16149 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16154 @node Server Agent Commands
16155 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16159 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16160 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16161 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16162 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16165 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16166 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16167 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16168 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
16174 @subsection Agent Expiry
16176 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
16177 @findex gnus-agent-expire
16178 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
16179 @cindex Agent expiry
16180 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
16183 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
16184 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
16185 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
16186 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
16187 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
16188 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
16190 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
16191 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
16192 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
16193 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
16194 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
16197 @node Agent and IMAP
16198 @subsection Agent and IMAP
16200 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
16201 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
16202 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
16203 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
16205 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
16206 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
16207 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
16208 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
16210 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
16211 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
16212 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
16213 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
16214 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
16216 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16217 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
16218 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
16219 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
16220 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
16221 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
16223 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
16224 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
16225 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
16226 in the group buffer by default.
16228 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
16229 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
16234 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
16237 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
16241 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
16242 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
16243 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
16244 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
16245 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
16246 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
16247 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
16248 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
16251 @node Outgoing Messages
16252 @subsection Outgoing Messages
16254 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
16255 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
16256 after posting, and edit them at will.
16258 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
16259 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
16260 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
16261 messages in the draft group.
16265 @node Agent Variables
16266 @subsection Agent Variables
16269 @item gnus-agent-directory
16270 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
16271 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
16272 @file{~/News/agent/}.
16274 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
16275 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
16276 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
16277 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
16278 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
16281 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16282 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16283 Hook run when connecting to the network.
16285 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16286 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16287 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
16292 @node Example Setup
16293 @subsection Example Setup
16295 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
16296 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
16297 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
16300 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
16301 ;;; from your ISP's server.
16302 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
16304 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
16305 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
16306 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
16308 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
16309 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
16311 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
16315 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
16316 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
16319 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
16320 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
16321 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
16322 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
16323 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
16326 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
16327 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
16328 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
16329 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
16330 back all the killed groups.)
16332 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
16333 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
16334 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
16337 @node Batching Agents
16338 @subsection Batching Agents
16340 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
16341 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
16342 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
16346 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
16350 @node Agent Caveats
16351 @subsection Agent Caveats
16353 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
16354 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
16358 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
16363 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
16364 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
16370 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
16371 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
16378 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
16379 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
16380 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
16383 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
16384 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
16385 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
16386 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
16387 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
16389 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
16390 before generating the summary buffer.
16392 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
16393 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
16394 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
16396 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
16397 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
16398 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
16399 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
16402 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
16403 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
16404 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
16405 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
16406 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
16407 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
16408 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
16409 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
16410 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
16411 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
16412 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
16413 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
16414 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
16415 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
16416 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
16417 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
16418 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
16422 @node Summary Score Commands
16423 @section Summary Score Commands
16424 @cindex score commands
16426 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
16427 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
16428 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
16429 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
16430 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
16432 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
16433 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
16434 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
16435 score file the current one.
16437 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
16442 @kindex V s (Summary)
16443 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
16444 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
16447 @kindex V S (Summary)
16448 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
16449 Display the score of the current article
16450 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
16453 @kindex V t (Summary)
16454 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
16455 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
16456 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
16459 @kindex V R (Summary)
16460 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
16461 Run the current summary through the scoring process
16462 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
16463 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
16464 effect you're having.
16467 @kindex V c (Summary)
16468 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
16469 Make a different score file the current
16470 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
16473 @kindex V e (Summary)
16474 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
16475 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
16476 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
16480 @kindex V f (Summary)
16481 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
16482 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
16483 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
16486 @kindex V F (Summary)
16487 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16488 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
16489 after editing score files.
16492 @kindex V C (Summary)
16493 @findex gnus-score-customize
16494 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
16495 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
16499 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
16504 @kindex V m (Summary)
16505 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
16506 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
16507 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
16510 @kindex V x (Summary)
16511 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
16512 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
16513 expunge all articles below this score
16514 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
16517 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
16518 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
16521 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
16522 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
16526 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
16527 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
16529 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
16530 keys are available:
16534 Score on the author name.
16537 Score on the subject line.
16540 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
16543 Score on the @code{References} line.
16549 Score on the number of lines.
16552 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
16555 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
16556 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
16557 @file{ADAPT} files.)
16566 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
16572 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
16573 what headers you are scoring on.
16585 Substring matching.
16588 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
16617 Greater than number.
16622 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
16623 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
16624 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
16628 Temporary score entry.
16631 Permanent score entry.
16634 Immediately scoring.
16639 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
16640 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
16641 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
16642 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
16644 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
16645 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
16646 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
16647 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
16648 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
16650 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
16651 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
16652 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
16653 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
16654 current score file.
16656 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
16657 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
16658 pretend they are keymaps or not.
16661 @node Group Score Commands
16662 @section Group Score Commands
16663 @cindex group score commands
16665 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
16670 @kindex W f (Group)
16671 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16672 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
16673 all the time. This command will flush the cache
16674 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
16678 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
16680 @findex gnus-batch-score
16681 @cindex batch scoring
16683 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
16687 @node Score Variables
16688 @section Score Variables
16689 @cindex score variables
16693 @item gnus-use-scoring
16694 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
16695 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
16696 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
16698 @item gnus-kill-killed
16699 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
16700 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
16701 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
16702 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
16703 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
16704 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
16705 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
16707 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
16708 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
16709 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
16710 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
16711 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
16713 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
16714 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
16715 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
16716 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
16718 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
16719 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
16720 @cindex score cache
16721 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
16722 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
16723 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
16724 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
16725 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
16726 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
16729 @item gnus-save-score
16730 @vindex gnus-save-score
16731 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
16732 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
16733 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
16735 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
16736 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
16737 across group visits.
16739 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16740 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16741 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
16742 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
16743 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
16744 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
16745 manually entered data.
16747 @item gnus-summary-default-score
16748 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
16749 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
16751 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
16752 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
16753 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
16754 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
16755 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
16756 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
16758 @item gnus-score-over-mark
16759 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
16760 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
16761 default. Default is @samp{+}.
16763 @item gnus-score-below-mark
16764 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
16765 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
16766 default. Default is @samp{-}.
16768 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16769 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16770 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
16771 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
16773 Predefined functions available are:
16776 @item gnus-score-find-single
16777 @findex gnus-score-find-single
16778 Only apply the group's own score file.
16780 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
16781 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
16782 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
16783 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
16784 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
16785 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
16786 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
16787 then a regexp match is done.
16789 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
16790 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
16792 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
16793 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
16794 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
16795 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
16797 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16798 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16799 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
16800 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
16801 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
16805 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
16806 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
16807 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
16808 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
16809 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
16810 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
16811 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
16814 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
16815 overall score file, you could use the value
16817 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
16818 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
16821 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
16822 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
16823 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
16824 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
16825 are expired. It's 7 by default.
16827 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
16828 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
16829 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
16830 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
16831 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
16832 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
16833 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
16836 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
16837 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
16838 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
16840 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
16841 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
16842 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
16843 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
16844 threading---according to the current value of
16845 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
16846 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
16847 simplified in this manner.
16852 @node Score File Format
16853 @section Score File Format
16854 @cindex score file format
16856 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
16857 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
16858 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
16860 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
16864 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
16866 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
16868 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
16870 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
16875 (mark-and-expunge -10)
16879 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
16880 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
16881 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
16882 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
16886 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
16887 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
16889 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
16890 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
16891 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
16893 Six keys are supported by this alist:
16898 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
16899 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
16900 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
16901 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
16902 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
16903 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
16904 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
16905 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
16906 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
16907 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
16908 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
16909 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
16910 to articles that matches these score entries.
16912 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
16913 score entry has one to four elements.
16917 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
16918 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
16922 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
16923 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
16924 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
16925 is successful. If this element is not present, the
16926 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
16927 instead. This is 1000 by default.
16930 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
16931 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
16932 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
16933 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
16934 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
16937 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
16938 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
16939 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
16940 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
16943 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
16944 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
16945 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
16946 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
16947 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
16948 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
16949 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
16950 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
16951 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
16952 instead, if you feel like.
16955 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
16956 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
16958 These predicates are true if
16961 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
16964 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
16965 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
16972 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
16973 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
16974 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
16975 it's not. I think.)
16977 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
16978 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
16979 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
16980 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
16983 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
16984 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
16985 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
16986 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
16987 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
16988 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
16989 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
16993 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
16994 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
16995 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
16996 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
16997 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
16998 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
16999 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17000 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17003 @item Head, Body, All
17004 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17008 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17009 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17010 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17011 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17012 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17013 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17014 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17018 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17019 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17020 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17021 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17022 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17023 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17024 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17025 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17026 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17027 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17028 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17032 @cindex Score File Atoms
17034 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17035 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17038 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17039 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17041 @item mark-and-expunge
17042 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17043 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17046 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17047 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17048 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17049 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17050 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17053 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17054 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17057 @item exclude-files
17058 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17059 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17063 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17064 ignored when handling global score files.
17067 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17068 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17069 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17070 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17073 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17074 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17075 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17076 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17078 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17082 (mark-and-expunge -100)
17085 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
17086 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
17087 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
17088 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
17089 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
17091 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
17092 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
17093 scoring rules exist.
17096 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
17097 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
17098 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
17099 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
17100 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
17101 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
17102 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17103 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
17104 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
17105 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
17106 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
17110 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
17111 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
17112 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
17113 file for a number of groups.
17116 @cindex local variables
17117 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
17118 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
17119 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
17120 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
17121 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
17125 @node Score File Editing
17126 @section Score File Editing
17128 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
17129 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
17130 with a mode for that.
17132 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
17133 additional commands:
17138 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
17139 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
17140 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
17141 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
17144 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
17145 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
17146 Insert the current date in numerical format
17147 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
17148 you were wondering.
17151 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
17152 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
17153 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
17154 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
17155 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
17160 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
17162 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
17163 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
17165 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
17166 e} to begin editing score files.
17169 @node Adaptive Scoring
17170 @section Adaptive Scoring
17171 @cindex adaptive scoring
17173 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
17174 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
17175 stupidity, to be precise.
17177 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
17178 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
17179 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
17180 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
17181 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17182 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
17183 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
17184 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
17185 variable to @code{(word line)}.
17187 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17188 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
17189 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
17190 might look something like this:
17193 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17194 '((gnus-unread-mark)
17195 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
17196 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
17197 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
17198 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
17199 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
17200 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
17201 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
17202 (gnus-ancient-mark)
17203 (gnus-low-score-mark)
17204 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
17207 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
17208 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
17209 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
17210 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
17211 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
17212 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
17215 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
17216 will be applied to each article.
17218 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
17219 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
17220 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
17221 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
17223 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
17224 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
17225 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
17226 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
17228 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
17229 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
17230 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
17231 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
17233 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
17234 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
17235 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
17236 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
17237 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
17238 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
17240 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
17241 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
17242 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
17243 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
17244 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
17245 aspirins afterwards.)
17247 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
17248 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
17249 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
17251 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
17252 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
17253 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
17255 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
17256 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
17257 let you use different rules in different groups.
17259 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
17260 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
17261 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
17264 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
17265 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
17266 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
17267 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
17268 the length of the match is less than
17269 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
17270 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
17273 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17274 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
17275 headers. If you adapt on words, the
17276 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
17277 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
17280 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17281 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
17282 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
17283 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
17284 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
17287 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
17288 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
17289 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
17290 score with 30 points.
17292 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
17293 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
17294 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
17295 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
17296 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
17298 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
17299 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
17300 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
17301 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
17302 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
17304 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
17305 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
17306 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
17307 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
17309 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
17310 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
17311 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
17312 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
17314 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
17315 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
17316 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
17317 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
17318 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
17320 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
17321 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
17322 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
17324 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
17325 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
17326 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
17327 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
17330 @node Home Score File
17331 @section Home Score File
17333 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
17334 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
17335 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
17336 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
17338 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
17339 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
17340 could perhaps use the same home score file.
17342 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
17343 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
17348 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
17352 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
17353 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
17357 A list. The elements in this list can be:
17361 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
17362 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
17365 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
17366 the home score file.
17369 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
17372 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
17377 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
17380 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17381 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
17384 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
17385 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
17387 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
17389 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17390 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
17393 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
17394 Other functions include
17397 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
17398 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
17399 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
17400 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
17404 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
17405 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
17406 their own home score files:
17409 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17410 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
17411 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
17412 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
17413 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
17416 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
17417 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
17418 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
17419 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
17420 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
17422 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
17423 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
17424 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
17425 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
17426 precedence over this variable.
17429 @node Followups To Yourself
17430 @section Followups To Yourself
17432 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
17433 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
17434 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
17435 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
17436 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
17437 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
17441 @item gnus-score-followup-article
17442 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
17443 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
17446 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
17447 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
17448 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
17452 @vindex message-sent-hook
17453 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
17454 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
17456 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
17460 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
17461 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
17465 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17466 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17469 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
17470 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
17475 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
17479 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
17480 is system-dependent.
17483 @node Scoring On Other Headers
17484 @section Scoring On Other Headers
17485 @cindex scoring on other headers
17487 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
17488 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
17489 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
17490 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
17491 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
17493 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
17494 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
17495 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
17496 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
17497 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
17499 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
17502 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
17503 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
17506 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
17507 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
17508 time if you have much mail.
17510 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
17511 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
17517 @section Scoring Tips
17518 @cindex scoring tips
17524 @cindex scoring crossposts
17525 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
17526 the @code{Xref} header.
17528 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
17531 @item Multiple crossposts
17532 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
17533 more than, say, 3 groups:
17536 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
17540 @item Matching on the body
17541 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
17542 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
17543 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
17544 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
17545 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
17546 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
17547 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
17550 @item Marking as read
17551 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
17552 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
17553 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
17557 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
17559 @item Negated character classes
17560 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
17561 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
17562 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
17566 @node Reverse Scoring
17567 @section Reverse Scoring
17568 @cindex reverse scoring
17570 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
17571 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
17572 like this in your score file:
17576 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
17581 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
17582 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
17585 @node Global Score Files
17586 @section Global Score Files
17587 @cindex global score files
17589 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
17590 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
17591 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
17593 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
17594 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
17595 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
17597 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
17598 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
17599 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
17600 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
17601 files are applicable to which group.
17603 To use the score file
17604 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
17605 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
17609 (setq gnus-global-score-files
17610 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
17611 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
17614 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
17616 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
17617 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
17618 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
17619 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
17621 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
17622 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
17624 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
17625 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
17626 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
17627 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
17628 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
17629 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
17631 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
17637 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
17639 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
17641 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
17643 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
17644 lowered out of existence.
17646 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
17647 articles completely.
17650 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
17651 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
17652 old articles for a long time.
17655 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
17656 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
17657 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
17658 holding our breath yet?
17662 @section Kill Files
17665 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
17666 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
17667 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
17669 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
17670 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
17671 files into score files.
17673 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
17674 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
17675 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
17676 that isn't a very good idea.
17678 Normal kill files look like this:
17681 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17682 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
17686 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
17687 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
17689 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
17690 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
17693 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
17698 @kindex M-k (Summary)
17699 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
17700 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
17703 @kindex M-K (Summary)
17704 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
17705 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
17708 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
17713 @kindex M-k (Group)
17714 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
17715 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
17718 @kindex M-K (Group)
17719 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
17720 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
17723 Kill file variables:
17726 @item gnus-kill-file-name
17727 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
17728 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
17729 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
17730 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
17731 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
17732 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
17734 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
17735 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
17736 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
17737 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
17740 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
17741 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
17742 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
17743 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
17744 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
17745 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
17746 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
17747 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
17748 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
17750 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
17751 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
17752 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
17757 @node Converting Kill Files
17758 @section Converting Kill Files
17760 @cindex converting kill files
17762 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
17763 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
17764 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
17767 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
17768 You can fetch it from
17769 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
17771 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
17772 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
17773 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
17781 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
17782 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
17783 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
17784 news articles generated every day.
17786 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
17787 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
17788 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
17789 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
17790 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
17791 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
17792 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
17793 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
17796 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
17797 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
17800 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
17801 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
17802 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
17803 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
17807 @node Using GroupLens
17808 @subsection Using GroupLens
17810 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
17812 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
17813 better bit in town at the moment.
17815 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
17819 @item gnus-use-grouplens
17820 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
17821 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
17822 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
17824 @item grouplens-pseudonym
17825 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
17826 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
17827 with the Better Bit Bureau.
17829 @item grouplens-newsgroups
17830 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
17831 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
17835 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
17836 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
17837 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
17838 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
17839 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
17840 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
17843 @node Rating Articles
17844 @subsection Rating Articles
17846 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
17847 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
17848 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
17849 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
17852 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
17857 @kindex r (GroupLens)
17858 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
17859 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
17862 @kindex k (GroupLens)
17863 @findex grouplens-score-thread
17864 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
17865 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
17866 threads in rec.humor.
17870 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
17871 the score of the article you're reading.
17876 @kindex n (GroupLens)
17877 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
17878 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
17881 @kindex , (GroupLens)
17882 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
17883 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
17887 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
17888 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
17891 @node Displaying Predictions
17892 @subsection Displaying Predictions
17894 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
17895 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
17896 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
17897 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
17898 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
17900 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
17901 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
17902 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
17903 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
17904 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
17905 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
17906 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
17907 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
17908 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
17909 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
17910 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
17911 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
17912 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
17914 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
17915 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
17916 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
17917 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
17919 The following are valid values for that variable.
17922 @item prediction-spot
17923 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
17926 @item confidence-interval
17927 A numeric confidence interval.
17929 @item prediction-bar
17930 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
17932 @item confidence-bar
17933 Numerical confidence.
17935 @item confidence-spot
17936 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
17938 @item prediction-num
17939 Plain-old numeric value.
17941 @item confidence-plus-minus
17942 Prediction +/- confidence.
17947 @node GroupLens Variables
17948 @subsection GroupLens Variables
17952 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
17953 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
17954 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
17955 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
17958 @item grouplens-bbb-host
17959 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
17962 @item grouplens-bbb-port
17963 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
17965 @item grouplens-score-offset
17966 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
17967 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
17970 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
17971 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
17972 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
17977 @node Advanced Scoring
17978 @section Advanced Scoring
17980 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
17981 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
17982 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
17983 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
17984 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
17986 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
17990 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
17991 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
17992 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
17996 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
17997 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
17999 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18000 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18001 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18002 non-@code{nil} value.
18004 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18005 operator, and various match operators.
18012 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18013 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18014 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18019 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18020 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18021 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18026 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18027 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18031 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18032 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18033 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18034 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18035 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18036 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18037 the ancestry you want to go.
18039 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18040 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18041 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18042 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18043 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18046 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18047 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18049 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18050 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18053 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18054 when he's talking about Gnus:
18058 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18059 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18065 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18069 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18076 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18077 really don't want to read what he's written:
18081 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18082 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
18086 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
18087 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
18088 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
18095 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
18096 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
18097 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
18098 ("body" "white.*socks"))
18102 The possibilities are endless.
18105 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
18106 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
18108 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
18109 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
18110 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
18111 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
18112 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
18113 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
18114 @samp{subject}) first.
18116 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
18117 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
18128 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
18129 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
18135 ("subject" "Gnus")))
18142 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
18143 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
18148 @section Score Decays
18149 @cindex score decays
18152 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
18153 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
18154 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
18155 use them in any sensible way.
18157 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
18158 @findex gnus-decay-score
18159 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
18160 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
18161 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
18162 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
18163 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
18164 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
18165 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
18166 definition of that function:
18169 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
18171 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
18172 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
18175 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
18177 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
18179 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
18182 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
18183 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
18184 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
18185 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
18189 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
18192 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
18195 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
18199 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
18200 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
18201 the new score, which should be an integer.
18203 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
18204 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
18209 @include message.texi
18210 @chapter Emacs MIME
18211 @include emacs-mime.texi
18213 @include sieve.texi
18221 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
18222 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
18223 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
18224 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
18225 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
18226 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
18227 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
18228 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
18229 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
18230 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
18231 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
18232 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
18233 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
18234 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
18235 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
18236 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
18237 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
18238 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
18242 @node Process/Prefix
18243 @section Process/Prefix
18244 @cindex process/prefix convention
18246 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
18247 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
18249 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
18250 command to be performed on.
18254 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
18255 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
18256 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
18257 with the current one.
18259 @vindex transient-mark-mode
18260 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
18261 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
18263 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
18264 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
18267 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
18268 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
18270 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
18273 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
18274 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
18275 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
18276 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18278 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
18279 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
18280 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
18281 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
18282 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
18283 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
18284 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
18285 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
18287 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
18288 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
18289 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
18290 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
18291 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
18295 @section Interactive
18296 @cindex interaction
18300 @item gnus-novice-user
18301 @vindex gnus-novice-user
18302 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
18303 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
18304 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
18305 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
18308 @item gnus-expert-user
18309 @vindex gnus-expert-user
18310 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
18311 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
18312 matter how strange.
18314 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
18315 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
18316 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
18317 is @code{t} by default.
18319 @item gnus-interactive-exit
18320 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
18321 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
18326 @node Symbolic Prefixes
18327 @section Symbolic Prefixes
18328 @cindex symbolic prefixes
18330 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
18331 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
18332 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
18333 rule of 900 to the current article.
18335 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
18336 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
18337 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
18338 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
18339 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
18340 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
18341 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
18343 @kindex M-i (Summary)
18344 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
18345 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
18346 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
18347 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
18348 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
18349 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
18350 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
18351 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
18353 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
18354 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
18355 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
18357 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
18361 @node Formatting Variables
18362 @section Formatting Variables
18363 @cindex formatting variables
18365 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
18366 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
18367 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
18368 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
18369 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
18372 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
18373 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
18374 lots of percentages everywhere.
18377 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
18378 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
18379 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
18380 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
18381 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
18382 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
18383 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
18384 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
18387 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
18388 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
18389 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
18390 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
18391 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
18392 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
18393 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
18394 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
18396 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
18397 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
18399 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
18400 @findex gnus-update-format
18401 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
18402 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
18403 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
18404 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
18408 @node Formatting Basics
18409 @subsection Formatting Basics
18411 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
18412 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
18413 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
18415 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
18416 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
18417 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
18418 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
18419 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
18422 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
18423 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
18424 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
18425 less than 4 characters wide.
18427 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
18428 @samp{%&user-date;}.
18430 @node Mode Line Formatting
18431 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
18433 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
18434 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
18435 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
18436 with the following two differences:
18441 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
18444 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
18445 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
18446 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
18447 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
18448 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
18449 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
18450 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
18455 @node Advanced Formatting
18456 @subsection Advanced Formatting
18458 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
18459 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
18460 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
18461 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
18463 These are the valid modifiers:
18468 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
18472 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
18477 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
18480 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
18485 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
18488 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
18491 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
18494 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
18498 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
18499 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
18500 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
18501 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
18502 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
18503 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
18504 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
18506 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
18507 last operation, padding.
18509 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
18510 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
18511 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
18512 @xref{Compilation}.
18515 @node User-Defined Specs
18516 @subsection User-Defined Specs
18518 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
18519 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
18520 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
18521 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
18522 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
18523 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
18524 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
18525 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
18526 should protect against that.
18528 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
18529 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
18531 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
18532 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
18533 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
18534 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
18538 @node Formatting Fonts
18539 @subsection Formatting Fonts
18541 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
18542 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
18543 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
18544 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
18547 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
18548 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
18549 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
18550 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
18551 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
18552 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
18554 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
18555 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
18556 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
18557 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
18558 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
18559 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
18560 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
18561 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
18563 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
18566 ;; Create three face types.
18567 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
18568 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
18570 ;; We want the article count to be in
18571 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
18572 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
18573 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
18575 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
18576 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
18578 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
18579 (setq gnus-group-line-format
18580 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
18583 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
18584 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
18586 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
18587 mode-line variables.
18589 @node Positioning Point
18590 @subsection Positioning Point
18592 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
18593 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
18594 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
18596 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
18598 @findex gnus-goto-colon
18599 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
18600 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
18602 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
18603 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
18604 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
18609 @subsection Tabulation
18611 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
18612 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
18613 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
18614 about lining up the following text afterwards.
18616 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
18617 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
18619 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
18620 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
18621 This is the soft tabulator.
18623 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
18624 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
18625 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
18628 @node Wide Characters
18629 @subsection Wide Characters
18631 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
18632 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
18633 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
18635 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
18636 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
18637 these coutries, that's not true.
18639 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
18640 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
18641 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
18642 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
18646 @node Window Layout
18647 @section Window Layout
18648 @cindex window layout
18650 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
18652 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
18653 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
18654 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
18655 @code{t} by default.
18657 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
18658 glitches. Use at your own peril.
18660 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
18661 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
18662 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
18665 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
18666 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
18667 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
18671 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
18672 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
18673 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
18674 possible names is listed below.
18676 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
18677 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
18680 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
18684 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
18685 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
18686 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
18687 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
18688 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
18689 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
18690 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
18691 size spec per split.
18693 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
18694 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
18695 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
18696 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
18697 present) gets focus.
18699 Here's a more complicated example:
18702 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
18703 (summary 0.25 point)
18704 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
18708 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
18709 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
18710 occupy, not a percentage.
18712 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
18713 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
18714 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
18715 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
18716 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
18719 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
18722 (article (horizontal 1.0
18727 (summary 0.25 point)
18732 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
18733 @code{horizontal} thingie?
18735 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
18736 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
18737 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
18738 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
18739 the screen is to be given to this strip.
18741 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
18742 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
18743 lines from the splits.
18745 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
18749 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
18750 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
18751 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
18752 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
18753 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
18754 size = number | frame-params
18755 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
18758 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
18759 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
18760 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
18761 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
18763 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
18764 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
18765 @cindex window height
18766 @cindex window width
18767 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
18768 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
18769 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
18770 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
18771 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
18772 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
18774 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
18775 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
18776 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
18777 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
18779 @findex gnus-configure-frame
18780 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
18781 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
18782 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
18783 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
18784 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
18785 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
18786 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
18787 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
18788 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
18789 configuration list.
18792 (gnus-configure-frame
18796 (article 0.3 point))
18804 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
18805 @code{frame} split:
18808 (gnus-configure-frame
18811 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
18813 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
18814 (user-position . t)
18815 (left . -1) (top . 1))
18820 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
18821 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
18822 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
18823 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
18824 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
18825 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
18826 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
18827 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
18829 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
18830 be found in its default value.
18832 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
18833 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
18834 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
18838 (message (horizontal 1.0
18839 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
18841 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
18846 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
18847 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
18848 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
18853 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
18854 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
18855 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
18856 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
18857 (name . "Message"))
18858 (message 1.0 point))))
18861 @findex gnus-add-configuration
18862 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
18863 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
18864 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
18865 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
18868 (gnus-add-configuration
18869 '(article (vertical 1.0
18871 (summary .25 point)
18875 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
18876 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
18877 Gnus has been loaded.
18879 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
18880 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
18881 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
18882 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
18883 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
18885 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
18886 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
18887 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
18890 @subsection Example Window Configurations
18894 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
18895 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
18910 (gnus-add-configuration
18913 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
18915 (summary 0.16 point)
18918 (gnus-add-configuration
18921 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
18922 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
18928 @node Faces and Fonts
18929 @section Faces and Fonts
18934 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
18935 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
18936 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
18941 @section Compilation
18942 @cindex compilation
18943 @cindex byte-compilation
18945 @findex gnus-compile
18947 Remember all those line format specification variables?
18948 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
18949 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
18950 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
18951 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
18952 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
18955 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
18956 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
18957 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
18958 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
18959 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
18960 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
18961 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
18965 @section Mode Lines
18968 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
18969 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
18970 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
18971 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
18972 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
18973 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
18974 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
18977 @cindex display-time
18979 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
18980 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
18981 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
18982 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
18983 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
18984 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
18985 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
18986 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
18989 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
18991 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
18992 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
18994 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
18995 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
18996 (length display-time-string)))))
18999 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19000 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19001 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19002 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19003 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19006 @node Highlighting and Menus
19007 @section Highlighting and Menus
19009 @cindex highlighting
19012 @vindex gnus-visual
19013 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19014 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19015 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19018 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19019 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19022 @item group-highlight
19023 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19024 @item summary-highlight
19025 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19026 @item article-highlight
19027 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19029 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19031 Create menus in the group buffer.
19033 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19035 Create menus in the article buffer.
19037 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19039 Create menus in the server buffer.
19041 Create menus in the score buffers.
19043 Create menus in all buffers.
19046 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19047 buffers, you could say something like:
19050 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19053 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19056 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19059 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19060 in all Gnus buffers.
19062 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19065 @item gnus-mouse-face
19066 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19067 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19068 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
19072 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
19076 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
19077 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
19078 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
19080 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
19081 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
19082 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
19084 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
19085 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
19086 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
19088 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
19089 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
19090 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
19092 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
19093 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
19094 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
19096 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
19097 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
19098 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
19109 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
19110 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
19111 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
19112 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
19113 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
19117 @vindex gnus-carpal
19118 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
19119 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
19120 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
19125 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19126 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19127 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
19129 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
19130 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
19131 Face used on buttons.
19133 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
19134 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
19135 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
19137 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19138 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19139 Buttons in the group buffer.
19141 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19142 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19143 Buttons in the summary buffer.
19145 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19146 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19147 Buttons in the server buffer.
19149 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19150 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19151 Buttons in the browse buffer.
19154 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
19155 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
19156 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
19164 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
19165 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
19166 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
19167 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
19168 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
19170 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
19171 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
19172 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
19174 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
19175 been idle for thirty minutes:
19178 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
19181 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
19185 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
19188 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
19189 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
19190 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19192 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
19193 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
19194 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
19195 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19197 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
19198 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
19199 @var{idle} minutes.
19201 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
19202 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
19205 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
19206 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
19207 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
19209 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
19210 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
19211 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
19212 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
19214 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
19215 your @file{.gnus} file:
19217 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
19219 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
19222 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
19223 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
19224 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
19225 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
19226 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
19227 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
19228 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
19229 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
19230 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
19231 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
19232 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
19234 @findex gnus-demon-init
19235 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
19236 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
19237 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
19238 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
19239 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
19241 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
19242 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
19243 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
19252 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
19253 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
19255 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
19256 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
19257 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
19258 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
19261 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
19262 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
19263 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
19264 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
19266 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
19267 this will make spam disappear.
19269 There are some variables to customize, of course:
19272 @item gnus-use-nocem
19273 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
19274 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
19277 @item gnus-nocem-groups
19278 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
19279 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
19280 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
19281 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
19283 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
19284 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
19285 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
19286 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
19287 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
19288 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
19290 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
19291 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
19293 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
19294 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
19295 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
19296 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
19297 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
19298 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
19299 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
19300 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
19301 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
19302 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
19304 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
19305 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
19308 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
19311 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
19312 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
19315 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
19318 The specs are applied left-to-right.
19321 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
19322 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
19324 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
19325 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
19326 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
19327 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
19329 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
19330 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
19333 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
19335 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
19343 This might be dangerous, though.
19345 @item gnus-nocem-directory
19346 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
19347 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
19348 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
19350 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19351 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19352 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
19353 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
19354 might then see old spam.
19356 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
19357 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
19358 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
19359 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
19360 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
19363 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19364 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19365 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
19366 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
19370 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
19371 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
19372 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
19373 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
19380 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
19381 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
19382 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
19384 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
19385 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
19386 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
19387 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
19388 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
19389 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
19390 @code{undo} function.
19392 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
19393 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
19394 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
19395 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
19396 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
19397 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
19398 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
19399 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
19400 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
19401 never be totally undoable.
19403 @findex gnus-undo-mode
19404 @vindex gnus-use-undo
19406 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
19407 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
19408 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
19409 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
19414 @section Moderation
19417 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
19418 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
19419 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
19422 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
19426 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
19429 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
19431 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
19436 You split your incoming mail by matching on
19437 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
19438 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
19441 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
19442 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
19445 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
19446 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
19450 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
19453 (setq gnus-moderated-list
19454 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
19458 @node XEmacs Enhancements
19459 @section XEmacs Enhancements
19462 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
19466 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
19467 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
19468 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
19469 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
19482 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
19483 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
19484 over your shoulder as you read news.
19487 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
19488 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
19489 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
19490 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
19491 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
19496 @subsubsection Picon Basics
19498 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
19507 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
19508 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
19509 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
19510 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
19511 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
19512 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
19513 @code{GIF} formats.
19516 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19517 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
19518 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
19519 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
19520 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
19522 @vindex gnus-picons-database
19523 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
19524 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
19525 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
19526 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
19527 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
19530 @node Picon Requirements
19531 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
19533 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
19534 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
19535 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
19536 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
19538 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19539 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
19540 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
19541 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
19542 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
19543 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19546 @subsubsection Easy Picons
19548 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
19549 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
19552 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
19553 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
19556 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
19557 containing the Picons databases.
19559 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
19562 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19563 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
19568 @subsubsection Hard Picons
19576 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
19577 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
19578 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
19579 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
19580 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
19585 @item gnus-picons-database
19586 @vindex gnus-picons-database
19587 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
19588 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
19589 subdirectories. This is only useful if
19590 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
19591 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
19593 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19594 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19595 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
19596 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
19597 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
19598 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
19599 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
19601 @item gnus-picons-display-where
19602 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
19603 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
19604 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
19605 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
19606 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
19607 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
19608 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
19610 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
19611 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
19612 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
19617 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
19618 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
19620 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
19621 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
19624 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
19626 @item gnus-article-display-picons
19627 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
19628 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
19629 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
19631 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
19632 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
19633 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
19634 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
19640 @node Picon Useless Configuration
19641 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
19649 The following variables offer further control over how things are
19650 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
19651 don't need to worry about.
19655 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
19656 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
19657 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
19658 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
19660 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
19661 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
19662 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
19663 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
19665 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
19666 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
19667 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
19668 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
19669 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
19671 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19672 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19673 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
19674 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
19675 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
19676 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
19677 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
19678 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19680 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
19681 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
19682 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
19683 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
19684 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19686 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
19687 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
19688 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
19689 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
19690 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
19691 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
19692 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
19694 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
19695 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
19696 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
19697 Defaults to @code{nil}.
19699 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
19700 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
19701 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
19702 Defaults to @code{t}.
19704 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
19705 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
19706 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
19707 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
19709 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
19710 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
19711 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
19713 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
19714 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
19715 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
19716 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
19718 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
19719 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
19721 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
19722 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
19723 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
19724 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
19725 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
19726 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
19727 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
19728 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
19739 @subsection Smileys
19744 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
19749 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
19750 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
19752 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
19753 @file{.gnus.el} file:
19756 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
19759 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
19760 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
19761 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
19762 text and maps that to file names.
19764 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
19765 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
19766 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
19767 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
19768 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
19769 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
19771 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
19772 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
19774 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
19775 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
19776 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
19778 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
19779 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
19783 @item smiley-data-directory
19784 @vindex smiley-data-directory
19785 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
19787 @item smiley-flesh-color
19788 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
19789 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
19791 @item smiley-features-color
19792 @vindex smiley-features-color
19793 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
19795 @item smiley-tongue-color
19796 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
19797 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
19799 @item smiley-circle-color
19800 @vindex smiley-circle-color
19801 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
19803 @item smiley-mouse-face
19804 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
19805 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
19811 @subsection Toolbar
19821 @item gnus-use-toolbar
19822 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
19823 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
19824 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
19825 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
19827 @item gnus-group-toolbar
19828 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
19829 The toolbar in the group buffer.
19831 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
19832 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
19833 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
19835 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
19836 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
19837 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
19843 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
19846 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
19847 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
19848 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
19849 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
19850 unusual directory structure.
19852 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
19853 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
19854 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
19855 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
19857 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
19858 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
19859 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
19860 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
19861 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
19862 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
19864 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
19865 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
19866 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
19880 @node Fuzzy Matching
19881 @section Fuzzy Matching
19882 @cindex fuzzy matching
19884 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
19885 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
19887 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
19888 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
19889 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
19891 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
19892 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
19893 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
19894 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
19895 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
19898 @node Thwarting Email Spam
19899 @section Thwarting Email Spam
19903 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
19905 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
19906 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
19907 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
19908 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
19909 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
19910 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
19911 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
19912 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
19915 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
19916 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
19917 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
19918 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
19919 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
19920 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
19924 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
19925 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
19927 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
19928 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
19929 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
19930 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
19931 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
19932 part of the mail address.)
19935 (setq message-default-news-headers
19936 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
19939 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
19940 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
19945 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
19946 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
19947 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
19953 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
19954 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
19955 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
19956 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
19958 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
19959 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
19960 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
19961 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
19962 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
19963 your fancy split rule in this way:
19968 (to "larsi" "misc")
19972 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
19973 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
19974 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
19975 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
19976 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
19978 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
19979 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
19980 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
19981 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
19982 cosmic balance somewhat.
19984 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
19985 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
19986 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
19987 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
19990 @node Various Various
19991 @section Various Various
19997 @item gnus-home-directory
19998 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
19999 defaults to @file{~/}.
20001 @item gnus-directory
20002 @vindex gnus-directory
20003 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
20004 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
20005 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
20007 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
20008 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
20009 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
20010 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
20012 @item gnus-default-directory
20013 @vindex gnus-default-directory
20014 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
20015 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
20016 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
20017 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
20018 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
20019 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
20022 @vindex gnus-verbose
20023 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
20024 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
20025 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
20026 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
20027 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
20029 @item gnus-verbose-backends
20030 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
20031 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
20032 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
20034 @item nnheader-max-head-length
20035 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
20036 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
20037 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
20038 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
20039 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
20040 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
20041 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
20042 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
20043 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
20045 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
20046 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
20047 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
20048 read when doing the operation described above.
20050 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20051 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20053 @cindex invalid characters in file names
20054 @cindex characters in file names
20055 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
20056 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
20057 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
20060 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20064 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
20065 Windows (phooey) systems.
20067 @item gnus-hidden-properties
20068 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
20069 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
20070 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
20071 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
20073 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
20074 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
20075 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
20076 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
20077 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
20079 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
20080 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
20081 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
20083 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20084 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20086 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
20087 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
20088 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
20089 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
20092 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
20100 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
20101 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
20103 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
20105 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
20111 Not because of victories @*
20114 but for the common sunshine,@*
20116 the largess of the spring.
20120 but for the day's work done@*
20121 as well as I was able;@*
20122 not for a seat upon the dais@*
20123 but at the common table.@*
20128 @chapter Appendices
20131 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
20132 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
20133 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
20134 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
20135 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
20136 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
20137 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
20138 * Frequently Asked Questions::
20146 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
20147 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
20149 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
20150 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
20151 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
20152 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
20153 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
20155 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
20156 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
20157 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
20158 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
20159 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
20160 appropriate name, don't you think?)
20162 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
20163 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
20164 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
20165 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
20168 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
20169 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
20170 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
20171 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
20172 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
20173 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
20174 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
20175 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
20176 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
20180 @node Gnus Versions
20181 @subsection Gnus Versions
20182 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
20184 @cindex September Gnus
20185 @cindex Quassia Gnus
20187 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
20188 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
20189 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
20191 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
20192 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
20194 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
20195 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
20197 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
20198 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
20200 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
20201 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
20204 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
20206 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
20207 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
20208 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
20209 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
20210 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
20211 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
20214 @node Other Gnus Versions
20215 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
20218 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
20219 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
20220 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
20221 @sc{mime} capabilities.
20223 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
20224 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
20225 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
20226 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
20233 What's the point of Gnus?
20235 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
20236 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
20237 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
20238 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
20239 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
20240 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
20241 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
20242 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
20243 keep track of millions of people who post?
20245 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
20246 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
20247 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
20248 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
20249 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
20250 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
20251 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
20252 every one of you to explore and invent.
20254 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
20255 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
20258 @node Compatibility
20259 @subsection Compatibility
20261 @cindex compatibility
20262 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
20263 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
20264 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
20269 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
20273 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
20276 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
20279 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
20280 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
20281 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
20282 important variables have their values copied into their global
20283 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
20284 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
20286 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
20287 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
20288 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
20289 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
20290 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
20294 @cindex highlighting
20295 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
20296 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
20297 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
20298 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
20299 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
20300 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
20303 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
20304 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
20305 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
20306 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
20308 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
20309 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
20310 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
20311 to stop doing it the old way.
20313 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
20315 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20317 @cindex reporting bugs
20319 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
20320 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
20321 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
20323 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
20324 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
20325 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
20326 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
20331 @subsection Conformity
20333 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
20334 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
20341 There are no known breaches of this standard.
20345 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
20347 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
20348 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
20349 We do have some breaches to this one.
20355 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
20356 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
20357 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
20358 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
20359 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
20364 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
20365 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
20366 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
20367 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
20371 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
20372 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
20377 @subsection Emacsen
20383 Gnus should work on :
20391 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
20395 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
20396 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
20399 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
20400 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
20401 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
20405 @node Gnus Development
20406 @subsection Gnus Development
20408 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
20409 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
20410 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
20411 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
20412 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
20413 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
20414 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
20415 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
20417 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
20418 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
20419 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
20420 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
20421 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
20424 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
20425 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
20426 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
20427 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
20428 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
20430 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
20431 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
20432 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
20433 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
20434 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
20435 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
20436 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
20437 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
20438 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
20439 can't be assumed to do so.
20444 @subsection Contributors
20445 @cindex contributors
20447 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
20448 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
20449 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
20450 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
20451 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
20452 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
20453 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
20454 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
20455 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
20456 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
20458 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
20464 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
20467 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
20468 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
20469 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
20470 functionality and stuff.
20473 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
20474 well as numerous other things).
20477 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
20480 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
20483 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
20486 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
20489 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
20490 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
20493 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
20496 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
20497 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
20500 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
20503 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
20506 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
20509 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
20512 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
20513 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
20516 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
20519 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
20522 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
20525 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
20529 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
20532 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
20535 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
20538 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
20539 well as autoconf support.
20543 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
20544 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
20546 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
20555 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
20559 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
20569 Alexei V. Barantsev,
20584 Massimo Campostrini,
20589 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
20590 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
20594 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
20597 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
20603 Michael Welsh Duggan,
20608 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
20612 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
20620 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
20622 Michelangelo Grigni,
20626 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
20628 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
20630 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
20637 François Felix Ingrand,
20638 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
20639 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
20641 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
20652 Peter Skov Knudsen,
20653 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
20655 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
20656 Thor Kristoffersen,
20659 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
20677 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
20678 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
20685 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
20690 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
20694 John McClary Prevost,
20700 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
20705 Christian von Roques,
20708 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
20715 Philippe Schnoebelen,
20717 Randal L. Schwartz,
20731 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
20736 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
20752 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
20757 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
20758 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
20759 (550kB and counting).
20761 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
20764 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
20765 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
20769 @subsection New Features
20770 @cindex new features
20773 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
20774 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
20775 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
20776 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
20777 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
20780 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
20781 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
20782 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
20785 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
20787 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
20792 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
20793 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
20796 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
20797 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
20800 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
20803 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
20804 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
20805 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
20808 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
20809 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
20810 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
20811 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
20814 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
20815 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20818 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
20819 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
20820 (@pxref{The Active File}).
20823 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
20824 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
20827 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
20828 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
20829 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
20832 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
20833 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
20834 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
20837 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
20838 the @file{.emacs} file.
20841 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
20842 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20845 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
20846 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
20849 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
20850 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20853 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
20854 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
20857 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
20858 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
20861 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
20864 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
20865 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
20868 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
20869 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
20872 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
20873 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
20876 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
20879 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
20880 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
20883 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
20887 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
20891 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
20892 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
20895 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
20901 @node September Gnus
20902 @subsubsection September Gnus
20906 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
20910 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
20915 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
20916 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
20920 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
20921 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
20925 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
20929 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
20930 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
20933 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
20937 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
20940 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
20943 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
20946 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
20950 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
20951 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
20954 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
20958 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
20962 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
20966 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
20970 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
20973 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
20974 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
20977 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
20981 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
20982 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
20985 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
20988 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
20989 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
20990 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
20993 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
20997 The Gnus cache is much faster.
21000 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
21004 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
21005 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
21008 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
21009 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
21012 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
21013 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21016 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
21017 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
21018 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
21021 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
21022 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
21025 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
21028 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21031 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
21034 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
21037 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
21038 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
21041 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
21045 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
21048 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
21053 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
21056 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
21060 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21063 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
21067 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
21070 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
21073 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
21074 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21077 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
21078 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
21082 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
21083 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
21086 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
21090 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
21091 buffer to allow easier treatment.
21094 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
21097 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
21101 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
21105 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
21106 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
21109 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
21113 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
21114 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21117 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
21118 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21121 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
21125 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21128 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
21131 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
21137 @subsubsection Red Gnus
21139 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
21143 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
21150 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
21153 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
21154 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21157 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
21158 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
21162 Article washing status can be displayed in the
21163 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
21166 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
21169 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
21170 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
21173 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
21177 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
21178 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
21182 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
21183 Server Internals}).
21186 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
21190 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
21193 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
21194 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
21197 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
21198 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
21199 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
21202 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
21203 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21206 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
21207 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
21210 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
21214 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
21215 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21218 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
21219 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21222 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
21226 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
21229 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
21233 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
21234 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21237 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
21238 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21241 A new command for reading collections of documents
21242 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
21243 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
21246 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
21250 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
21251 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
21254 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
21255 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
21256 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
21259 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
21260 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
21264 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
21268 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
21272 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
21277 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
21281 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
21285 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
21286 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
21289 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
21295 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
21297 New features in Gnus 5.6:
21302 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
21303 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
21304 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
21307 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
21308 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
21309 group, which is created automatically.
21312 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
21316 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
21319 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
21320 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
21323 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
21327 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
21330 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
21331 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
21334 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
21337 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
21338 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
21341 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
21342 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
21345 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
21346 control over simplification.
21349 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
21352 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
21356 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
21359 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
21362 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
21363 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
21364 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
21367 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
21368 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
21371 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
21375 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
21376 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
21379 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
21380 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
21383 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
21387 A history of where mails have been split is available.
21390 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
21393 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
21394 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
21397 A new function for citing in Message has been
21398 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
21401 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
21404 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
21408 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
21409 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
21412 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
21413 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
21416 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
21419 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
21423 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
21424 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
21426 New features in Gnus 5.8:
21431 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
21432 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
21434 If you used procmail like in
21437 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
21438 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
21439 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
21440 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
21443 this now has changed to
21447 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
21451 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
21452 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
21455 Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
21456 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
21459 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
21460 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
21463 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
21464 called to position point.
21467 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
21468 summary buffers and NOV files.
21471 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
21472 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
21475 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
21476 subtly different manner.
21479 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
21480 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
21481 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
21484 Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
21492 @section The Manual
21496 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
21497 either @code{texi2dvi}
21499 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
21500 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
21502 to get what you hold in your hands now.
21504 The following conventions have been used:
21509 This is a @samp{string}
21512 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
21515 This is a @file{file}
21518 This is a @code{symbol}
21522 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
21526 (setq flargnoze "yes")
21529 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
21532 (setq flumphel 'yes)
21535 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
21536 ever get them confused.
21540 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
21541 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
21542 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
21543 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
21544 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
21545 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
21546 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
21552 @node On Writing Manuals
21553 @section On Writing Manuals
21555 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
21556 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
21557 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
21558 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
21559 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
21560 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
21563 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
21564 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
21565 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
21568 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
21569 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
21574 @section Terminology
21576 @cindex terminology
21581 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
21582 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
21583 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
21584 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
21585 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
21589 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
21590 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
21591 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
21592 not posting, and replying is not following up.
21596 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
21600 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
21605 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of back ends, both news and mail
21606 back ends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
21607 is all done by the back ends.
21611 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
21612 default, way of getting news.
21616 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
21617 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
21622 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
21623 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
21627 A message that has been posted as news.
21630 @cindex mail message
21631 A message that has been mailed.
21635 A mail message or news article
21639 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
21644 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
21649 A line from the head of an article.
21653 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
21654 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
21658 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
21659 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
21660 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
21661 normal @sc{head} format.
21665 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
21666 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
21667 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
21668 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
21669 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
21670 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
21672 @item killed groups
21673 @cindex killed groups
21674 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
21675 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
21677 @item zombie groups
21678 @cindex zombie groups
21679 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
21682 @cindex active file
21683 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
21684 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
21685 is rather large, as you might surmise.
21688 @cindex bogus groups
21689 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
21690 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
21691 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
21694 @cindex activating groups
21695 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
21696 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
21697 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
21701 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
21703 @item select method
21704 @cindex select method
21705 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
21708 @item virtual server
21709 @cindex virtual server
21710 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
21711 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
21712 whole is a virtual server.
21716 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
21717 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
21720 @item ephemeral groups
21721 @cindex ephemeral groups
21722 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
21723 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
21724 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
21727 @cindex solid groups
21728 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
21729 group buffer are solid groups.
21731 @item sparse articles
21732 @cindex sparse articles
21733 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
21734 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
21738 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
21739 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
21743 @cindex thread root
21744 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
21745 articles in the thread.
21749 An article that has responses.
21753 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
21757 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
21758 specified by RFC 1153.
21764 @node Customization
21765 @section Customization
21766 @cindex general customization
21768 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
21769 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
21770 for some quite common situations.
21773 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
21774 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
21775 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
21776 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
21780 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
21781 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
21783 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
21784 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
21785 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
21789 @item gnus-read-active-file
21790 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
21791 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
21792 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21793 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
21794 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
21796 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
21797 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
21798 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
21799 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
21803 @node Slow Terminal Connection
21804 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
21806 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
21807 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
21808 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
21812 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
21813 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
21814 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
21815 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
21816 horizontal and vertical recentering.
21818 @item gnus-visible-headers
21819 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
21820 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
21821 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
21822 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
21824 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
21826 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
21827 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
21828 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
21831 @item gnus-use-full-window
21832 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
21833 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
21834 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
21835 want to read them anyway.
21837 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
21838 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
21841 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
21842 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
21843 lines, which might save some time.
21847 @node Little Disk Space
21848 @subsection Little Disk Space
21851 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
21852 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
21856 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
21857 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
21858 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21859 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21862 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
21863 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
21864 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21865 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21868 @item gnus-save-killed-list
21869 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
21870 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
21871 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
21872 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
21878 @subsection Slow Machine
21879 @cindex slow machine
21881 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
21882 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
21884 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21885 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
21887 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
21888 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
21889 summary buffer faster.
21893 @node Troubleshooting
21894 @section Troubleshooting
21895 @cindex troubleshooting
21897 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
21905 Make sure your computer is switched on.
21908 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
21909 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
21913 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
21914 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
21915 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
21916 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
21919 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
21923 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
21924 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
21925 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
21926 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
21927 something like that.
21930 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
21933 @cindex reporting bugs
21935 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21937 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
21938 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
21939 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
21940 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
21942 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
21943 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
21944 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
21945 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
21948 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
21949 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
21950 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
21951 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
21952 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
21953 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
21955 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
21956 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
21957 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
21961 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
21962 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
21964 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
21965 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
21967 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
21968 @cindex ding mailing list
21969 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
21970 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
21974 @node Gnus Reference Guide
21975 @section Gnus Reference Guide
21977 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
21978 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
21979 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
21980 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
21983 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
21984 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
21985 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
21986 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
21987 and general methods of operation.
21990 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
21991 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
21992 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
21993 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
21994 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
21995 * Group Info:: The group info format.
21996 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
21997 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
21998 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
22002 @node Gnus Utility Functions
22003 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
22004 @cindex Gnus utility functions
22005 @cindex utility functions
22007 @cindex internal variables
22009 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
22010 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
22011 Below is a list of the most common ones.
22015 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
22016 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
22017 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
22019 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
22020 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
22021 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
22023 @item gnus-group-real-name
22024 @findex gnus-group-real-name
22025 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
22028 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
22029 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
22030 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
22031 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
22033 @item gnus-get-info
22034 @findex gnus-get-info
22035 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
22037 @item gnus-group-unread
22038 @findex gnus-group-unread
22039 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
22043 @findex gnus-active
22044 The active entry for @var{group}.
22046 @item gnus-set-active
22047 @findex gnus-set-active
22048 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
22050 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22051 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22052 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
22055 @item gnus-continuum-version
22056 @findex gnus-continuum-version
22057 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
22058 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
22061 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
22062 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
22063 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
22065 @item gnus-news-group-p
22066 @findex gnus-news-group-p
22067 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
22069 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22070 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22071 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
22073 @item gnus-server-to-method
22074 @findex gnus-server-to-method
22075 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
22077 @item gnus-server-equal
22078 @findex gnus-server-equal
22079 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
22081 @item gnus-group-native-p
22082 @findex gnus-group-native-p
22083 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
22085 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
22086 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
22087 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
22089 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
22090 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
22091 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
22093 @item group-group-find-parameter
22094 @findex group-group-find-parameter
22095 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
22096 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
22098 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
22099 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
22100 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
22102 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
22103 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
22104 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
22106 @item gnus-check-backend-function
22107 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
22108 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
22109 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
22112 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
22116 @item gnus-read-method
22117 @findex gnus-read-method
22118 Prompts the user for a select method.
22123 @node Back End Interface
22124 @subsection Back End Interface
22126 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
22127 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
22128 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
22129 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
22130 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
22131 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
22133 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
22134 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
22135 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
22136 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
22137 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
22138 been opened, the function should fail.
22140 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
22141 name. Take this example:
22145 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
22146 (nntp-port-number 4324))
22149 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
22150 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
22152 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
22153 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
22154 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
22156 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
22157 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
22158 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
22160 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
22161 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
22162 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
22163 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
22164 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
22165 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
22168 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
22169 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
22170 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
22171 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
22174 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
22175 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
22176 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
22177 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
22178 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
22179 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
22180 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
22181 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
22182 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
22183 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
22185 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
22186 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
22187 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
22188 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
22189 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
22190 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
22191 of numbers as long as possible.
22193 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
22196 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
22199 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
22200 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
22201 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
22202 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
22203 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
22204 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
22208 @node Required Back End Functions
22209 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
22213 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
22215 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
22216 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
22217 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
22218 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
22220 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
22221 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
22222 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
22223 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
22225 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
22226 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
22227 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
22228 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
22229 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
22230 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
22231 number, do maximum fetches.
22233 Here's an example HEAD:
22236 221 1056 Article retrieved.
22237 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
22238 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
22239 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
22240 Subject: Re: Something very droll
22241 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
22242 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
22244 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
22245 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
22246 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
22250 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
22251 these in the data buffer.
22253 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
22257 head = error / valid-head
22258 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
22259 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
22260 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
22261 header = <text> eol
22264 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
22265 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
22269 nov-buffer = *nov-line
22270 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
22271 field = <text except TAB>
22274 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
22278 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
22280 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
22281 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
22283 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
22284 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
22285 server. In fact, it should do so.
22287 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
22288 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
22291 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
22293 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
22294 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
22297 There should be no data returned.
22300 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
22302 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
22303 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
22304 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
22305 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
22307 There should be no data returned.
22310 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
22312 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
22313 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
22314 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
22315 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
22317 There should be no data returned.
22320 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
22322 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
22324 There should be no data returned.
22327 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
22329 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
22330 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
22331 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
22332 it would be nice if that were possible.
22334 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
22335 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
22336 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
22337 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
22338 into its article buffer.
22340 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
22341 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
22342 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
22343 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
22344 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
22345 on successful article retrieval.
22348 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
22350 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
22351 making @var{group} the current group.
22353 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
22356 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
22359 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
22362 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
22363 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
22364 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
22365 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
22366 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
22367 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
22368 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
22369 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
22372 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
22373 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
22374 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
22378 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22380 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
22381 a no-op on most back ends.
22383 There should be no data returned.
22386 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
22388 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
22391 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
22394 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
22395 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
22398 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
22399 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
22402 active-file = *active-line
22403 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
22405 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
22408 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
22409 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
22410 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
22413 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
22415 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
22416 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
22417 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
22418 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
22419 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
22420 clear if the posting could not be completed.
22422 There should be no result data from this function.
22427 @node Optional Back End Functions
22428 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
22432 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
22434 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
22435 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
22436 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
22438 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
22439 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
22440 former is in the same format as the data from
22441 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
22442 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
22445 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
22449 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
22451 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
22452 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
22453 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
22454 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
22455 should return the (altered) group info.
22457 There should be no result data from this function.
22460 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
22462 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
22463 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
22464 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
22465 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
22466 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
22467 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
22468 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
22469 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
22471 There should be no result data from this function.
22474 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
22476 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
22477 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
22478 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
22479 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
22480 propagate the mark information to the server.
22482 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
22485 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
22488 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
22489 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
22490 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
22491 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
22492 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
22493 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
22494 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
22495 possible, not limit itself to these.
22497 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
22498 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
22499 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
22500 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
22502 An example action list:
22505 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
22506 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
22507 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
22510 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
22511 mark on (currently not used for anything).
22513 There should be no result data from this function.
22515 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
22517 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
22518 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
22519 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
22520 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
22521 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
22523 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
22524 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
22525 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
22528 There should be no result data from this function.
22531 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
22533 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
22534 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
22535 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
22536 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
22537 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
22538 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
22539 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
22541 There should be no result data from this function.
22544 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
22546 The result data from this function should be a description of
22550 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
22552 description = <text>
22555 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
22557 The result data from this function should be the description of all
22558 groups available on the server.
22561 description-buffer = *description-line
22565 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
22567 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
22568 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
22569 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
22570 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
22571 in the active buffer format.
22573 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
22574 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
22575 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
22576 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
22577 many groups, so nnml and the like are probably safe. But for back ends
22578 like nntp, where the groups have been created by the server, it is quite
22579 likely that there can be many groups.
22582 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22584 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
22586 There should be no return data.
22589 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
22591 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
22592 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
22593 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
22594 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
22595 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
22598 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
22601 There should be no result data returned.
22604 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
22607 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
22608 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
22610 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
22611 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
22612 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
22613 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
22614 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
22615 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
22617 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
22618 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
22621 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
22622 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
22624 There should be no data returned.
22627 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
22629 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
22630 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
22631 this function in short order.
22633 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
22634 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
22636 There should be no data returned.
22639 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
22641 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
22642 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
22644 There should be no data returned.
22647 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
22649 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
22650 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
22651 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
22653 There should be no data returned.
22656 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
22658 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
22659 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
22661 There should be no data returned.
22666 @node Error Messaging
22667 @subsubsection Error Messaging
22669 @findex nnheader-report
22670 @findex nnheader-get-report
22671 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
22672 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
22673 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
22674 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
22675 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
22676 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
22679 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
22681 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
22684 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
22685 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
22686 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
22687 takes one argument---the server symbol.
22689 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
22690 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
22691 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
22694 @node Writing New Back Ends
22695 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
22697 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
22698 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
22699 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
22700 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
22701 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
22704 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
22705 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
22706 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
22708 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
22709 package called @code{nnoo}.
22711 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
22712 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
22718 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
22719 parameters. For instance:
22722 (nnoo-declare nndir
22726 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
22727 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
22730 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
22731 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
22732 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
22734 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
22735 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
22736 a function in those back ends.
22739 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22740 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22741 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22744 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
22745 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
22746 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
22748 @item nnoo-define-basics
22749 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
22753 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22757 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
22758 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
22759 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
22761 @item nnoo-map-functions
22762 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
22763 functions from the parent back ends.
22766 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22767 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22768 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
22771 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
22772 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
22773 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
22774 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
22777 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
22778 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
22779 haven't already been defined.
22785 nnmh-request-newgroups)
22789 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
22790 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
22791 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
22796 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
22799 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
22800 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
22804 (require 'nnheader)
22808 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
22810 (nnoo-declare nndir
22813 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22814 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22815 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22817 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
22818 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
22821 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
22823 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
22824 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
22825 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
22827 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
22828 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
22830 ;;; Interface functions.
22832 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22834 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
22835 (setq nndir-directory
22836 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
22838 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
22839 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
22840 (push `(nndir-current-group
22841 ,(file-name-nondirectory
22842 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22844 (push `(nndir-top-directory
22845 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22847 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
22849 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22850 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22851 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22852 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
22853 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
22857 nnmh-status-message
22859 nnmh-request-newgroups))
22865 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
22866 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
22868 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
22869 @findex gnus-declare-backend
22870 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
22871 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
22872 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
22874 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
22875 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
22880 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
22883 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
22885 The abilities can be:
22889 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
22891 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
22893 This back end supports both mail and news.
22895 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
22898 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
22899 articles and groups.
22901 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
22902 true for almost all back ends.
22903 @item prompt-address
22904 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
22905 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
22906 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
22910 @node Mail-like Back Ends
22911 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
22913 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
22914 back ends is the heavy dependence by the mail back ends on common
22915 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
22916 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
22919 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
22920 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
22921 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
22924 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
22925 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
22928 This function takes four parameters.
22932 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
22935 @item exit-function
22936 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
22938 @item temp-directory
22939 Where the temporary files should be stored.
22942 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
22943 performed for one group only.
22946 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
22947 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
22948 find the article number assigned to this article.
22950 The function also uses the following variables:
22951 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
22952 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
22953 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
22954 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
22958 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
22959 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
22963 @node Score File Syntax
22964 @subsection Score File Syntax
22966 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
22967 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
22968 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
22970 Here's a typical score file:
22974 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
22981 BNF definition of a score file:
22984 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
22985 element = rule / atom
22986 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
22987 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
22988 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
22989 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
22991 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
22992 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
22993 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
22994 date-header = "date"
22995 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22996 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22997 score = "nil" / <integer>
22998 date = "nil" / <natural number>
22999 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
23000 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
23001 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
23002 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
23003 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23004 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23005 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
23006 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23007 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
23008 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
23009 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
23010 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
23011 exclude-files / read-only / touched
23012 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
23013 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
23014 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
23015 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
23016 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
23017 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
23018 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
23019 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
23020 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
23021 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
23022 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
23023 eval = "eval" space <form>
23024 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
23027 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
23030 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
23031 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
23032 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
23033 one looong line, then that's ok.
23035 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
23036 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23040 @subsection Headers
23042 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
23043 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
23044 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
23045 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
23047 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
23048 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
23049 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
23050 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
23051 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
23052 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
23053 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
23055 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
23056 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
23057 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
23058 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
23059 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
23061 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
23062 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
23068 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
23069 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
23071 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
23072 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
23073 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
23074 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
23076 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
23080 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
23083 is transformed into
23086 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
23089 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
23090 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
23093 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
23096 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
23097 is slightly tricky:
23100 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
23106 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
23109 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
23115 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
23122 and is equal to the previous range.
23124 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
23125 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
23126 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
23130 range = simple-range / normal-range
23131 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
23132 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
23133 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
23134 number *[ " " contents ]
23137 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
23138 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
23139 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
23140 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
23141 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
23146 @subsection Group Info
23148 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
23149 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
23150 describes the group.
23152 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
23153 second is a more complex one:
23156 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
23158 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
23159 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
23161 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
23164 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
23165 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
23166 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
23167 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
23168 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
23169 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
23170 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
23171 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
23172 this section is about.
23174 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
23175 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
23176 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
23178 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
23181 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
23182 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
23183 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23184 group = quote <string> quote
23185 ralevel = rank / level
23186 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23187 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
23188 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23190 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
23191 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
23192 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
23193 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
23196 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
23197 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
23200 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
23201 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
23204 @item gnus-info-group
23205 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
23206 @findex gnus-info-group
23207 @findex gnus-info-set-group
23208 Get/set the group name.
23210 @item gnus-info-rank
23211 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
23212 @findex gnus-info-rank
23213 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
23214 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
23216 @item gnus-info-level
23217 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
23218 @findex gnus-info-level
23219 @findex gnus-info-set-level
23220 Get/set the group level.
23222 @item gnus-info-score
23223 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
23224 @findex gnus-info-score
23225 @findex gnus-info-set-score
23226 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
23228 @item gnus-info-read
23229 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
23230 @findex gnus-info-read
23231 @findex gnus-info-set-read
23232 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
23234 @item gnus-info-marks
23235 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
23236 @findex gnus-info-marks
23237 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
23238 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
23240 @item gnus-info-method
23241 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
23242 @findex gnus-info-method
23243 @findex gnus-info-set-method
23244 Get/set the group select method.
23246 @item gnus-info-params
23247 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
23248 @findex gnus-info-params
23249 @findex gnus-info-set-params
23250 Get/set the group parameters.
23253 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
23254 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
23256 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
23257 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
23258 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
23259 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
23262 @node Extended Interactive
23263 @subsection Extended Interactive
23264 @cindex interactive
23265 @findex gnus-interactive
23267 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
23268 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
23269 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
23272 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
23273 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
23278 The best thing to do would have been to implement
23279 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
23280 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
23281 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
23282 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
23283 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
23284 @code{interactive}.
23286 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
23291 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
23292 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
23296 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
23297 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
23298 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
23301 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
23305 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
23309 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
23315 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
23316 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
23320 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
23321 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
23322 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
23324 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
23325 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
23326 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
23327 Gnus, that's very useful.
23329 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
23330 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
23331 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
23332 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
23333 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
23334 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
23335 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
23336 following function:
23339 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
23343 (,function ,@@args))
23347 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
23348 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
23349 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
23352 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
23353 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
23354 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
23356 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
23357 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
23358 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
23361 @node Various File Formats
23362 @subsection Various File Formats
23365 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
23366 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
23370 @node Active File Format
23371 @subsubsection Active File Format
23373 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
23374 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
23377 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
23380 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
23381 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
23382 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
23383 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
23384 no.general 1000 900 y
23387 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
23390 active = *group-line
23391 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
23392 group = <non-white-space string>
23394 high-number = <non-negative integer>
23395 low-number = <positive integer>
23396 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
23399 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
23400 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
23403 @node Newsgroups File Format
23404 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
23406 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
23407 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
23408 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
23411 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
23412 Here's the definition:
23416 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
23417 group = <non-white-space string>
23419 description = <string>
23424 @node Emacs for Heathens
23425 @section Emacs for Heathens
23427 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
23428 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
23429 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
23430 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
23431 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
23432 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
23433 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
23437 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
23438 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
23443 @subsection Keystrokes
23447 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
23450 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
23453 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
23454 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
23455 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
23456 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
23457 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
23458 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
23460 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
23461 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
23462 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
23463 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
23464 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
23465 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
23466 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
23468 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
23469 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
23470 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
23471 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
23472 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
23473 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
23474 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
23476 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
23477 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
23478 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
23479 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
23480 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
23486 @subsection Emacs Lisp
23488 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
23489 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
23490 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
23491 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
23493 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
23494 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
23495 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
23496 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
23497 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
23498 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
23499 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
23502 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
23503 write the following:
23506 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
23509 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
23510 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
23511 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
23514 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
23515 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
23516 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
23517 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
23518 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
23520 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
23521 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
23522 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
23526 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
23530 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
23533 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
23534 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
23537 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
23540 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
23541 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
23544 @include gnus-faq.texi
23565 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
23566 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
23567 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
23568 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
23569 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref