10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
15 @setchapternewpage odd
19 \documentclass[twoside,a4paper,openright,11pt]{book}
20 \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
21 \usepackage{pagestyle}
24 \input{gnusconfig.tex}
26 \ifx\pdfoutput\undefined
28 \usepackage[pdftex,bookmarks]{hyperref}
35 \newcommand{\gnusversionname}{Oort Gnus v0.05}
36 \newcommand{\gnuschaptername}{}
37 \newcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
39 \newcommand{\gnusbackslash}{/}
41 \newcommand{\gnusref}[1]{``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
42 \ifx\pdfoutput\undefined
43 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
45 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\href{#1}{\gnustt{#1}}}
47 \newcommand{\gnusxref}[1]{See ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
48 \newcommand{\gnuspxref}[1]{see ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
50 \newcommand{\gnuskindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
51 \newcommand{\gnusindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
53 \newcommand{\gnustt}[1]{{\gnusselectttfont{}#1}}
54 \newcommand{\gnuscode}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
55 \newcommand{\gnussamp}[1]{``{\fontencoding{OT1}\gnusselectttfont{}#1}''}
56 \newcommand{\gnuslisp}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
57 \newcommand{\gnuskbd}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
58 \newcommand{\gnusfile}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
59 \newcommand{\gnusdfn}[1]{\textit{#1}}
60 \newcommand{\gnusi}[1]{\textit{#1}}
61 \newcommand{\gnusstrong}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
62 \newcommand{\gnusemph}[1]{\textit{#1}}
63 \newcommand{\gnusvar}[1]{{\fontsize{10pt}{10}\selectfont\textsl{\textsf{#1}}}}
64 \newcommand{\gnussc}[1]{\textsc{#1}}
65 \newcommand{\gnustitle}[1]{{\huge\textbf{#1}}}
66 \newcommand{\gnusversion}[1]{{\small\textit{#1}}}
67 \newcommand{\gnusauthor}[1]{{\large\textbf{#1}}}
68 \newcommand{\gnusresult}[1]{\gnustt{=> #1}}
70 \newcommand{\gnusbullet}{{${\bullet}$}}
71 \newcommand{\gnusdollar}{\$}
72 \newcommand{\gnusampersand}{\&}
73 \newcommand{\gnuspercent}{\%}
74 \newcommand{\gnushash}{\#}
75 \newcommand{\gnushat}{\symbol{"5E}}
76 \newcommand{\gnusunderline}{\symbol{"5F}}
77 \newcommand{\gnusnot}{$\neg$}
78 \newcommand{\gnustilde}{\symbol{"7E}}
79 \newcommand{\gnusless}{{$<$}}
80 \newcommand{\gnusgreater}{{$>$}}
81 \newcommand{\gnusbraceleft}{{$>$}}
82 \newcommand{\gnusbraceright}{{$>$}}
84 \newcommand{\gnushead}{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-head,height=1cm}}}
85 \newcommand{\gnusinteresting}{
86 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\gnushead]{\gnushead}
89 \newcommand{\gnuscleardoublepage}{\ifodd\count0\mbox{}\clearpage\thispagestyle{empty}\mbox{}\clearpage\else\clearpage\fi}
91 \newcommand{\gnuspagechapter}[1]{
98 \newcommand{\gnuschapter}[2]{
100 \ifdim \gnusdimen = 0pt\setcounter{page}{1}\pagestyle{gnus}\pagenumbering{arabic} \gnusdimen 1pt\fi
102 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
103 \renewcommand{\gnuschaptername}{#2}
104 \thispagestyle{empty}
106 \begin{picture}(500,500)(0,0)
107 \put(480,350){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{#1}}
108 \put(40,300){\makebox(500,50)[bl]{{\Huge\bf{#2}}}}
113 \newcommand{\gnusfigure}[3]{
115 \mbox{}\ifodd\count0\hspace*{-0.8cm}\else\hspace*{-3cm}\fi\begin{picture}(440,#2)
122 \newcommand{\gnusicon}[1]{
123 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\raisebox{-1.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/#1-up,height=1.5cm}}]{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/#1-up,height=1cm}}}
126 \newcommand{\gnuspicon}[1]{
127 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=2cm}}
130 \newcommand{\gnusxface}[2]{
131 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=1cm}\epsfig{figure=#2,width=1cm}}
134 \newcommand{\gnussmiley}[2]{
135 \margindex{\makebox[2cm]{\hfill\epsfig{figure=#1,width=0.5cm}\hfill\epsfig{figure=#2,width=0.5cm}\hfill}}
138 \newcommand{\gnusitemx}[1]{\mbox{}\vspace*{-\itemsep}\vspace*{-\parsep}\item#1}
140 \newcommand{\gnussection}[1]{
141 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{#1}
145 \newenvironment{codelist}%
150 \newenvironment{kbdlist}%
156 \newenvironment{dfnlist}%
161 \newenvironment{stronglist}%
166 \newenvironment{samplist}%
171 \newenvironment{varlist}%
176 \newenvironment{emphlist}%
181 \newlength\gnusheadtextwidth
182 \setlength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{\headtextwidth}
183 \addtolength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{1cm}
185 \newpagestyle{gnuspreamble}%
190 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\mbox{}}\textbf{\hfill\roman{page}}}
194 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\roman{page}\hfill\mbox{}}}
203 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
205 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
210 \newpagestyle{gnusindex}%
215 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\gnuschaptername\hfill\arabic{page}}}}
219 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}
227 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
229 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
239 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{3.1cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{chapter}.\arabic{section}} \textbf{\gnussectionname\hfill\arabic{page}}}}}
243 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{-2.95cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}}
251 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
253 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
258 \pagenumbering{roman}
259 \pagestyle{gnuspreamble}
269 %\addtolength{\oddsidemargin}{-5cm}
270 %\addtolength{\evensidemargin}{-5cm}
272 \addtolength{\textheight}{2cm}
274 \gnustitle{\gnustitlename}\hfill\gnusversion{\gnusversionname}\\
277 \hspace*{0cm}\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=15cm}
280 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
287 \thispagestyle{empty}
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 v0.05
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 Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
481 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
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 Header:: Doing various header transformations.
597 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
598 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
599 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
600 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
601 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
603 Alternative Approaches
605 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
606 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
608 Various Summary Stuff
610 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
611 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
612 * Summary Generation Commands::
613 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
617 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
618 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
619 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
620 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
621 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
625 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
626 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
627 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
628 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
629 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
630 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
631 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
632 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
636 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
637 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
638 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
639 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
640 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
641 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
642 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
643 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
647 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
648 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
649 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
650 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
651 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
652 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
653 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
657 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
658 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
662 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
663 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
664 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
668 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
669 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
670 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
671 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
672 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
673 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
674 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
675 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
676 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
677 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
678 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
679 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
680 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
684 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
685 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
686 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
688 Choosing a Mail Back End
690 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
691 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
692 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
693 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
694 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
695 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
700 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
701 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
702 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
703 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
704 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
705 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
709 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
710 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
711 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
715 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
716 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
717 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
718 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
719 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
723 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
727 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
728 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
729 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
733 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
734 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
738 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
739 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
740 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
741 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
742 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
743 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
744 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
745 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
746 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
747 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
751 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
752 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
753 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
757 * Group Agent Commands::
758 * Summary Agent Commands::
759 * Server Agent Commands::
763 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
764 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
765 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
766 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
767 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
768 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
769 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
770 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
771 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
772 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
773 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
774 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
775 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
776 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
777 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
778 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
779 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
783 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
784 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
785 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
786 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
790 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
791 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
792 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
796 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
797 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
798 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
799 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
800 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
801 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
802 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
803 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
804 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
805 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
806 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
807 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
808 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
809 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
810 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
811 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
812 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
813 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
814 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
818 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
819 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
820 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
821 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
822 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
823 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
824 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
825 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
829 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
830 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
831 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
832 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
833 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
837 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
838 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
839 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
840 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
841 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
845 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
846 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
847 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
848 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
849 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
850 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
851 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
852 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
853 * Frequently Asked Questions::
857 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
858 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
859 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
860 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
861 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
862 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
863 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
864 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
865 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
869 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
870 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
871 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
872 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
873 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
877 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
878 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
879 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
880 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
884 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
885 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
886 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
887 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
888 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
889 * Group Info:: The group info format.
890 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
891 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
892 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
896 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
897 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
898 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
899 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
900 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
901 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
905 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
906 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
910 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
911 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
917 @chapter Starting Gnus
922 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
923 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
926 @findex gnus-other-frame
927 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
928 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
929 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
931 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
932 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
933 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
935 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
936 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
939 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
940 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
941 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
942 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
943 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
944 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
945 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
946 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
947 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
948 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
949 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
953 @node Finding the News
954 @section Finding the News
957 @vindex gnus-select-method
959 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
960 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
961 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
962 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
965 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
966 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
969 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
972 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
975 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
978 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
979 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
980 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
982 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
984 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
985 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
986 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
987 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
988 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
989 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
991 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
992 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
993 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
994 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
996 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
997 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
998 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
999 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1000 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1001 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1002 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1003 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1004 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1007 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1009 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1010 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1011 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1012 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1013 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1014 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1016 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1018 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1019 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1020 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1021 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1022 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1023 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1026 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1027 you would typically set this variable to
1030 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1034 @node The First Time
1035 @section The First Time
1036 @cindex first time usage
1038 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1039 be subscribed by default.
1041 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1042 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1043 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1044 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1047 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1048 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1049 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1051 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1052 help you with most common problems.
1054 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1055 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1059 @node The Server is Down
1060 @section The Server is Down
1061 @cindex server errors
1063 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1064 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1065 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1067 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1068 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1069 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1070 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1071 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1072 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1073 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1075 @findex gnus-no-server
1076 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1078 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1079 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1080 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1081 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1082 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1083 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1084 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1088 @section Slave Gnusae
1091 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1092 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1093 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1094 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1096 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1097 @code{.newsrc} file.
1099 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1100 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1101 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1102 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1103 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1104 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1105 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1107 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1108 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1109 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1110 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1111 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1112 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1113 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1114 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1116 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1117 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1120 @node Fetching a Group
1121 @section Fetching a Group
1122 @cindex fetching a group
1124 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1125 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1126 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1127 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1128 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1129 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1135 @cindex subscription
1137 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1138 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1139 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1140 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1141 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1142 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1143 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1144 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1145 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1148 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1149 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1150 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1154 @node Checking New Groups
1155 @subsection Checking New Groups
1157 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1158 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1159 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1160 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1161 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1162 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1163 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1164 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1165 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1166 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1168 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1169 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1170 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1171 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1172 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1173 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1174 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1175 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1176 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1177 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1178 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1180 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1181 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1182 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1183 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1184 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1185 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1188 @node Subscription Methods
1189 @subsection Subscription Methods
1191 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1192 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1193 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1195 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1196 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1198 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1202 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1203 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1204 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1205 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1206 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1208 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1209 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1210 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1211 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1213 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1214 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1215 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1217 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1218 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1219 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1220 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1221 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1222 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1223 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1224 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1225 up. Or something like that.
1227 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1228 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1229 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1230 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1231 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1233 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1234 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1235 Kill all new groups.
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1239 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1240 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1241 topic parameter that looks like
1247 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1250 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1255 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1256 A closely related variable is
1257 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1258 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1259 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1260 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1263 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1264 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1265 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1266 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1269 @node Filtering New Groups
1270 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1272 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1273 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1274 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1277 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1280 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1281 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1282 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1283 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1284 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1285 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1286 subscribing these groups.
1287 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1288 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1290 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1291 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1292 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1293 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1294 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1295 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1296 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1297 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1299 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1300 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1301 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1302 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1303 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1304 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1305 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1306 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1307 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1308 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1310 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1311 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1314 @node Changing Servers
1315 @section Changing Servers
1316 @cindex changing servers
1318 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1319 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1320 very flaky and you want to use another.
1322 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1323 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1327 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1328 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1329 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1330 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1333 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1334 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1335 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1336 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1338 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1339 @findex gnus-change-server
1340 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1341 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1342 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1343 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1344 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1346 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1347 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1348 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1349 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1350 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1352 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1353 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1354 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1355 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1356 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1357 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1359 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1360 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1361 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1365 @section Startup Files
1366 @cindex startup files
1371 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1372 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1374 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1375 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1376 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1377 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1378 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1379 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1380 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1382 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1383 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1384 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1385 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1386 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1387 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1389 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1390 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1391 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1392 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1393 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1394 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1395 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1396 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1397 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1398 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1400 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1401 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1402 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1403 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1404 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1405 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1406 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1407 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1408 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1409 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1410 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1411 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1413 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1414 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1415 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1416 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1418 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1419 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1420 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1421 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1422 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1423 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1424 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1425 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1426 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1427 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1430 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1431 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1433 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1434 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1437 @vindex gnus-init-file
1438 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1439 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1440 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1441 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1442 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1443 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1444 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1445 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1446 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1452 @cindex dribble file
1455 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1456 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1457 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1458 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1459 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1462 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1463 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1466 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1467 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1468 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1470 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1471 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1472 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1473 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1474 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1475 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1477 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1478 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1479 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1482 @node The Active File
1483 @section The Active File
1485 @cindex ignored groups
1487 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1488 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1489 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1491 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1492 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1493 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1494 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1495 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1496 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1497 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1500 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1501 @c if you set it to anything else.
1503 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1505 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1506 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1507 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1509 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1510 you actually subscribe to.
1512 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1513 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1514 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1515 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1517 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1518 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1519 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1520 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1521 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1522 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1524 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1525 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1526 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1529 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1530 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1531 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1532 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1533 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1534 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1536 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1537 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1539 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1540 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1542 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1543 secondary select methods.
1546 @node Startup Variables
1547 @section Startup Variables
1551 @item gnus-load-hook
1552 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1553 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1554 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1555 times you start Gnus.
1557 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1558 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1559 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1561 @item gnus-startup-hook
1562 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1563 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1565 @item gnus-started-hook
1566 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1567 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1570 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1571 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1572 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1573 generating the group buffer.
1575 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1576 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1577 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1578 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1579 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1580 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1581 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1582 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1584 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1585 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1586 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1587 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1588 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1589 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1591 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1592 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1593 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1595 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1596 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1597 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1599 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1600 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1601 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1602 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1608 @chapter Group Buffer
1609 @cindex group buffer
1611 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1613 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1614 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1615 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1616 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1617 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1618 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1619 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1620 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1621 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1622 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1623 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1624 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1625 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1626 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1627 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1628 @c human rights at 9...
1631 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1632 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1633 long as Gnus is active.
1637 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1638 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1639 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1640 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1641 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1642 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1643 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1644 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1650 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1651 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1652 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1653 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1654 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1655 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1656 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1657 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1658 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1659 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1660 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1661 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1662 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1663 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1664 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1665 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1666 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1670 @node Group Buffer Format
1671 @section Group Buffer Format
1674 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1675 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1676 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1680 @node Group Line Specification
1681 @subsection Group Line Specification
1682 @cindex group buffer format
1684 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1685 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1687 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1690 25: news.announce.newusers
1691 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1696 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1697 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1698 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1699 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1701 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1702 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1703 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1704 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1705 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1706 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1708 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1710 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1711 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1712 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1713 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1714 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1716 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1717 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1718 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1720 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1725 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1728 Whether the group is subscribed.
1731 Level of subscribedness.
1734 Number of unread articles.
1737 Number of dormant articles.
1740 Number of ticked articles.
1743 Number of read articles.
1746 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1747 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1749 Gnus uses this estimation because the NNTP protocol provides efficient
1750 access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting the true
1751 unread message count is not possible efficiently. For hysterical
1752 raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of unread
1753 messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1754 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the
1755 back end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1756 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1759 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1762 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1771 Newsgroup description.
1774 @samp{m} if moderated.
1777 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1786 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1790 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1793 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1794 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1795 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1796 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1797 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1800 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1802 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1806 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1809 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1813 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1814 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1815 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1816 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1817 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1818 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1823 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1824 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1825 group, or a bogus native group.
1828 @node Group Modeline Specification
1829 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1830 @cindex group modeline
1832 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1833 The mode line can be changed by setting
1834 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1835 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1839 The native news server.
1841 The native select method.
1845 @node Group Highlighting
1846 @subsection Group Highlighting
1847 @cindex highlighting
1848 @cindex group highlighting
1850 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1851 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1852 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1853 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1854 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1856 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1860 (cond (window-system
1861 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1862 (defface my-group-face-1
1863 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1864 (defface my-group-face-2
1865 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1866 (defface my-group-face-3
1867 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1868 (defface my-group-face-4
1869 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1870 (defface my-group-face-5
1871 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1873 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1874 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1875 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1876 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1877 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1878 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1881 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1883 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1890 The number of unread articles in the group.
1894 Whether the group is a mail group.
1896 The level of the group.
1898 The score of the group.
1900 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1902 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1903 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1905 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1906 topic being inserted.
1909 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1910 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1911 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1913 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1914 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1915 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1916 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1917 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1920 @node Group Maneuvering
1921 @section Group Maneuvering
1922 @cindex group movement
1924 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1925 expected, hopefully.
1931 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1932 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1933 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1939 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1940 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1941 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1945 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1946 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1950 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1951 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1955 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1956 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1957 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1961 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1962 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1963 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1966 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1972 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1973 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1974 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1979 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1980 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1981 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1985 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1986 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1987 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1990 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1991 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1992 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1993 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1997 @node Selecting a Group
1998 @section Selecting a Group
1999 @cindex group selection
2004 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2005 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2006 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2007 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2008 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2009 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2010 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2011 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2012 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2013 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2015 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2016 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2017 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2019 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2020 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2025 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2026 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2027 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2028 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2029 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2033 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2034 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2035 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2036 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2037 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2038 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2039 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2040 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2041 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2042 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2045 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2046 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2047 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2048 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2049 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2052 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2053 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2054 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2055 doing any processing of its contents
2056 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2057 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2058 manner will have no permanent effects.
2062 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2063 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2064 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2065 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2066 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2067 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2068 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2069 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2072 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2073 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2074 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2075 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2076 Which article this is is controlled by the
2077 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2083 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2086 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2089 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2092 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2096 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2097 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2099 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2100 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2101 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2102 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2106 @node Subscription Commands
2107 @section Subscription Commands
2108 @cindex subscription
2116 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2117 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2118 Toggle subscription to the current group
2119 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2125 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2126 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2127 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2128 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2134 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2135 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2136 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2142 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2143 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2146 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2147 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2148 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2149 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2150 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2156 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2157 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2161 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2162 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2165 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2166 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2167 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2168 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2169 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2170 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2171 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2172 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2173 @file{.newsrc} file.
2177 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2187 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2188 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2189 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2190 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2191 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2192 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2197 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2198 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2199 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2203 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2204 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2205 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2207 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2208 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2209 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2210 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2211 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2212 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2219 @section Group Levels
2223 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2224 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2225 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2226 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2227 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2229 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2235 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2236 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2237 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2238 prompted for a level.
2241 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2242 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2243 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2244 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2245 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2246 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2247 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2248 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2249 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2250 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2251 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2252 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2253 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2254 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2255 reasons of efficiency.
2257 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2258 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2260 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2261 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2262 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2263 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2264 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2265 groups are hidden, in a way.
2267 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2268 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2269 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2270 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2271 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2272 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2274 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2275 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2276 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2277 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2278 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2279 list of killed groups.)
2281 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2282 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2283 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2285 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2286 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2287 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2288 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2289 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2290 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2291 relevant valid ranges.
2293 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2294 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2295 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2296 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2297 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2298 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2301 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2302 one with the best level.
2304 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2305 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2306 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2309 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2310 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2311 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2312 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2315 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2316 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2317 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2318 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2320 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2321 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2322 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2323 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2324 to 5. The default is 6.
2328 @section Group Score
2333 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2334 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2335 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2338 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2339 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2340 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2341 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2342 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2343 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2344 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2345 least significant part.))
2347 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2348 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2349 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2350 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2351 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2352 action after each summary exit, you can add
2353 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2354 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2355 slow things down somewhat.
2358 @node Marking Groups
2359 @section Marking Groups
2360 @cindex marking groups
2362 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2363 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2364 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2365 bidding on those groups.
2367 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2368 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2369 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2377 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2378 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2384 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2385 Remove the mark from the current group
2386 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2390 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2391 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2395 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2396 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2400 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2401 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2405 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2406 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2407 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2410 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2412 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2413 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2414 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2415 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2416 the command to be executed.
2419 @node Foreign Groups
2420 @section Foreign Groups
2421 @cindex foreign groups
2423 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2424 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2425 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2426 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2433 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2434 @cindex making groups
2435 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2436 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2437 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2441 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2442 @cindex renaming groups
2443 Rename the current group to something else
2444 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2445 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2451 @findex gnus-group-customize
2452 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2456 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2457 @cindex renaming groups
2458 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2459 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2463 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2464 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2465 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2469 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2470 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2471 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2475 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2477 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2478 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2483 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2484 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2488 @cindex (ding) archive
2489 @cindex archive group
2490 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2491 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2492 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2493 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2494 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2495 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2496 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2500 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2502 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2503 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2504 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2505 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2509 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2511 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2512 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2513 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2517 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2518 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2520 Make a group based on some file or other
2521 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2522 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2523 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2524 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2525 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2526 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2527 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2528 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2529 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2533 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2534 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2535 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2536 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2540 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2545 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2546 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2547 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2548 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2549 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2550 @xref{Web Searches}.
2552 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2553 to a particular group by using a match string like
2554 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2557 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2558 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2559 This function will delete the current group
2560 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2561 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2562 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2563 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2564 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2568 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2569 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2570 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2574 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2575 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2576 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2579 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2582 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2583 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2584 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2585 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2586 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2587 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2591 @node Group Parameters
2592 @section Group Parameters
2593 @cindex group parameters
2595 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2596 Here's an example group parameter list:
2599 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2603 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2604 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2605 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2606 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2608 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2609 is an alist of regexps and values.
2611 The following group parameters can be used:
2616 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2619 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2622 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2623 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2624 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2625 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2626 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2628 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2629 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2630 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2631 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2632 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2633 list address instead.
2635 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2639 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2642 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2645 It is totally ignored
2646 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2647 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2649 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2650 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2651 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2652 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2653 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2655 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2656 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2657 sending the message.
2659 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2660 @cindex Mail List Groups
2661 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2662 entering summary buffer.
2664 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2668 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2669 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2670 of whether it has any unread articles.
2672 @item broken-reply-to
2673 @cindex broken-reply-to
2674 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2675 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2676 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2677 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2678 broken behavior. So there!
2682 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2683 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2687 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2688 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2689 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2694 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2695 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2696 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2697 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2698 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2699 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2700 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2704 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2705 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2706 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2708 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2711 @cindex total-expire
2712 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2713 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2714 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2715 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2718 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2722 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2723 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2724 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2725 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2726 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2727 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2730 @cindex score file group parameter
2731 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2732 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2733 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2736 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2737 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2738 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2739 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2742 @cindex admin-address
2743 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2744 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2745 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2746 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2750 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2751 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2755 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2758 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2759 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2762 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2766 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2768 Here are some examples:
2772 Display only read articles.
2775 Display everything except expirable articles.
2777 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2778 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2782 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2783 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2784 @code{read}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2785 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2786 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{seen} and @code{recent}.
2790 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2791 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2792 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2796 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2797 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2798 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2803 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2804 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2805 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2807 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2809 @item ignored-charsets
2810 @cindex ignored-charset
2811 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2812 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2813 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2815 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2818 @cindex posting-style
2819 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2820 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2821 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2822 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2823 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2825 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2826 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2827 like this in the group parameters:
2832 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2837 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2838 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2842 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2843 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2844 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2845 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2846 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2850 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2851 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2852 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2853 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2855 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2856 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2857 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2858 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2861 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2862 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2866 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2869 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2870 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2871 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2872 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2873 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2874 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2875 @code{eval}ed there.
2877 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2878 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2879 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2880 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2881 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2885 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2886 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2887 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2888 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2889 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2891 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2892 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2896 (setq gnus-parameters
2898 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2899 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2900 (gnus-summary-line-format
2901 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2905 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2909 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2913 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2916 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2917 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2920 @node Listing Groups
2921 @section Listing Groups
2922 @cindex group listing
2924 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2932 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2933 List all groups that have unread articles
2934 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2935 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2936 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2937 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2944 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2945 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2946 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2947 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2948 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2949 unsubscribed groups).
2953 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2954 List all unread groups on a specific level
2955 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2956 with no unread articles.
2960 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2961 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2962 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2963 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2968 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2969 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2973 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2974 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2975 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2979 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2980 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2984 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2985 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2986 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2987 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2988 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2989 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2990 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2991 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2995 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2996 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2997 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3001 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3002 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3003 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3007 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3008 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3012 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3013 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3017 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3018 List groups limited within the current selection
3019 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3023 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3024 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3028 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3029 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3033 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3034 @cindex visible group parameter
3035 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3036 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3037 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3038 get the same effect.
3040 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3041 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3042 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3043 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3044 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3047 @node Sorting Groups
3048 @section Sorting Groups
3049 @cindex sorting groups
3051 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3052 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3053 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3054 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3055 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3056 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3061 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3062 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3063 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3065 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3066 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3067 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3069 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3070 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3071 Sort by group level.
3073 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3074 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3075 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3077 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3078 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3079 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3080 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3082 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3083 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3084 Sort by number of unread articles.
3086 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3087 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3088 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3090 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3091 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3092 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3097 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3098 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3102 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3103 some sorting criteria:
3107 @kindex G S a (Group)
3108 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3109 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3110 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3113 @kindex G S u (Group)
3114 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3115 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3116 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3119 @kindex G S l (Group)
3120 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3121 Sort the group buffer by group level
3122 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3125 @kindex G S v (Group)
3126 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3127 Sort the group buffer by group score
3128 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3131 @kindex G S r (Group)
3132 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3133 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3134 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3137 @kindex G S m (Group)
3138 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3139 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3140 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3144 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3145 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3147 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3148 commands will sort in reverse order.
3150 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3154 @kindex G P a (Group)
3155 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3156 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3157 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3160 @kindex G P u (Group)
3161 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3162 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3163 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3166 @kindex G P l (Group)
3167 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3168 Sort the groups by group level
3169 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3172 @kindex G P v (Group)
3173 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3174 Sort the groups by group score
3175 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3178 @kindex G P r (Group)
3179 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3180 Sort the groups by group rank
3181 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3184 @kindex G P m (Group)
3185 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3186 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3187 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3191 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3195 @node Group Maintenance
3196 @section Group Maintenance
3197 @cindex bogus groups
3202 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3203 Find bogus groups and delete them
3204 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3208 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3209 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3210 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3211 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3212 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3216 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3217 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3218 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3219 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3220 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3221 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3224 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3225 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3226 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3227 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3232 @node Browse Foreign Server
3233 @section Browse Foreign Server
3234 @cindex foreign servers
3235 @cindex browsing servers
3240 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3241 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3242 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3243 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3246 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3247 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3248 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3249 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3251 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3256 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3257 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3261 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3262 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3265 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3266 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3267 Enter the current group and display the first article
3268 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3271 @kindex RET (Browse)
3272 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3273 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3277 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3278 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3279 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3285 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3286 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3290 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3291 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3292 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3297 @section Exiting Gnus
3298 @cindex exiting Gnus
3300 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3305 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3306 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3307 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3308 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3312 @findex gnus-group-exit
3313 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3314 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3318 @findex gnus-group-quit
3319 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3320 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3323 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3324 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3325 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3326 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3327 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3332 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3333 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3334 trying to customize meta-variables.
3339 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3340 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3341 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3347 @section Group Topics
3350 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3351 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3352 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3353 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3354 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3355 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3359 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3360 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3371 2: alt.religion.emacs
3374 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3376 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3377 13: comp.sources.unix
3380 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3382 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3383 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3384 is a toggling command.)
3386 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3387 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3388 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3389 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3392 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3393 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3394 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3397 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3401 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3402 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3403 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3404 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3405 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3409 @node Topic Commands
3410 @subsection Topic Commands
3411 @cindex topic commands
3413 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3414 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3415 definitions slightly.
3417 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3418 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3419 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3420 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3421 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3422 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3424 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3431 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3432 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3433 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3437 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3439 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3440 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3441 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3442 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3445 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3446 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3447 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3448 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3452 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3453 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3454 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3455 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3461 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3462 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3463 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3467 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3468 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3469 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3472 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3473 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3474 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3475 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3476 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3478 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3479 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3483 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3484 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3491 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3493 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3494 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3495 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3496 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3497 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3498 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3502 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3508 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3509 Move the current group to some other topic
3510 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3511 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3515 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3516 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3520 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3521 Copy the current group to some other topic
3522 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3523 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3527 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3528 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3529 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3533 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3534 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3535 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3539 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3540 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3541 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3542 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3543 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3544 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3545 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3548 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3549 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3553 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3554 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3555 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3559 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3560 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3561 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3565 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3566 Toggle hiding empty topics
3567 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3571 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3572 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3573 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3576 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3577 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3578 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3579 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3582 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3583 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3584 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3585 expiry process (if any)
3586 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3590 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3591 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3594 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3595 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3596 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3600 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3601 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3602 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3605 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3606 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3607 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3610 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3611 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3612 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3616 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3617 @cindex group parameters
3618 @cindex topic parameters
3620 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3621 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3626 @node Topic Variables
3627 @subsection Topic Variables
3628 @cindex topic variables
3630 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3631 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3633 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3634 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3635 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3648 Number of groups in the topic.
3650 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3652 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3655 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3656 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3657 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3660 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3661 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3663 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3664 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3665 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3669 @subsection Topic Sorting
3670 @cindex topic sorting
3672 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3678 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3679 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3680 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3681 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3684 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3685 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3686 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3687 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3690 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3691 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3692 Sort the current topic by group level
3693 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3696 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3697 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3698 Sort the current topic by group score
3699 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3702 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3703 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3704 Sort the current topic by group rank
3705 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3708 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3709 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3710 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3711 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3714 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3715 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3716 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3717 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3721 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3724 @node Topic Topology
3725 @subsection Topic Topology
3726 @cindex topic topology
3729 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3735 2: alt.religion.emacs
3738 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3740 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3741 13: comp.sources.unix
3744 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3745 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3746 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3751 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3752 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3756 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3757 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3758 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3759 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3760 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3761 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3763 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3764 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3765 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3768 @node Topic Parameters
3769 @subsection Topic Parameters
3770 @cindex topic parameters
3772 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3773 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3774 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3776 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3781 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3782 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3783 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3786 @item subscribe-level
3787 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3788 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3789 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3793 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3794 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3795 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3796 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3802 2: alt.religion.emacs
3806 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3808 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3809 13: comp.sources.unix
3813 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3814 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3815 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3816 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3817 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3818 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3820 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3821 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3822 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3823 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3824 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3826 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3827 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3828 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3829 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3830 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3831 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3832 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3833 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3836 @node Misc Group Stuff
3837 @section Misc Group Stuff
3840 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3841 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3842 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3843 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3844 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3851 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3852 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3853 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3857 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3858 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3859 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3860 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3861 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3862 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3863 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3867 @findex gnus-group-mail
3868 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3869 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3870 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3871 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3875 @findex gnus-group-news
3876 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3877 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3878 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3880 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3881 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3882 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3883 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3884 for this to work though.
3888 Variables for the group buffer:
3892 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3893 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3894 is called after the group buffer has been
3897 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3898 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3899 is called after the group buffer is
3900 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3903 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3904 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3905 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3906 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3908 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3909 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3910 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3911 whether they are empty or not.
3913 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3914 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3915 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3916 non-ASCII group names.
3920 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3921 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3924 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3925 @cindex UTF-8 group names
3926 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3927 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
3928 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
3929 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
3933 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3934 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3939 @node Scanning New Messages
3940 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3941 @cindex new messages
3942 @cindex scanning new news
3948 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3949 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3950 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3951 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3952 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3953 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3958 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3959 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3960 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3961 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3962 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3963 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3964 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3966 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3967 @cindex activating groups
3969 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3970 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3975 @findex gnus-group-restart
3976 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3977 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3978 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
3982 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3983 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3985 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3986 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3990 @node Group Information
3991 @subsection Group Information
3992 @cindex group information
3993 @cindex information on groups
4000 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4001 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4004 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4005 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4006 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4007 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4008 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4009 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4010 for fetching the file.
4012 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4013 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4017 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4019 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4020 @cindex describing groups
4021 @cindex group description
4022 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4023 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4024 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4028 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4029 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4030 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4037 @findex gnus-version
4038 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4042 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4043 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4046 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4049 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4050 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4054 @node Group Timestamp
4055 @subsection Group Timestamp
4057 @cindex group timestamps
4059 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4060 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4061 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4064 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4067 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4069 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4070 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4073 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4074 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4077 This will result in lines looking like:
4080 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4081 0: custom 19961002T012713
4084 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4085 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4089 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4090 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4093 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4094 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4098 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4099 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %Ud\n")
4100 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4101 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4102 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)))
4107 @subsection File Commands
4108 @cindex file commands
4114 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4115 @vindex gnus-init-file
4116 @cindex reading init file
4117 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4118 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4122 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4123 @cindex saving .newsrc
4124 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4125 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4126 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4129 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4130 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4131 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4136 @node Sieve Commands
4137 @subsection Sieve Commands
4138 @cindex group sieve commands
4140 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4141 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4142 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4143 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4144 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4146 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4147 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4148 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4149 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4150 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4151 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4152 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4153 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4154 regenerate the Sieve script.
4156 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4157 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4158 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4159 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4160 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4161 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4162 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4163 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4164 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4165 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4168 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4169 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4174 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4180 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4181 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4182 @cindex generating sieve script
4183 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4184 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4188 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4189 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4190 @cindex updating sieve script
4191 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4192 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4193 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4198 @node Summary Buffer
4199 @chapter Summary Buffer
4200 @cindex summary buffer
4202 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4203 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4205 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4206 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4208 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4211 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4212 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4213 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4214 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4215 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4216 * Delayed Articles::
4217 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4218 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4219 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4220 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4221 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4222 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4223 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4224 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4225 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4226 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4227 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4228 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4229 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4230 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4231 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4232 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4233 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4234 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4235 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4236 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4237 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4238 or reselecting the current group.
4239 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4240 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4241 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4242 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4246 @node Summary Buffer Format
4247 @section Summary Buffer Format
4248 @cindex summary buffer format
4252 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4253 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4254 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4260 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4261 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4262 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4263 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4266 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4267 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4268 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4269 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4270 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4271 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4272 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4273 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4274 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4275 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4276 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4279 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4280 'mail-extract-address-components)
4283 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4284 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4285 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4286 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4289 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4290 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4292 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4293 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4294 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4295 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4296 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4298 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4299 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4300 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4301 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4302 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4303 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4305 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%) %s\n}.
4307 The following format specification characters and extended format
4308 specification(s) are understood:
4314 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4315 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4317 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4318 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4319 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4321 Full @code{From} header.
4323 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4325 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
4326 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
4328 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4329 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4330 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4331 may be more thorough.
4333 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4336 Number of lines in the article.
4338 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4339 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4341 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4343 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4346 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4347 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4349 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4350 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4352 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4353 for adopted articles.
4355 One space for each thread level.
4357 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4359 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4362 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4363 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4364 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4367 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4369 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4370 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4371 default level. If the difference between
4372 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4373 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4381 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4383 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4389 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4390 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4392 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4393 article has any children.
4399 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4400 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4402 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4403 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4404 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4405 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4406 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4407 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4410 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4411 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4412 There can only be one such area.
4414 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4415 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4416 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4417 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4418 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4419 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4421 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4422 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4424 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4427 @node To From Newsgroups
4428 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4432 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4433 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4434 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4435 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4436 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4440 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4441 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4442 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4446 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4447 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4450 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4451 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4454 @findex gnus-extra-header
4455 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4456 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4457 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4460 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4464 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4465 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4466 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4467 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4468 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4469 headers are used instead.
4473 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4474 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4475 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4476 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4479 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4480 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4481 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4482 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4484 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4488 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4490 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4491 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4492 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4493 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4497 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4500 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4501 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4508 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4509 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4512 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4513 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4515 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4516 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4517 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4518 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4520 Here are the elements you can play with:
4526 Unprefixed group name.
4528 Current article number.
4530 Current article score.
4534 Number of unread articles in this group.
4536 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4539 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4540 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4541 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4542 and no unselected ones.
4544 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4545 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4547 Subject of the current article.
4549 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4551 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4553 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4555 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4557 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4559 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4563 @node Summary Highlighting
4564 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4568 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4569 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4570 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4571 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4572 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4574 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4575 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4576 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4577 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4579 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4580 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4581 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4582 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4584 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4585 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4586 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4587 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4588 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4589 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4592 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4593 ((> score default) . bold))
4595 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4596 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4600 @node Summary Maneuvering
4601 @section Summary Maneuvering
4602 @cindex summary movement
4604 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4605 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4607 None of these commands select articles.
4612 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4613 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4614 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4615 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4616 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4620 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4621 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4622 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4623 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4624 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4627 @kindex G g (Summary)
4628 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4629 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4630 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4633 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4634 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4635 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4636 to the group buffer.
4638 Variables related to summary movement:
4642 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4643 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4644 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4645 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4646 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4647 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4648 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4649 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4650 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4651 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4652 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4653 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4654 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4655 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4657 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4658 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4659 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4660 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4661 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4662 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4663 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4665 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4667 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4668 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4669 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4670 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4671 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4673 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4674 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4675 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4676 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4677 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4678 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4679 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4680 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4683 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4684 the given number of lines from the top.
4689 @node Choosing Articles
4690 @section Choosing Articles
4691 @cindex selecting articles
4694 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4695 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4699 @node Choosing Commands
4700 @subsection Choosing Commands
4702 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4703 and they all select and display an article.
4705 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4706 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4710 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4711 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4712 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4713 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4718 @kindex G n (Summary)
4719 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4720 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4721 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4726 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4727 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4728 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4733 @kindex G N (Summary)
4734 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4735 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4740 @kindex G P (Summary)
4741 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4742 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4745 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4746 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4747 Go to the next article with the same subject
4748 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4751 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4752 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4753 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4754 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4758 @kindex G f (Summary)
4760 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4761 Go to the first unread article
4762 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4766 @kindex G b (Summary)
4768 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4769 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4770 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4771 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4776 @kindex G l (Summary)
4777 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4778 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4781 @kindex G o (Summary)
4782 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4784 @cindex article history
4785 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4786 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4787 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4788 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4789 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4790 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4795 @kindex G j (Summary)
4796 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4797 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4798 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4803 @node Choosing Variables
4804 @subsection Choosing Variables
4806 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4809 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4810 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4811 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4812 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4813 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4814 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4816 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4817 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4818 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4819 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4821 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4822 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4823 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4824 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4825 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4826 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4827 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4828 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4829 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4830 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4831 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4832 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4833 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4834 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4839 @node Paging the Article
4840 @section Scrolling the Article
4841 @cindex article scrolling
4846 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4847 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4848 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4849 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4850 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4853 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4854 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4855 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4858 @kindex RET (Summary)
4859 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4860 Scroll the current article one line forward
4861 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4864 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4865 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4866 Scroll the current article one line backward
4867 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4871 @kindex A g (Summary)
4873 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4874 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4875 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4876 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4877 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4878 the way it came from the server.
4880 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4881 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4882 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4885 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4890 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4895 @kindex A < (Summary)
4896 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4897 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4898 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4903 @kindex A > (Summary)
4904 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4905 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4909 @kindex A s (Summary)
4911 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4912 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4913 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4917 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4918 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4923 @node Reply Followup and Post
4924 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4927 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4928 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4929 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4930 * Canceling and Superseding::
4934 @node Summary Mail Commands
4935 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4937 @cindex composing mail
4939 Commands for composing a mail message:
4945 @kindex S r (Summary)
4947 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4948 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4949 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4950 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4951 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4956 @kindex S R (Summary)
4957 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4958 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4959 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4960 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4961 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4964 @kindex S w (Summary)
4965 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4966 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4967 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4968 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4969 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4972 @kindex S V (Summary)
4973 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4974 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4975 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4976 the process/prefix convention.
4979 @kindex S v (Summary)
4980 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
4981 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
4982 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
4983 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4984 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
4985 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
4989 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4990 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4991 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4992 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4993 Forward the current article to some other person
4994 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
4995 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
4996 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4997 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
4998 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4999 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5000 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5001 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5002 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
5007 @kindex S m (Summary)
5008 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5009 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5010 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5011 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5012 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5017 @kindex S i (Summary)
5018 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5019 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5020 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5021 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5023 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5024 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5025 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5026 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5027 for this to work though.
5030 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5031 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5032 @cindex bouncing mail
5033 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5034 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5035 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5036 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5037 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5038 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5039 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5040 very well fail, though.
5043 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5044 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5045 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5046 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5047 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5048 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5049 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5050 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5051 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5052 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5054 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5055 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5056 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5057 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5058 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
5060 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5061 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5064 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5065 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5066 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5067 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5068 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5071 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5072 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5073 @cindex crossposting
5074 @cindex excessive crossposting
5075 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5076 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5078 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5079 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5080 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5081 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5082 command understands the process/prefix convention
5083 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5087 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5088 Manual}, for more information.
5091 @node Summary Post Commands
5092 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5094 @cindex composing news
5096 Commands for posting a news article:
5102 @kindex S p (Summary)
5103 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5104 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5105 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5106 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5107 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5112 @kindex S f (Summary)
5113 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5114 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5115 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5119 @kindex S F (Summary)
5121 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5122 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5123 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5124 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5125 process/prefix convention.
5128 @kindex S n (Summary)
5129 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5130 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5131 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5134 @kindex S N (Summary)
5135 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5136 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5137 message through mail and include the original message
5138 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5139 the process/prefix convention.
5142 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5143 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5144 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5145 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5146 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5147 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5148 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5149 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5150 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5151 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5152 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5153 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5154 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
5157 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5158 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5160 @cindex making digests
5161 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5162 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5163 process/prefix convention.
5166 @kindex S u (Summary)
5167 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5168 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5169 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5170 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5173 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5174 Manual}, for more information.
5177 @node Summary Message Commands
5178 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5182 @kindex S y (Summary)
5183 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5184 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5185 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5186 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5187 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5192 @node Canceling and Superseding
5193 @subsection Canceling Articles
5194 @cindex canceling articles
5195 @cindex superseding articles
5197 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5198 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5200 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5202 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5204 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5205 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5206 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5207 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5208 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5209 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5211 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5212 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5215 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5216 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5217 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5219 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5220 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5221 your original article.
5223 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5225 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5226 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5227 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5230 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5231 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5232 have posted almost the same article twice.
5234 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5235 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5236 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5237 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5238 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5239 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5240 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5241 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5242 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5243 canceled/superseded.
5245 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5247 @node Delayed Articles
5248 @section Delayed Articles
5249 @cindex delayed sending
5250 @cindex send delayed
5252 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5253 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5254 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5255 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5258 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5261 @findex gnus-delay-article
5262 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5263 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5264 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5265 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5269 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5270 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5271 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5272 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5275 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5276 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5277 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5280 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5281 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5282 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5283 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5284 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5285 that means a time tomorrow.
5288 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5289 couple of variables:
5292 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5293 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5294 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5295 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5297 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5298 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5299 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5300 formats described above.
5302 @item gnus-delay-group
5303 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5304 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5305 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5306 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5308 @item gnus-delay-header
5309 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5310 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5311 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5312 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5315 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5316 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5317 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5318 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5319 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5321 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5322 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5323 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5324 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5325 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5326 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5329 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5330 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5331 By default, this function installs the @kbd{C-c C-j} key binding in
5332 Message mode and @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5333 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts two optional arguments,
5334 @code{no-keymap} and @code{no-check}. If @code{no-keymap} is non-nil,
5335 the @kbd{C-c C-j} binding is not intalled. If @code{no-check} is
5336 non-nil, @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed.
5338 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to change the
5339 keymap but not to change @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. Presumably, you
5340 want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles. Just don't
5341 forget to set that up :-)
5345 @node Marking Articles
5346 @section Marking Articles
5347 @cindex article marking
5348 @cindex article ticking
5351 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5353 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5354 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5355 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5357 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5360 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5361 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5362 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5366 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5370 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5371 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5372 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5376 @node Unread Articles
5377 @subsection Unread Articles
5379 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5384 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5385 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5387 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5388 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5389 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5390 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5391 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5392 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5393 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5396 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5397 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5399 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5400 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5401 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5402 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5406 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5407 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5409 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5414 @subsection Read Articles
5415 @cindex expirable mark
5417 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5422 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5423 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5424 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5427 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5428 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5431 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5432 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5433 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5436 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5437 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5440 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5441 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5444 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5445 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5448 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5449 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5452 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5453 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5456 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5457 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5460 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5461 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5465 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5466 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5467 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5471 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5472 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5474 One more special mark, though:
5478 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5479 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5481 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5482 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5483 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5484 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5490 @subsection Other Marks
5491 @cindex process mark
5494 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5500 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5501 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5502 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5503 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5504 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5507 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5508 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5509 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5510 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5512 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5513 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5514 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5516 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5517 Articles that are ``recently'' arrived in the group will be marked
5518 with an @samp{N} in the second column (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Most
5519 back end doesn't support the mark, in which case it's not shown.
5522 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5523 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5524 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5527 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5528 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5529 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5530 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5533 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5534 Articles that according to the back end haven't been seen by the user
5535 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5536 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all back ends support this
5537 mark, in which case it simply never appear.
5540 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5541 Articles that haven't been seen by the user before are marked with a
5542 @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5545 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5546 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5547 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5548 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5549 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5552 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5553 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5554 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5555 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5556 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5557 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5561 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5562 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5563 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5565 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5566 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5567 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5571 @subsection Setting Marks
5572 @cindex setting marks
5574 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5579 @kindex M c (Summary)
5580 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5581 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5582 @cindex mark as unread
5583 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5584 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5590 @kindex M t (Summary)
5591 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5592 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5593 @xref{Article Caching}.
5598 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5599 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5600 Mark the current article as dormant
5601 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5605 @kindex M d (Summary)
5607 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5608 Mark the current article as read
5609 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5613 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5614 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5615 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5620 @kindex M k (Summary)
5621 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5622 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5623 and then select the next unread article
5624 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5628 @kindex M K (Summary)
5629 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5630 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5631 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5632 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5635 @kindex M C (Summary)
5636 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5637 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5638 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5641 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5642 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5643 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5644 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5647 @kindex M H (Summary)
5648 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5649 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5650 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5653 @kindex M h (Summary)
5654 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5655 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5656 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5659 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5660 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5661 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5662 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5665 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5666 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5667 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5668 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5672 @kindex M e (Summary)
5674 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5675 Mark the current article as expirable
5676 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5679 @kindex M b (Summary)
5680 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5681 Set a bookmark in the current article
5682 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5685 @kindex M B (Summary)
5686 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5687 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5688 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5691 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5692 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5693 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5694 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5697 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5698 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5699 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5700 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5703 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5704 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5705 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5706 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5707 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5710 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5711 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5712 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5713 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5714 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5715 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5716 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5717 The default is @code{t}.
5720 @node Generic Marking Commands
5721 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5723 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5724 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5725 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5726 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5727 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5730 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5731 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5734 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5735 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5736 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5737 to list in this manual.
5739 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5740 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5741 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5742 article, you could say something like:
5745 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5746 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5747 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5753 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5754 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5758 @node Setting Process Marks
5759 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5760 @cindex setting process marks
5767 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5768 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5769 Mark the current article with the process mark
5770 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5771 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5775 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5776 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5777 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5778 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5781 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5782 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5783 Remove the process mark from all articles
5784 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5787 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5788 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5789 Invert the list of process marked articles
5790 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5793 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5794 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5795 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5796 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5799 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5800 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5801 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5802 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5805 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5806 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5807 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5810 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5811 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5812 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5813 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5816 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5817 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5818 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5819 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5822 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5823 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5824 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5825 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5828 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5829 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5830 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5833 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5834 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5835 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5836 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5839 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5840 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5841 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5844 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5845 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5846 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5847 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5850 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5851 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5852 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5853 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5856 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5857 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5858 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5859 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5862 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5863 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5864 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5865 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5869 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5870 set process marks based on article body contents.
5877 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5878 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5879 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5882 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5883 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5884 additional articles.
5890 @kindex / / (Summary)
5891 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5892 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5893 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
5897 @kindex / a (Summary)
5898 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5899 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5900 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
5904 @kindex / x (Summary)
5905 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5906 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5907 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5908 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
5913 @kindex / u (Summary)
5915 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5916 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5917 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5918 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5919 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5922 @kindex / m (Summary)
5923 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5924 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5925 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5928 @kindex / t (Summary)
5929 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5930 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5931 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5932 articles younger than that number of days.
5935 @kindex / n (Summary)
5936 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5937 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5938 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5939 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5942 @kindex / w (Summary)
5943 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5944 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5945 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5949 @kindex / v (Summary)
5950 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5951 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5952 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5955 @kindex / p (Summary)
5956 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter
5957 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
5958 group parameter predicate
5959 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter}). See @pxref{Group
5960 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
5964 @kindex M S (Summary)
5965 @kindex / E (Summary)
5966 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5967 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5968 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5971 @kindex / D (Summary)
5972 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5973 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5974 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5977 @kindex / * (Summary)
5978 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5979 Include all cached articles in the limit
5980 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5983 @kindex / d (Summary)
5984 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5985 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5986 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5989 @kindex / M (Summary)
5990 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5991 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5994 @kindex / T (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5996 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5999 @kindex / c (Summary)
6000 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6001 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6002 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6005 @kindex / C (Summary)
6006 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6007 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6008 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6009 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6012 @kindex / N (Summary)
6013 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6014 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6015 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6018 @kindex / o (Summary)
6019 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6020 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6021 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6029 @cindex article threading
6031 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6032 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6033 hierarchical fashion.
6035 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6036 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6037 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6038 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6039 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6040 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6041 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6043 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6047 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6050 A tree-like article structure.
6053 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6056 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6057 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6058 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6059 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6060 called loose threads.
6062 @item thread gathering
6063 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6065 @item sparse threads
6066 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6067 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6073 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6074 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6078 @node Customizing Threading
6079 @subsection Customizing Threading
6080 @cindex customizing threading
6083 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6084 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6085 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6086 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6091 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6094 @cindex loose threads
6097 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6098 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6099 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6100 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6101 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6102 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6104 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6105 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6106 There are four possible values:
6110 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6111 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6112 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6113 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6114 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6119 @cindex adopting articles
6124 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6125 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6126 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6127 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6130 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6131 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6132 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6133 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6134 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6135 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6136 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6139 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6140 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6141 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6145 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6146 display them after one another.
6149 Don't gather loose threads.
6152 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6153 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6154 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6155 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6156 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6157 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6158 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6159 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6160 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6161 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6162 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6164 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6165 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6166 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6169 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6170 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6171 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6172 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6173 simplification is used.
6175 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6176 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6177 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6178 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6180 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6182 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6188 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6189 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6190 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6191 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6196 (mapconcat 'identity
6197 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6199 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6202 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6205 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6206 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6207 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6208 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6209 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6210 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6212 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6215 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6216 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6217 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6219 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6220 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6223 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6224 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6225 Remove excessive whitespace.
6228 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6231 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6232 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6233 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6234 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6235 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6236 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6237 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6238 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6240 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6241 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6242 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6243 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6244 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6245 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6246 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6247 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6248 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6252 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6253 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6254 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6255 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6257 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6258 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6259 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6262 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6266 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6267 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6273 @node Filling In Threads
6274 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6277 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6278 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6279 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6280 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6281 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6282 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6283 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6284 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6285 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6286 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
6287 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
6288 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
6290 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6291 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6292 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6294 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6295 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6296 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6297 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6298 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6299 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6300 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6301 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6302 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6303 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6304 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6305 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6306 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6307 @code{nil} by default.
6309 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6310 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6311 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6312 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6313 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6314 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6315 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6317 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6318 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6319 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6324 @node More Threading
6325 @subsubsection More Threading
6328 @item gnus-show-threads
6329 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6330 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6331 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6332 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6333 slower and more awkward.
6335 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6336 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6337 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6340 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6341 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6342 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6343 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6344 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6345 threads are expunged.
6347 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6348 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6349 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6352 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6353 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6354 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6355 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6356 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6357 result in a new thread.
6359 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6360 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6361 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6364 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6365 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6366 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6367 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6368 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6369 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6370 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6371 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6372 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6373 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6374 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6379 @node Low-Level Threading
6380 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6384 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6385 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6386 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6388 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6389 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6390 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6391 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6392 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6393 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6394 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6395 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6396 meaningful. Here's one example:
6399 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6401 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6402 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6404 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6406 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6413 @node Thread Commands
6414 @subsection Thread Commands
6415 @cindex thread commands
6421 @kindex T k (Summary)
6422 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6423 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6424 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6425 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6426 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6431 @kindex T l (Summary)
6432 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6433 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6434 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6435 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6438 @kindex T i (Summary)
6439 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6440 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6441 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6444 @kindex T # (Summary)
6445 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6446 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6447 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6450 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6451 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6452 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6453 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6456 @kindex T T (Summary)
6457 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6458 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6461 @kindex T s (Summary)
6462 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6463 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6464 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6467 @kindex T h (Summary)
6468 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6469 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6472 @kindex T S (Summary)
6473 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6474 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6477 @kindex T H (Summary)
6478 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6479 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6482 @kindex T t (Summary)
6483 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6484 Re-thread the current article's thread
6485 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6486 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6489 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6490 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6491 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6492 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6496 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6497 understand the numeric prefix.
6502 @kindex T n (Summary)
6504 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6506 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6507 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6508 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6511 @kindex T p (Summary)
6513 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6515 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6516 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6517 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6520 @kindex T d (Summary)
6521 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6522 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6525 @kindex T u (Summary)
6526 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6527 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6530 @kindex T o (Summary)
6531 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6532 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6535 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6536 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6537 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6538 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6539 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6540 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6541 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6542 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6543 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6544 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6545 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6546 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6550 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6551 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6553 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6554 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6555 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6556 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6557 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6558 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6559 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6560 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6561 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6562 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6563 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6564 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6566 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6567 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6568 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6569 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6570 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread} and
6571 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6573 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6574 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6575 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6577 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6578 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6579 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6580 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6581 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6582 ascending article order.
6584 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6585 by number, you could do something like:
6588 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6589 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6590 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6591 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6594 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6595 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6596 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6597 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6598 which the articles arrived.
6600 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6604 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6606 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6607 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6610 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6611 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6612 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6613 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6616 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6617 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6618 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6619 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6620 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6621 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6622 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6623 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6624 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6625 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6626 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6627 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6628 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6630 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6634 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6635 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6636 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6641 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6642 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6643 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6644 @cindex article pre-fetch
6647 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6648 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6649 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6650 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6651 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6653 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6654 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6656 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6657 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6658 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6659 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6660 connection is blocked.
6662 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6663 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6664 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6665 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6667 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6668 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6669 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6670 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6673 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6676 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6677 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6678 happen automatically.
6680 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6681 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6682 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6683 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6684 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6685 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6686 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6688 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6689 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6690 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6691 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6692 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6693 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6694 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6695 data structure as the only parameter.
6697 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6700 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6701 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6702 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6703 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6706 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6709 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6710 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6711 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6713 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6714 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6715 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6716 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6720 Remove articles when they are read.
6723 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6726 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6728 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6729 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6730 @c from the next group.
6733 @node Article Caching
6734 @section Article Caching
6735 @cindex article caching
6738 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6739 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6740 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6741 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6742 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6744 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6746 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6747 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6748 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6749 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6750 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6751 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6752 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6753 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6755 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6756 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6757 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6758 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6759 as dormant, and don't worry.
6761 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6763 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6764 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6765 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6766 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6767 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6768 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6769 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6770 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6771 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6772 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6774 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6775 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6776 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6777 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6778 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6779 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6780 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6781 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6782 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6783 not then be downloaded by this command.
6785 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6786 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6787 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6788 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6789 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6790 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6792 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6793 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6794 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6795 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6796 variables, the group is not cached.
6798 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6799 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6800 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6801 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6802 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6803 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6804 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6805 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6806 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6810 @node Persistent Articles
6811 @section Persistent Articles
6812 @cindex persistent articles
6814 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6815 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6816 useful in my opinion.
6818 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6819 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6820 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6821 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6822 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6823 the expiry going on at the news server.
6825 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6826 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6827 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6833 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6834 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6837 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6838 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6839 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6840 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6844 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6846 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6847 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6848 interested in persistent articles:
6851 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6855 @node Article Backlog
6856 @section Article Backlog
6858 @cindex article backlog
6860 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6861 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6862 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
6863 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6864 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6865 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6866 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
6867 increase memory usage some.
6869 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6870 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
6871 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6872 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
6873 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6874 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6875 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6877 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6880 @node Saving Articles
6881 @section Saving Articles
6882 @cindex saving articles
6884 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6885 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6886 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6887 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6888 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6890 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6891 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
6892 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6894 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6895 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6896 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6897 deleted before saving.
6903 @kindex O o (Summary)
6905 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6906 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6907 Save the current article using the default article saver
6908 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6911 @kindex O m (Summary)
6912 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6913 Save the current article in mail format
6914 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6917 @kindex O r (Summary)
6918 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6919 Save the current article in rmail format
6920 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6923 @kindex O f (Summary)
6924 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6925 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6926 Save the current article in plain file format
6927 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6930 @kindex O F (Summary)
6931 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6932 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6933 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6936 @kindex O b (Summary)
6937 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6938 Save the current article body in plain file format
6939 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6942 @kindex O h (Summary)
6943 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6944 Save the current article in mh folder format
6945 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6948 @kindex O v (Summary)
6949 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6950 Save the current article in a VM folder
6951 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6955 @kindex O p (Summary)
6957 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6958 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6959 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6962 @kindex O P (Summary)
6963 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
6964 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
6965 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
6966 external program Muttprint (see
6967 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
6968 options to use is controlled by the variable
6969 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
6973 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6974 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6975 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6976 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6977 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6978 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6979 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6980 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6981 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6982 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6983 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6984 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6988 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6989 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6990 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6991 functions below, or you can create your own.
6995 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6996 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6997 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6998 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6999 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7000 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7001 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7003 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7004 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7005 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7006 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7007 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7008 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7010 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7011 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7012 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7013 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7014 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7015 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7016 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7018 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7019 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7020 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7021 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7022 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7023 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7025 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7026 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7027 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7028 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7029 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7031 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7032 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7033 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7034 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7035 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7038 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7039 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7040 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7041 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7042 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7044 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7045 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7046 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7047 reader to use this setting.
7050 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7051 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7052 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7053 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7056 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7057 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7058 available functions that generate names:
7062 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7063 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7064 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7066 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7067 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7068 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7070 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7071 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7072 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7074 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7075 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7076 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7078 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7079 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7080 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7083 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7084 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7085 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7086 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7087 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7091 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7092 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7093 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7094 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7097 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7098 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7099 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7100 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7101 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7102 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7103 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7104 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7105 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7107 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7108 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7109 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7110 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7112 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7113 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7114 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7117 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7118 lots of mail groups called things like
7119 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7120 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7121 following will do just that:
7124 (defun my-save-name (group)
7125 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7126 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7128 (setq gnus-split-methods
7129 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7134 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7135 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7136 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7137 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7138 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7139 all the files in the top level directory
7140 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7141 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7142 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7143 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7145 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7146 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7147 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7148 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7149 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7152 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7156 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7157 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7158 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7161 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7162 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7163 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7164 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7167 @node Decoding Articles
7168 @section Decoding Articles
7169 @cindex decoding articles
7171 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7172 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7175 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7176 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7177 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7178 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7179 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7180 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7184 @cindex article series
7185 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7186 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7187 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7188 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7189 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7191 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7192 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7193 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7195 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7196 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7197 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7199 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7200 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7201 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7204 @node Uuencoded Articles
7205 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7207 @cindex uuencoded articles
7212 @kindex X u (Summary)
7213 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7214 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7215 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7218 @kindex X U (Summary)
7219 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7220 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7221 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7224 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7225 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7226 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7229 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7230 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7231 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7232 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7236 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7237 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7238 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7239 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7240 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7242 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7243 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7244 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7245 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7248 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7249 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7250 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7251 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7252 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7253 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7257 @node Shell Archives
7258 @subsection Shell Archives
7260 @cindex shell archives
7261 @cindex shared articles
7263 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7264 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7265 some commands to deal with these:
7270 @kindex X s (Summary)
7271 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7272 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7275 @kindex X S (Summary)
7276 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7277 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7280 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7281 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7282 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7285 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7286 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7287 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7288 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7292 @node PostScript Files
7293 @subsection PostScript Files
7299 @kindex X p (Summary)
7300 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7301 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7304 @kindex X P (Summary)
7305 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7306 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7307 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7310 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7311 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7312 View the current PostScript series
7313 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7316 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7317 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7318 View and save the current PostScript series
7319 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7324 @subsection Other Files
7328 @kindex X o (Summary)
7329 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7330 Save the current series
7331 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7334 @kindex X b (Summary)
7335 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7336 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7337 doesn't really work yet.
7341 @node Decoding Variables
7342 @subsection Decoding Variables
7344 Adjective, not verb.
7347 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7348 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7349 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7353 @node Rule Variables
7354 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7355 @cindex rule variables
7357 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7358 variables are of the form
7361 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7368 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7369 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7371 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7372 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7375 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7376 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7379 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7380 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7381 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7382 user and default view rules.
7384 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7385 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7386 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7391 @node Other Decode Variables
7392 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7395 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7397 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7398 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7399 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7400 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7401 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7405 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7406 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7409 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7410 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7411 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7414 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7415 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7416 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7417 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7418 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7421 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7422 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7423 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7425 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7426 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7427 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7428 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7429 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7432 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7433 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7434 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7436 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7437 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7438 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7439 looking for files to display.
7441 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7442 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7443 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7446 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7447 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7448 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7451 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7452 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7453 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7456 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7457 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7458 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7461 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7462 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7463 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7464 decoded articles as unread.
7466 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7467 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7468 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7469 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7471 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7472 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7473 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7475 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7476 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7478 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7479 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7480 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7481 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7483 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7484 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7485 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7486 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7487 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7488 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7489 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7490 simply dropped them.
7495 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7496 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7500 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7501 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7502 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7503 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7504 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7505 for you when you post the article.
7507 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7508 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7509 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7510 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7512 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7513 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7514 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7515 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7516 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7517 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7518 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7520 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7521 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7522 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7523 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7524 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7525 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7526 Default is @code{t}.
7532 @subsection Viewing Files
7533 @cindex viewing files
7534 @cindex pseudo-articles
7536 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7537 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7538 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7539 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7540 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7541 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7542 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7544 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7545 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7546 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7547 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7549 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7550 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7551 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7553 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7554 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7555 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7556 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7557 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7559 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7560 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7561 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7562 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7563 a list of parameters to that command.
7565 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7566 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7567 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7569 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7570 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7571 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7574 @node Article Treatment
7575 @section Article Treatment
7577 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7578 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7579 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7580 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7581 these articles easier.
7584 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7585 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7586 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7587 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7588 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7589 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7590 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7591 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7592 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7593 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7597 @node Article Highlighting
7598 @subsection Article Highlighting
7599 @cindex highlighting
7601 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7602 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7607 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7608 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7609 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7610 Do much highlighting of the current article
7611 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7612 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7615 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7616 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7617 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7618 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7619 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7620 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7621 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7622 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7623 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7624 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7625 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7626 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7629 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7630 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7631 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7633 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7636 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7638 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7639 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7640 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7642 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7643 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7644 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7646 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7647 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7648 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7649 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7650 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7651 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7653 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7654 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7655 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7657 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7658 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7659 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7661 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7662 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7663 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7664 that it's a citation.
7666 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7667 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7668 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7670 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7671 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7672 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7674 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7675 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7676 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7677 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7683 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7684 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7685 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7686 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7687 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7688 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7689 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7690 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7695 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7698 @node Article Fontisizing
7699 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7701 @cindex article emphasis
7703 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7704 @kindex W e (Summary)
7705 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7706 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7707 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7708 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7710 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7711 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7712 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7713 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7714 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7715 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7716 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7717 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7721 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7722 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7723 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7732 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7733 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7734 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7735 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7736 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7737 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7738 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7739 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7740 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7741 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7742 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7743 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7744 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7746 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7747 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7748 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7752 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7755 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7757 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7758 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7759 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7760 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7762 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7765 @node Article Hiding
7766 @subsection Article Hiding
7767 @cindex article hiding
7769 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7770 too much cruft in most articles.
7775 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7776 @findex gnus-article-hide
7777 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7778 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7779 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7782 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7783 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7784 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7788 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7789 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7790 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7791 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7794 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7795 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7796 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7800 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7801 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7802 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7803 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7804 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7805 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7806 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7807 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7811 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7812 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7813 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7814 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7819 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7820 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7821 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7822 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7823 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7824 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7825 articles that have signatures in them do:
7827 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7829 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7831 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7832 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7834 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7837 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7842 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7843 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7844 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7845 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7848 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7849 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7852 @cindex stripping advertisements
7853 @cindex advertisements
7854 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7855 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7856 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7857 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7858 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7859 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7860 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7861 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7862 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7863 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7867 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7868 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7869 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7870 customizing the hiding:
7874 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7875 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7876 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7877 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7878 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7879 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7880 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7885 Starting point of the hidden text.
7887 Ending point of the hidden text.
7889 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7891 Number of lines of hidden text.
7894 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7895 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7896 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7897 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7898 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7903 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7904 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7906 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7907 following two variables:
7910 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7911 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7912 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7913 50), hide the cited text.
7915 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7916 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7917 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7922 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7923 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7924 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7925 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7926 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7927 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7931 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7932 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7933 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7935 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7936 citation customization.
7938 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7942 @node Article Washing
7943 @subsection Article Washing
7945 @cindex article washing
7947 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7948 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7950 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7951 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7954 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7955 articles by default.
7960 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7961 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7965 @kindex W l (Summary)
7966 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7967 Remove page breaks from the current article
7968 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7972 @kindex W r (Summary)
7973 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7974 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7975 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7976 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7977 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7978 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7980 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7981 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7982 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7983 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7987 @kindex W t (Summary)
7989 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
7990 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7991 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
7994 @kindex W v (Summary)
7995 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7996 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7997 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
8000 @kindex W o (Summary)
8001 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8002 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8005 @kindex W d (Summary)
8006 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8007 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8009 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8011 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8012 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8013 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8014 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8017 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8018 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8019 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8020 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8023 @kindex W w (Summary)
8024 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8025 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8027 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8031 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8032 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8033 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8036 @kindex W C (Summary)
8037 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8038 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8039 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8042 @kindex W c (Summary)
8043 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8044 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8045 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8046 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8047 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8050 @kindex W q (Summary)
8051 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8052 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8053 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8054 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8055 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8056 readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
8057 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8058 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8059 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8062 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8063 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8064 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8065 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8066 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
8067 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8068 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8070 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8073 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8074 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8075 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8076 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8077 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8080 @kindex W h (Summary)
8081 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8082 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
8083 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
8084 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
8086 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8089 @kindex W b (Summary)
8090 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8091 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8092 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8095 @kindex W B (Summary)
8096 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8097 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8098 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8101 @kindex W p (Summary)
8102 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8103 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8104 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8105 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8106 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8107 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8108 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8111 @kindex W s (Summary)
8112 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8113 Verify a signed (PGP, PGP/MIME or S/MIME) message
8114 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8117 @kindex W W H (Summary)
8118 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
8119 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8120 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
8123 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8124 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8125 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8126 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8129 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8130 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8131 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8132 lines with a single empty line.
8133 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8136 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8137 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8138 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8139 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8142 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8143 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8144 Do all the three commands above
8145 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8148 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8149 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8150 Remove all blank lines
8151 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8154 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8155 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8156 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8157 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8160 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8161 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8162 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8163 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8167 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8170 @node Article Header
8171 @subsection Article Header
8173 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8178 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8179 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8180 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8183 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8184 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8185 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8186 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8189 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8190 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-header
8191 Fold all the message headers
8192 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8197 @node Article Buttons
8198 @subsection Article Buttons
8201 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8202 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8203 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8204 button on these references.
8206 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8207 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
8208 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
8213 @item gnus-button-alist
8214 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8215 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8218 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8224 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8225 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8226 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
8229 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8230 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8231 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8234 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8235 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8236 avoid false matches.
8239 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8242 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8243 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8247 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8250 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8253 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8254 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8255 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8256 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8257 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8260 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8263 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8265 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8266 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8267 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8268 default values of the variables above.
8270 @item gnus-article-button-face
8271 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8272 Face used on buttons.
8274 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8275 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8276 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8280 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8284 @subsection Article Date
8286 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8287 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8288 when the article was sent.
8293 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8294 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8295 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8296 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8299 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8300 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8302 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8303 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8306 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8307 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8308 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8311 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8312 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8313 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8314 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8317 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8318 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8319 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8320 @findex format-time-string
8321 Display the date using a user-defined format
8322 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8323 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8324 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8325 for a list of possible format specs.
8328 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8329 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8330 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8331 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8332 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8333 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8336 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8339 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8340 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8343 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8344 into wonderful absurdities.
8346 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8349 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8352 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8353 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8357 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8358 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8359 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8360 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8361 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8362 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8363 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8367 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8368 preferred format automatically.
8371 @node Article Display
8372 @subsection Article Display
8377 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8378 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8380 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8381 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8383 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8384 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8386 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8387 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8389 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8394 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8395 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8396 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8397 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8400 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8401 @findex gnus-smiley-smiley
8402 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8405 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8406 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8407 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8410 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8411 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8412 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8413 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8416 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8417 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8418 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8419 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8422 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8423 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8424 Remove all images from the article buffer
8425 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8431 @node Article Signature
8432 @subsection Article Signature
8434 @cindex article signature
8436 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8437 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8438 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8439 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8440 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8441 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8442 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8443 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8444 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8447 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8448 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8449 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8450 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8451 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8452 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8453 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8454 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8457 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8460 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8461 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8462 signature when displaying articles.
8466 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8469 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8472 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8473 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8475 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8476 in question is not a signature.
8479 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8480 listed above. Here's an example:
8483 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8484 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8487 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8488 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8489 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8490 signature after all.
8493 @node Article Miscellania
8494 @subsection Article Miscellania
8498 @kindex A t (Summary)
8499 @findex gnus-article-babel
8500 Translate the article from one language to another
8501 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8507 @section @sc{mime} Commands
8508 @cindex MIME decoding
8510 @cindex viewing attachments
8512 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8513 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8519 @kindex K v (Summary)
8520 View the @sc{mime} part.
8523 @kindex K o (Summary)
8524 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8527 @kindex K c (Summary)
8528 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8531 @kindex K e (Summary)
8532 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8535 @kindex K i (Summary)
8536 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8539 @kindex K | (Summary)
8540 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8543 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8548 @kindex K b (Summary)
8549 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8550 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8554 @kindex K m (Summary)
8555 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8556 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8557 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8558 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8559 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8562 @kindex X m (Summary)
8563 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8564 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8565 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8566 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8569 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8570 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
8571 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8572 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8575 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8576 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8577 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8580 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8581 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8582 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8584 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8585 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8586 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8587 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
8588 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
8589 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8592 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8593 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8594 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8601 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8602 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8603 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8604 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8607 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8610 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8614 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8615 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8616 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8617 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8618 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8619 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8622 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8623 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8624 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8625 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8626 displayed. This variable overrides
8627 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8629 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8630 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8631 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8633 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8634 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8635 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8636 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8637 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8638 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8639 save all jpegs into some directory).
8641 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8644 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8645 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8647 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8648 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8649 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8650 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8651 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8654 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8655 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8656 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8658 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8659 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8660 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8661 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8663 Ready-made functions include@*
8664 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8665 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8666 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8667 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8668 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8669 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8670 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8671 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8672 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8673 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8674 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8675 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8677 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8678 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8680 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8681 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8682 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8685 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8686 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8687 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8688 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8692 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8701 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8702 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8703 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8704 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8705 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8706 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8707 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8709 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8710 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8711 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8712 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8714 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8715 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8716 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8717 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8718 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
8719 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8720 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
8721 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
8723 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8724 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8725 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8726 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8727 quoted-printable header encoding.
8729 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8730 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8731 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8735 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8738 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8739 means encode all charsets),
8741 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8742 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8743 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8750 @cindex coding system aliases
8751 @cindex preferred charset
8753 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8755 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8756 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8759 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8760 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8763 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8764 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8766 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8769 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8772 This will almost do the right thing.
8774 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8778 (codepage-setup 1251)
8779 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8783 @node Article Commands
8784 @section Article Commands
8791 @kindex A P (Summary)
8792 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8793 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8794 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8795 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
8796 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
8797 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
8802 @node Summary Sorting
8803 @section Summary Sorting
8804 @cindex summary sorting
8806 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8807 can't really see why you'd want that.
8812 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8813 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8814 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8817 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8818 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8819 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8822 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8823 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8824 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8827 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8828 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8829 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8832 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8833 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8834 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8837 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8838 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8839 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8842 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8843 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8844 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8847 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8848 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8849 Sort using the default sorting method
8850 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8853 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8854 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8855 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8856 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8857 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8861 @node Finding the Parent
8862 @section Finding the Parent
8863 @cindex parent articles
8864 @cindex referring articles
8869 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8870 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8871 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8872 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8873 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8874 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8875 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8876 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8877 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8879 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8880 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8881 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
8882 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8883 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8887 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8888 @kindex A R (Summary)
8889 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8890 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8893 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8894 @kindex A T (Summary)
8895 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8896 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8897 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8898 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8899 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8900 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8901 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8903 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8904 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8905 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8906 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8907 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8908 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8911 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8912 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8914 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8915 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8916 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8917 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8918 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8919 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8920 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8923 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8924 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8925 by giving this command a prefix.
8927 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8928 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
8929 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8930 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8931 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8932 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8935 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8936 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8937 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8940 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8941 then ask Deja if that fails:
8944 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8946 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8949 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
8950 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox}
8951 and @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8952 @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder} and @code{nnimap}1 are only able to locate
8953 articles that have been posted to the current group. (Anything else
8954 would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at
8958 @node Alternative Approaches
8959 @section Alternative Approaches
8961 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8962 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8965 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8966 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8971 @subsection Pick and Read
8972 @cindex pick and read
8974 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8975 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8976 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8977 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8979 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8980 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8981 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8982 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8983 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8984 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8986 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8991 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8992 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8993 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8994 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8995 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8996 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8997 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8998 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9001 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9002 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9003 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9004 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9008 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9009 Unpick the thread or article
9010 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9011 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9012 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9013 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9014 the thread or article at that line.
9018 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9019 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9020 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9021 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9022 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9023 will still be visible when you are reading.
9027 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9028 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9029 which is mapped to the same function
9030 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9032 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9035 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9038 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9039 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9041 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9042 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9043 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9045 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9046 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9047 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9048 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9049 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9050 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9051 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9055 @subsection Binary Groups
9056 @cindex binary groups
9058 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9059 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9060 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9061 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9062 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9063 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9064 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9067 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9068 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9069 command, when you have turned on this mode
9070 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9072 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9073 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9077 @section Tree Display
9080 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9081 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9082 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9083 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9086 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9089 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9090 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9091 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9093 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9094 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9095 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9096 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9097 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9099 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9100 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9101 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9102 default is @code{modeline}.
9104 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9105 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9106 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9107 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9108 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9109 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9110 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9116 The name of the poster.
9118 The @code{From} header.
9120 The number of the article.
9122 The opening bracket.
9124 The closing bracket.
9129 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9131 Variables related to the display are:
9134 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9135 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9136 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9137 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9138 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9139 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9141 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9142 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9143 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9144 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9148 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9149 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9150 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9151 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9152 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9153 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9154 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9155 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9156 other windows displayed next to it.
9158 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9162 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9163 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9166 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9167 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9168 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9169 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9170 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9171 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9172 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9176 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9179 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9189 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9193 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9194 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9196 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9198 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9203 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9204 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9205 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9208 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9209 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9210 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9211 (gnus-add-configuration
9215 (summary 0.75 point)
9220 @xref{Window Layout}.
9223 @node Mail Group Commands
9224 @section Mail Group Commands
9225 @cindex mail group commands
9227 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9228 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9230 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9231 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9236 @kindex B e (Summary)
9237 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9238 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9239 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9240 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9241 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9244 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9245 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9246 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9247 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9248 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9249 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9252 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9253 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9254 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9255 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9256 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9257 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9260 @kindex B m (Summary)
9262 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9263 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9264 Move the article from one mail group to another
9265 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9266 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9269 @kindex B c (Summary)
9271 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9272 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9273 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9274 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9275 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9278 @kindex B B (Summary)
9279 @cindex crosspost mail
9280 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9281 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9282 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9283 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9284 be properly updated.
9287 @kindex B i (Summary)
9288 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9289 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9290 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9291 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9294 @kindex B r (Summary)
9295 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9296 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9297 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9298 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9299 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9300 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9301 (which is the default).
9305 @kindex B w (Summary)
9307 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9308 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9309 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9310 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9311 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9312 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9315 @kindex B q (Summary)
9316 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9317 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9318 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9319 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9322 @kindex B t (Summary)
9323 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9324 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9325 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9328 @kindex B p (Summary)
9329 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9330 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9331 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9332 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9333 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9334 article from your news server (or rather, from
9335 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9336 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9337 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9338 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9339 just not have arrived yet.
9343 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9344 @cindex moving articles
9345 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9346 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9347 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9348 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9349 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9350 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9351 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9354 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9355 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9356 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9357 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9361 @node Various Summary Stuff
9362 @section Various Summary Stuff
9365 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9366 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9367 * Summary Generation Commands::
9368 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9372 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9373 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9374 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9376 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9377 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9378 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9379 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9380 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9381 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9384 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9385 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9386 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9387 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9388 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9390 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9391 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9392 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9395 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9396 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9397 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9398 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9399 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9400 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9401 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9402 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9403 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9404 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9406 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9407 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9408 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9409 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9410 list of articles to be selected.
9412 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9413 the list in one particular group:
9416 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9417 (if (string= group "some.group")
9418 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9422 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9423 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9424 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9425 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9426 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9427 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9428 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9429 buffers. For example:
9432 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9433 '(message-use-followup-to
9434 (gnus-visible-headers .
9435 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9441 @node Summary Group Information
9442 @subsection Summary Group Information
9447 @kindex H f (Summary)
9448 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9449 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9450 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9451 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9452 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9453 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9454 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9455 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9456 be used for fetching the file.
9459 @kindex H d (Summary)
9460 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9461 Give a brief description of the current group
9462 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9463 rereading the description from the server.
9466 @kindex H h (Summary)
9467 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9468 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9469 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9472 @kindex H i (Summary)
9473 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9474 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9478 @node Searching for Articles
9479 @subsection Searching for Articles
9484 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9485 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9486 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9487 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9490 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9491 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9492 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9493 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9497 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9498 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9499 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9500 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9501 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9502 search backward instead.
9504 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9505 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9508 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9509 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9510 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9511 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9514 @node Summary Generation Commands
9515 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9520 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9521 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9522 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9525 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9526 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9527 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9528 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9533 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9534 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9540 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9541 @kindex A D (Summary)
9542 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9543 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9544 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9545 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9546 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9547 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9548 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9549 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9553 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9554 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9555 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9556 several documents into one biiig group
9557 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9558 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9559 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9560 command understands the process/prefix convention
9561 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9564 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9565 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9566 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9567 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9568 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9569 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9573 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9574 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9575 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9578 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9579 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9580 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9581 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9584 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9585 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9586 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9587 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9592 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9593 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9594 @cindex summary exit
9595 @cindex exiting groups
9597 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9598 group and return you to the group buffer.
9604 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9606 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9607 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9608 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9609 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9610 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9611 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9612 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9613 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9614 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9615 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9616 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9620 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9622 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9623 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9624 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9628 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9630 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9631 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9632 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9633 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9636 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9637 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9638 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9639 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9642 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9643 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9644 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9645 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9648 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9649 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9650 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9651 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9652 all articles, both read and unread.
9656 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9657 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9658 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9659 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9660 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9661 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9662 articles, both read and unread.
9665 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9666 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9667 Exit the group and go to the next group
9668 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9671 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9672 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9673 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9674 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9677 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9678 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9679 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9680 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9681 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9682 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9685 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9686 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9687 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9688 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9690 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9691 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9692 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9693 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9694 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9695 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9696 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9697 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9698 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9699 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9700 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9701 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9703 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9705 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9706 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9707 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9708 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9709 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9710 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9711 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9712 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9713 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9716 @node Crosspost Handling
9717 @section Crosspost Handling
9721 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9722 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9723 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9724 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9725 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9726 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9729 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9730 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9731 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9732 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9733 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9735 @cindex cross-posting
9738 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9739 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9740 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9741 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9742 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9743 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9744 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9745 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9746 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9747 the cross reference mechanism.
9749 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9750 @cindex overview.fmt
9751 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9752 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9753 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9754 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9755 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9756 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9759 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9760 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9761 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9766 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9769 @node Duplicate Suppression
9770 @section Duplicate Suppression
9772 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9773 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9774 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9775 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9780 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9781 is evil and not very common.
9784 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9785 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9788 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9789 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9792 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9795 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9796 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9798 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9799 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9800 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9801 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9802 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9803 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9804 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9807 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9808 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9809 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9810 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9811 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9815 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9816 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9817 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9819 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9820 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9821 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9822 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9823 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
9824 session are suppressed.
9826 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9827 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9828 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9829 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9831 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9832 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9833 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9834 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9837 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
9838 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9839 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9840 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9841 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
9842 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9843 to you to figure out, I think.
9848 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
9849 The formats that are supported are PGP, PGP/MIME and S/MIME, however
9850 you need some external programs to get things to work:
9854 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
9855 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
9858 To handle S/MIME message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
9859 or newer is recommended.
9863 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
9864 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
9867 @item mm-verify-option
9868 @vindex mm-verify-option
9869 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9870 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9871 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9873 @item mm-decrypt-option
9874 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9875 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9876 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
9877 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9882 @section Mailing List
9884 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
9885 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
9886 possibly using @kbd{A M} in the summary buffer, or say:
9889 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
9892 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
9897 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
9898 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
9899 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
9902 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
9903 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
9904 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
9907 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
9908 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
9909 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
9913 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
9914 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
9915 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
9918 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
9919 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9920 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
9923 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
9924 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9925 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
9929 @node Article Buffer
9930 @chapter Article Buffer
9931 @cindex article buffer
9933 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9934 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9935 tell Gnus otherwise.
9938 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9939 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9940 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9941 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9942 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9946 @node Hiding Headers
9947 @section Hiding Headers
9948 @cindex hiding headers
9949 @cindex deleting headers
9951 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9952 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9954 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9955 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9956 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9957 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9958 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9959 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9960 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9961 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9962 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9964 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9968 @item gnus-visible-headers
9969 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9970 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9971 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9972 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9974 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9975 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9978 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9981 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9984 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9985 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9986 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9987 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9988 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9989 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9991 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
9992 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
9995 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9998 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10001 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10002 variable will have no effect.
10006 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10007 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10008 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10009 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10010 the headers are to be displayed.
10012 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10013 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10016 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10019 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10020 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10022 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10023 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10024 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10025 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10026 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10027 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10028 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10031 These conditions are:
10034 Remove all empty headers.
10036 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10037 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10039 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10040 @code{From} header.
10042 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10045 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10046 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10048 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10051 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10053 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10056 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
10059 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10060 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10063 This is also the default value for this variable.
10067 @section Using MIME
10070 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10071 while people stand around yawning.
10073 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10074 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10076 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10077 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10078 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10080 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10081 @findex gnus-display-mime
10082 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10083 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10084 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10085 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10087 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10091 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10092 @item RET (Article)
10093 @kindex RET (Article)
10094 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10095 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10096 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
10098 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10099 @item M-RET (Article)
10100 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10102 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10103 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10105 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10107 @kindex t (Article)
10108 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10109 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10111 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10113 @kindex C (Article)
10114 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10115 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10117 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10119 @kindex o (Article)
10120 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10121 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10123 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10124 @item C-o (Article)
10125 @kindex C-o (Article)
10126 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10127 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10128 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10129 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10130 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10131 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10133 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10135 @kindex c (Article)
10136 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10137 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
10139 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10141 @kindex p (Article)
10142 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10143 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10144 @file{.mailcap} file.
10146 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10148 @kindex i (Article)
10149 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10150 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10151 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10152 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10153 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10156 @findex gnus-mime-internalize-part
10158 @kindex E (Article)
10159 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10160 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10161 (@code{gnus-mime-internalize-part}).
10163 @findex gnus-mime-externalize-part
10165 @kindex e (Article)
10166 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10167 (@code{gnus-mime-externalize-part}).
10169 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10171 @kindex | (Article)
10172 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10174 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10176 @kindex . (Article)
10177 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10178 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10182 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10183 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
10186 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10187 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10188 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10189 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10190 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10191 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10192 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10193 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10194 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10196 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10198 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10201 @node Customizing Articles
10202 @section Customizing Articles
10203 @cindex article customization
10205 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10206 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10207 called automatically when you select the articles.
10209 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10210 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10211 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10212 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10214 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10215 for sensible values.
10219 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10222 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10225 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10228 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10231 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10235 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10236 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10237 regexps in the list.
10240 A list where the first element is not a string:
10242 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10243 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10244 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10248 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10253 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10254 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10255 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10256 considered to contain just a single part.
10258 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10259 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10260 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10261 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10262 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10263 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10264 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10266 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10267 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10268 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10269 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10272 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10273 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10275 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10277 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10278 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10279 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10280 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10281 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10282 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10283 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10284 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10285 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10287 @xref{Article Washing}.
10289 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10290 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10291 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10292 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10293 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10294 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10295 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10297 @xref{Article Date}.
10299 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10300 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10301 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10305 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10307 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10309 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10310 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10311 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10315 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10319 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10320 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10321 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10322 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10323 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10324 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10325 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10326 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10328 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10330 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10331 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10332 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10334 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10336 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10337 @item gnus-treat-translate
10338 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10340 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10341 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10342 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10348 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10349 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10350 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10351 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10352 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10356 @node Article Keymap
10357 @section Article Keymap
10359 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10360 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10361 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10362 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10365 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10370 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10371 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10372 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10375 @kindex DEL (Article)
10376 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10377 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10380 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10381 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10382 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10383 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10384 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10387 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10388 @findex gnus-article-mail
10389 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10390 given a prefix, include the mail.
10393 @kindex s (Article)
10394 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10395 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10396 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10399 @kindex ? (Article)
10400 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10401 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10402 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10405 @kindex TAB (Article)
10406 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10407 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10408 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10411 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10412 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10413 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10416 @kindex R (Article)
10417 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10418 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10419 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10420 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10424 @kindex F (Article)
10425 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10426 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10427 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10428 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10436 @section Misc Article
10440 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10441 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10442 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10443 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10446 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10447 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10449 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10450 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10452 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10453 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10454 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10455 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10456 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10457 the contents of the article buffer.
10459 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10460 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10461 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10463 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10464 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10465 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10466 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10468 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10469 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10470 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10471 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10472 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10478 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10479 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10480 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10485 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10488 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10491 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10492 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10493 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10496 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10499 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10502 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10507 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10511 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10513 @item gnus-break-pages
10514 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10515 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10516 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10517 paging will not be done.
10519 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10520 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10521 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10526 @node Composing Messages
10527 @chapter Composing Messages
10528 @cindex composing messages
10531 @cindex sending mail
10536 @cindex using s/mime
10537 @cindex using smime
10539 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10540 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10541 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10542 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10543 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10544 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10547 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10548 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
10549 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10550 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10551 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10552 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10553 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10554 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10557 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10558 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10564 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10567 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10568 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10569 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10570 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10572 @item gnus-add-to-list
10573 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10574 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10575 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10580 @node Posting Server
10581 @section Posting Server
10583 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10584 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10586 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10588 @vindex gnus-post-method
10590 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
10591 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
10592 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
10593 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
10594 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
10595 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
10596 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10599 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10602 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10603 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10604 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10605 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10607 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10608 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10610 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10611 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10614 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10615 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10618 @node Mail and Post
10619 @section Mail and Post
10621 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10625 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10626 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10627 @cindex mailing lists
10629 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10630 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10631 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10632 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10633 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10634 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10635 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10636 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10637 still a pain, though.
10641 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10642 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10643 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10646 @findex ispell-message
10648 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10651 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10652 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10655 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10659 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10660 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10662 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10665 Modify to suit your needs.
10668 @node Archived Messages
10669 @section Archived Messages
10670 @cindex archived messages
10671 @cindex sent messages
10673 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10674 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10675 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10676 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10679 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10680 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
10681 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10684 (nnfolder "archive"
10685 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10686 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10687 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10688 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10691 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10692 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10693 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10694 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10697 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10698 '(nnfolder "archive"
10699 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10700 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10701 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10704 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10706 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10707 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10708 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10710 This variable can be used to do the following:
10715 Messages will be saved in that group.
10717 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10718 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10719 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10720 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10721 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10722 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10723 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10724 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10728 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10730 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10731 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10734 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
10739 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
10741 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
10744 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
10746 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
10749 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
10751 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10752 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
10753 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
10754 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
10757 More complex stuff:
10759 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10760 '((if (message-news-p)
10765 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
10766 messages in one file per month:
10769 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10770 '((if (message-news-p)
10772 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
10775 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
10776 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
10778 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
10779 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
10780 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
10781 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
10782 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
10783 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
10784 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
10785 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
10786 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
10787 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
10789 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
10790 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
10791 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
10792 this will disable archiving.
10795 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
10796 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
10797 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
10798 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
10799 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
10802 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
10803 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
10804 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
10807 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
10808 but the latter is the preferred method.
10810 @item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
10811 @vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
10812 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
10817 @node Posting Styles
10818 @section Posting Styles
10819 @cindex posting styles
10822 All them variables, they make my head swim.
10824 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
10825 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
10826 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
10829 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
10830 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
10831 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
10832 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
10833 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
10838 (signature "Peace and happiness")
10839 (organization "What me?"))
10841 (signature "Death to everybody"))
10842 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
10843 (organization "Emacs is it")))
10846 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
10847 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
10848 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
10849 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
10850 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
10851 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
10852 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
10853 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
10855 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
10856 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
10857 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
10858 next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
10859 the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
10860 will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
10861 variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
10862 @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
10863 then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
10865 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
10866 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
10867 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
10868 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
10869 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
10870 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
10871 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
10872 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
10873 result is thrown away.
10875 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
10876 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
10877 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
10878 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
10879 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
10880 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
10882 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
10883 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
10884 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
10886 @findex message-mail-p
10887 @findex message-news-p
10889 So here's a new example:
10892 (setq gnus-posting-styles
10894 (signature-file "~/.signature")
10896 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
10897 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
10899 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
10900 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
10901 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
10903 (signature my-news-signature))
10904 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
10905 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
10906 ((posting-from-work-p)
10907 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
10908 (address "user@@bar.foo")
10909 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
10910 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
10912 (From (save-excursion
10913 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
10914 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
10916 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
10919 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
10920 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
10921 if you fill many roles.
10928 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10929 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10930 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10931 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10932 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10934 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10935 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10936 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10937 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10938 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10942 @vindex nndraft-directory
10943 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10944 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10945 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10946 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10947 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10948 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10950 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10951 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10954 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10955 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10956 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10957 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10958 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10959 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10960 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10961 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10962 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10963 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10964 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10965 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10966 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10967 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10969 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10970 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10971 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10973 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10974 @kindex D e (Draft)
10975 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10976 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10977 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10979 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10982 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10983 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10984 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10985 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10986 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10987 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10988 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10991 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10992 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10993 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10996 @node Rejected Articles
10997 @section Rejected Articles
10998 @cindex rejected articles
11000 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11001 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11002 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11003 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11005 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11006 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11007 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11008 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11009 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11011 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11012 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11013 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11015 @node Signing and encrypting
11016 @section Signing and encrypting
11018 @cindex using s/mime
11019 @cindex using smime
11021 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11022 format or PGP/MIME or S/MIME. For decoding such messages, see the
11023 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11024 (@pxref{Security}).
11026 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11027 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The S/MIME
11028 support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11030 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a MIME part is done
11031 using the @code{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @code{C-c C-m
11032 c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11037 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11038 @findex mml-secure-sign-smime
11040 Digitally sign current MIME part using S/MIME.
11043 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11044 @findex mml-secure-sign-pgp
11046 Digitally sign current MIME part using PGP.
11049 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11050 @findex mml-secure-sign-pgp
11052 Digitally sign current MIME part using PGP/MIME.
11055 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11056 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-smime
11058 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using S/MIME.
11061 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11062 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-pgp
11064 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using PGP.
11067 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11068 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-pgpmime
11070 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using PGP/MIME.
11074 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11076 @node Select Methods
11077 @chapter Select Methods
11078 @cindex foreign groups
11079 @cindex select methods
11081 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11082 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11083 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11084 personal mail group.
11086 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11087 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11088 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11089 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11090 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11091 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11093 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11094 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11096 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11099 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11100 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11101 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11102 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11103 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11105 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11108 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11109 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11110 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11111 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11112 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11113 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11114 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11115 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11119 @node Server Buffer
11120 @section Server Buffer
11122 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11123 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11124 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11125 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11126 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11127 back end represents a virtual server.
11129 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11130 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11131 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11132 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11134 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11135 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11136 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11137 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11138 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11139 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11140 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11142 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11143 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11146 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11147 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11148 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11149 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11150 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11151 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11152 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11155 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11156 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11159 @node Server Buffer Format
11160 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11161 @cindex server buffer format
11163 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11164 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11165 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11166 variable, with some simple extensions:
11171 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11174 The name of this server.
11177 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11180 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11183 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11184 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11185 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11186 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11196 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11199 @node Server Commands
11200 @subsection Server Commands
11201 @cindex server commands
11207 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11208 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11212 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11213 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11216 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11217 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11218 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11222 @findex gnus-server-exit
11223 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11227 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11228 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11232 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11233 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11237 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11238 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11242 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11243 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11247 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11248 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11249 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11254 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11255 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11256 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11257 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11262 @node Example Methods
11263 @subsection Example Methods
11265 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11268 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11271 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11277 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11278 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11281 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11282 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11284 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11285 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11289 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11292 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11293 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11295 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11296 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11297 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11301 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11304 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11307 Here's the method for a public spool:
11311 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11312 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11318 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11319 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11320 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11321 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11322 should probably look something like this:
11326 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11327 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11328 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11329 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11332 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11333 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11334 configuration to the example above:
11337 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11340 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11341 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11342 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11346 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11347 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11348 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11349 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11352 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11353 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11354 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11355 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11358 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11359 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11361 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11362 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11364 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11365 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11366 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11368 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11370 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11371 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11372 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11373 will contain the following:
11383 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11384 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11385 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11388 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11389 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11390 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11393 @node Server Variables
11394 @subsection Server Variables
11396 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11397 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11398 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11399 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11400 won't change the "derived" variables.
11402 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11403 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11404 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11405 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11406 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11407 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11408 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11409 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11410 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11414 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11415 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11416 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11420 @node Servers and Methods
11421 @subsection Servers and Methods
11423 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11424 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11425 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11426 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11430 @node Unavailable Servers
11431 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11433 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11434 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11435 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11436 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11437 actually the case or not.
11439 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11440 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11441 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11442 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11443 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11444 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11445 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11446 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11448 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11449 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11451 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11452 with the following commands:
11458 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11459 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11460 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11464 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11465 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11466 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11470 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11471 Mark the current server as unreachable
11472 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11475 @kindex M-o (Server)
11476 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11477 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11478 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11481 @kindex M-c (Server)
11482 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11483 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11484 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11488 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11489 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11490 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11496 @section Getting News
11497 @cindex reading news
11498 @cindex news back ends
11500 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11501 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11502 or it can read from a local spool.
11505 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11506 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11511 @subsection @sc{nntp}
11514 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11515 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11516 server as the, uhm, address.
11518 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11519 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11520 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11521 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11523 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11524 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11525 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11527 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11532 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11533 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11534 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11536 @cindex authentification
11537 @cindex nntp authentification
11538 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11539 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11540 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11541 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11542 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11543 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11544 present in this hook.
11546 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11547 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11548 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11549 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11550 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11551 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11552 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11553 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11554 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11555 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11556 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11557 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11561 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11564 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11566 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11567 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11568 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11569 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11570 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11571 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11572 @samp{force} is explained below.
11576 Here's an example file:
11579 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11580 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11583 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11584 have to be first, for instance.
11586 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11587 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11588 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11589 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11590 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11591 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11592 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11594 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11595 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11601 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11602 previously mentioned.
11604 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11606 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11607 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11608 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11609 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11610 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11613 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11614 '(("innd" (ding))))
11617 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11619 The default value is
11622 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11623 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11624 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11627 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11628 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11630 @item nntp-maximum-request
11631 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11632 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11633 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11634 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11635 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11636 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11637 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11639 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11640 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11641 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11642 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11643 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11644 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11645 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11646 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11647 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11648 no timeouts are done.
11650 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11651 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11652 @c @cindex PPP connections
11653 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11654 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11655 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11656 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11657 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11658 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11659 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11660 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11661 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11662 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11664 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11665 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11666 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11667 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11668 @c described above.
11670 @item nntp-server-hook
11671 @vindex nntp-server-hook
11672 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
11675 @item nntp-buggy-select
11676 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
11677 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
11679 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
11680 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
11681 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
11682 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
11685 @item nntp-xover-commands
11686 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
11689 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
11690 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
11694 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
11695 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
11696 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
11697 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
11698 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
11699 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
11700 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
11701 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
11702 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
11703 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
11704 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
11706 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
11707 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
11708 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
11710 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11711 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11712 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
11713 server closes connection.
11715 @item nntp-record-commands
11716 @vindex nntp-record-commands
11717 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
11718 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
11719 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
11720 that doesn't seem to work.
11722 @item nntp-open-connection-function
11723 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
11724 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
11725 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
11726 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
11727 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
11728 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
11729 indirect ones (two pre-made).
11731 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
11732 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
11733 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
11734 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
11735 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
11736 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
11737 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
11740 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
11743 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
11744 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
11748 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
11749 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
11750 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
11754 @node Direct Functions
11755 @subsubsection Direct Functions
11756 @cindex direct connection functions
11758 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
11759 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
11760 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
11761 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11764 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
11765 @item nntp-open-network-stream
11766 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
11769 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
11770 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
11771 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
11772 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
11773 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
11774 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
11775 define a server as follows:
11778 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
11780 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
11782 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
11783 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
11784 (nntp-port-number "snews")
11785 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
11788 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
11789 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
11790 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
11791 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
11792 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
11793 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
11794 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
11795 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
11799 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11800 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
11801 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
11804 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
11805 session, which is not a good idea.
11809 @node Indirect Functions
11810 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
11811 @cindex indirect connection functions
11813 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
11814 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
11815 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
11816 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
11817 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
11818 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11821 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11822 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11823 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
11824 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
11825 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
11827 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11830 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
11831 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
11832 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
11833 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
11836 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11837 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11838 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
11839 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
11841 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11844 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
11845 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
11846 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
11849 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
11850 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
11851 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
11852 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
11854 @item nntp-via-user-password
11855 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
11856 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
11858 @item nntp-via-envuser
11859 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
11860 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
11861 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
11862 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
11864 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
11865 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
11866 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
11867 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
11874 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
11879 @item nntp-via-user-name
11880 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
11881 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
11883 @item nntp-via-address
11884 @vindex nntp-via-address
11885 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
11890 @node Common Variables
11891 @subsubsection Common Variables
11893 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
11894 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
11899 @item nntp-pre-command
11900 @vindex nntp-pre-command
11901 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
11902 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
11903 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
11904 wrapper for instance.
11907 @vindex nntp-address
11908 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
11910 @item nntp-port-number
11911 @vindex nntp-port-number
11912 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
11914 @item nntp-end-of-line
11915 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
11916 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
11917 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
11918 using a non native connection function.
11920 @item nntp-telnet-command
11921 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
11922 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
11923 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
11924 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
11926 @item nntp-telnet-switches
11927 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
11928 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
11935 @subsection News Spool
11939 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
11940 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
11941 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
11944 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
11945 anything else) as the address.
11947 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
11948 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
11949 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
11950 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
11954 @item nnspool-inews-program
11955 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
11956 Program used to post an article.
11958 @item nnspool-inews-switches
11959 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
11960 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
11962 @item nnspool-spool-directory
11963 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
11964 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
11965 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
11967 @item nnspool-nov-directory
11968 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
11969 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
11970 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
11972 @item nnspool-lib-dir
11973 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
11974 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
11976 @item nnspool-active-file
11977 @vindex nnspool-active-file
11978 The path to the active file.
11980 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
11981 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
11982 The path to the group descriptions file.
11984 @item nnspool-history-file
11985 @vindex nnspool-history-file
11986 The path to the news history file.
11988 @item nnspool-active-times-file
11989 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
11990 The path to the active date file.
11992 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
11993 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
11994 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
11997 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11998 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12000 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12001 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12002 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12008 @section Getting Mail
12009 @cindex reading mail
12012 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12016 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12017 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12018 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12019 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12020 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12021 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12022 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12023 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12024 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12025 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12026 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12027 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12028 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12032 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12033 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12035 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12036 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12037 of a culture shock.
12039 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12040 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12042 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12043 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12044 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12045 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12047 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12049 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12050 deleted? How awful!
12052 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12053 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12054 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12055 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12058 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12059 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12060 they want to treat a message.
12062 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12063 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12064 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12065 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12066 archived somewhere else.
12068 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12069 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12070 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12071 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12072 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12074 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12075 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12076 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12078 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12079 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12082 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12083 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12084 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12085 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12086 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12088 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12089 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12090 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12091 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12092 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12093 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12097 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12098 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12100 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12101 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12102 and things will happen automatically.
12104 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12105 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12108 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12111 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12112 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12113 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12114 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12115 like any other group.
12117 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12120 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12121 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12122 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12126 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12127 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12128 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12131 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12132 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12133 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12136 @node Splitting Mail
12137 @subsection Splitting Mail
12138 @cindex splitting mail
12139 @cindex mail splitting
12141 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12142 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12143 to be split into groups.
12146 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12147 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12148 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12149 ("mail.other" "")))
12152 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12153 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12154 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12155 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12156 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12157 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12158 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12161 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12164 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12165 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12166 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12167 mail belongs in that group.
12169 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12170 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12171 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12172 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12173 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12174 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12176 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12177 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12178 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12179 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12180 thinks should carry this mail message.
12182 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12183 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12184 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12185 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12187 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12188 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12189 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12190 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12191 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12193 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12196 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12197 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12198 links. If that's the case for you, set
12199 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12200 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12202 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12203 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12204 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12205 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12206 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12207 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12210 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12211 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12212 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12213 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12214 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12215 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12216 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12217 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12218 month's rent money.
12222 @subsection Mail Sources
12224 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12225 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12229 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12230 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12231 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12235 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12236 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12238 @cindex mail server
12241 @cindex mail source
12243 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12244 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12249 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12252 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12253 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12254 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12257 The following mail source types are available:
12261 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12267 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12268 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
12271 An example file mail source:
12274 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12277 Or using the default path:
12283 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12284 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12285 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12288 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12292 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12295 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12299 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12302 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12304 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12307 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12311 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
12312 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
12313 That is, mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in the
12314 group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12315 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12316 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus
12317 to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you
12318 want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12324 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12328 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12332 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12333 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12334 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12335 predicate are considered.
12339 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12343 An example directory mail source:
12346 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12351 Get mail from a POP server.
12357 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12358 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12361 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12362 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12363 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12364 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12365 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12368 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12372 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12376 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12377 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12380 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12383 The valid format specifier characters are:
12387 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12388 included in this string.
12391 The name of the server.
12394 The port number of the server.
12397 The user name to use.
12400 The password to use.
12403 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12404 corresponding keywords.
12407 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12408 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12411 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12412 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12415 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12416 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12419 @item :authentication
12420 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12421 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12426 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12427 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12429 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12430 default user name, and default fetcher:
12436 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12439 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12440 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12443 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12446 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12450 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12451 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12452 contains exactly one mail.
12458 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12459 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12462 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12463 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12465 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12466 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12467 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12470 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12471 from locking problems).
12475 Two example maildir mail sources:
12478 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12479 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12483 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12488 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12489 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12490 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12491 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12494 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12495 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12501 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12502 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12505 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12506 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12509 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12513 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12517 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12518 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12519 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12520 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12522 @item :authentication
12523 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12524 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12525 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12526 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12529 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12530 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12531 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12537 The valid format specifier characters are:
12541 The name of the server.
12544 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12547 The port number of the server.
12550 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12551 corresponding keywords.
12554 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12555 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12558 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12559 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12560 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12561 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
12562 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12563 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
12566 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12567 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12568 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12569 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
12572 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
12573 after finishing the fetch.
12577 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
12580 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
12582 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
12586 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
12587 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
12589 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
12592 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
12593 required for url "4.0pre.46".
12595 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
12601 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
12602 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
12605 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
12609 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
12613 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
12614 folder after finishing the fetch.
12618 An example webmail source:
12621 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
12623 :password "secret")
12628 @item Common Keywords
12629 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
12635 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
12636 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
12640 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
12645 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
12646 useful when you use local mail and news.
12651 @subsubsection Function Interface
12653 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
12654 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
12655 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
12656 consider the following mail-source setting:
12659 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
12660 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
12663 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
12664 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
12665 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
12666 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
12667 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
12669 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
12672 @node Mail Source Customization
12673 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
12675 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
12676 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
12680 @item mail-source-crash-box
12681 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
12682 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
12683 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
12685 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
12686 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
12687 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
12689 @item mail-source-directory
12690 @vindex mail-source-directory
12691 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
12692 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
12693 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
12696 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12697 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12698 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
12699 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
12700 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
12701 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
12703 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
12704 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
12705 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
12707 @item mail-source-movemail-program
12708 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
12709 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
12710 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
12715 @node Fetching Mail
12716 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
12718 @vindex mail-sources
12719 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
12720 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
12721 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
12722 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
12724 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
12725 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
12728 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
12729 mail server, you'd say something like:
12734 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12735 :password "secret")))
12738 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
12742 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
12743 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12746 :password "secret")))
12750 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
12751 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
12752 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
12753 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
12754 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
12755 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
12759 @node Mail Back End Variables
12760 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
12762 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
12766 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12767 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12768 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
12769 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
12771 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
12772 @item nnmail-split-hook
12773 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
12774 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
12775 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
12776 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
12777 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
12778 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
12779 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
12780 in the buffer will show up in any files.
12781 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
12784 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12785 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12786 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12787 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12788 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
12789 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
12790 starting to handle the new mail) and
12791 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
12792 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
12793 default file modes the new mail files get:
12796 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12797 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
12799 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12800 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
12803 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
12804 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
12805 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
12806 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
12807 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
12808 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
12809 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
12811 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
12812 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
12813 @findex delete-file
12814 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
12816 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12817 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12818 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
12819 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
12820 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
12825 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
12826 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
12827 @cindex mail splitting
12828 @cindex fancy mail splitting
12830 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
12831 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
12832 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
12833 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
12834 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
12835 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
12837 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
12840 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
12841 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
12842 ;; from real errors.
12843 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
12845 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
12846 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
12847 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
12848 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
12849 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
12850 ;; Other mailing lists...
12851 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
12852 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
12853 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
12854 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
12855 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
12856 ;; message was really cross-posted.
12857 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
12858 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
12860 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
12861 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
12865 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
12866 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
12867 the five possible split syntaxes:
12872 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
12873 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
12877 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
12878 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
12879 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
12880 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
12881 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
12882 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
12883 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
12884 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
12887 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12888 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
12889 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
12890 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
12893 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12894 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
12897 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
12898 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
12901 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
12902 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
12903 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
12904 function should return a @var{split}.
12907 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
12908 body of the messages:
12911 (defun split-on-body ()
12913 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
12914 (goto-char (point-min))
12915 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
12919 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
12920 when the @code{:} function is run.
12923 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12924 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
12925 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
12929 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
12933 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
12934 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
12935 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
12936 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
12937 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
12939 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
12940 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
12941 are expanded as specified by the variable
12942 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
12943 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
12946 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
12947 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
12948 when all this splitting is performed.
12950 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
12951 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
12952 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
12955 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
12958 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
12959 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
12961 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
12962 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
12963 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
12964 groupings 1 through 9.
12966 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
12967 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
12968 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
12969 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
12970 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
12971 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
12972 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
12973 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
12974 it once per thread.
12976 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
12977 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
12978 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
12981 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12982 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
12983 ;; other splits go here
12987 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
12988 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
12989 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
12990 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
12991 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
12992 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
12993 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
12994 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
12995 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
12996 unless the group name matches the regexp
12997 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
12998 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
12999 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13000 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13001 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13002 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13003 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13004 messages goes into the new group.
13007 @node Group Mail Splitting
13008 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13009 @cindex mail splitting
13010 @cindex group mail splitting
13012 @findex gnus-group-split
13013 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13014 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13015 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13016 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13017 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13018 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13019 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13020 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13022 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13023 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13024 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13025 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13027 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13028 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13029 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13030 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13031 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13032 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13033 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13035 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13036 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13037 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13038 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13039 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13040 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13041 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13043 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13044 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13045 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13046 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13047 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13048 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13049 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13050 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13051 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13052 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13053 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13054 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13055 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13057 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13062 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13063 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13065 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13066 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13067 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13068 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13070 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13073 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13074 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13075 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13078 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13079 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13080 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13084 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13085 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13086 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13090 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13093 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13094 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13095 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13096 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13097 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13098 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13099 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13100 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13101 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13103 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13104 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13105 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13106 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13107 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13108 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13109 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13110 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13111 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13113 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13114 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13115 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13116 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13117 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13118 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13121 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13124 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13125 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13126 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13127 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13128 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13131 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13132 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13133 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13134 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13136 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13137 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13138 @cindex incorporating old mail
13139 @cindex import old mail
13141 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13142 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13143 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13146 Doing so can be quite easy.
13148 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13149 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13150 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13151 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13152 your @code{nnml} groups.
13158 Go to the group buffer.
13161 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13162 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13165 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13168 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13169 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13172 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13173 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13176 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13177 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13178 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13179 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13180 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13182 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13183 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13184 using the new mail back end.
13187 @node Expiring Mail
13188 @subsection Expiring Mail
13189 @cindex article expiry
13191 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13192 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13193 different approach to mail reading.
13195 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13196 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13197 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13198 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13199 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13200 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13203 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13204 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13205 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13206 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13207 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13208 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13209 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13210 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13212 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13213 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13214 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13215 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13216 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13217 column in the summary buffer.
13219 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13220 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13221 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13222 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13225 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13227 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13228 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13229 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13232 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13233 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13234 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13235 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13236 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13238 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13239 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13242 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13243 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13246 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13247 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13249 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13250 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13251 don't really mix very well.
13253 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13254 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13255 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13256 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13259 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13260 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13261 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13262 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13265 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13267 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13269 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13271 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13273 ((string= group "important")
13279 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13280 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13282 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13283 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13284 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13287 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13288 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13290 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13291 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13292 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13293 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13294 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13295 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13296 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13297 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13298 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13299 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13300 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13301 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13302 name or @code{delete}.
13304 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13306 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13309 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13310 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13311 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13312 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13313 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13316 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13317 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13318 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13319 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13320 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13323 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13324 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13325 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13326 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13327 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13328 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13330 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13331 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13332 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13333 easier for procmail users.
13335 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13336 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13337 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13338 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13339 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13340 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13341 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13342 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13343 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13344 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13345 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13346 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13347 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13350 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13352 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13353 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13354 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13355 auto-expire turned on.
13359 @subsection Washing Mail
13360 @cindex mail washing
13361 @cindex list server brain damage
13362 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13364 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13365 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13366 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13367 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13368 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13369 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13371 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13372 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13373 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13376 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13377 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13378 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13379 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13382 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13383 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13384 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13385 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13386 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13389 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13390 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13391 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13392 Emacs running on MS machines.
13396 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13397 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13398 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13399 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13402 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13403 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13404 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13405 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13407 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13408 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13409 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13410 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13411 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13412 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13413 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13416 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13417 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13420 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13421 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13424 This can also be done non-destructively with
13425 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13427 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13428 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13429 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13431 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13432 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13434 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13435 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13436 @code{References} headers.
13440 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13441 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13442 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13446 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13447 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13448 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13455 @subsection Duplicates
13457 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13458 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13459 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13460 @cindex duplicate mails
13461 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13462 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13463 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13464 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13465 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13466 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13467 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13468 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13469 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13470 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13471 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13472 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13473 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13475 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13476 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13477 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13478 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13480 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13483 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13484 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13488 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13489 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13490 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13491 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13492 (any mail "mail.misc")
13499 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13500 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13505 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13506 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13507 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13508 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13509 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13512 @node Not Reading Mail
13513 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13515 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13516 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13517 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13519 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13520 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13521 mail, which should help.
13523 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13524 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13525 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13526 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13527 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13528 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13529 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13530 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13531 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13532 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13533 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13535 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13536 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13540 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13541 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13543 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13544 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13545 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13547 There are five different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
13548 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
13549 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
13550 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
13553 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
13554 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
13555 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
13556 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
13557 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
13558 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
13562 @node Unix Mail Box
13563 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
13565 @cindex unix mail box
13567 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13568 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13569 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
13570 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
13571 which group it belongs in.
13573 Virtual server settings:
13576 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
13577 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13578 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
13581 @item nnmbox-active-file
13582 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13583 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
13584 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
13586 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
13587 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13588 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
13589 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
13594 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
13598 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13599 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13600 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
13601 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
13602 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
13604 Virtual server settings:
13607 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
13608 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13609 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
13611 @item nnbabyl-active-file
13612 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13613 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
13614 @file{~/.rmail-active}
13616 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13617 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13618 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
13624 @subsubsection Mail Spool
13626 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
13628 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
13629 format. It should be used with some caution.
13631 @vindex nnml-directory
13632 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
13633 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
13634 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
13635 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
13637 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
13640 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
13641 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
13642 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
13643 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
13644 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
13645 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
13646 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
13647 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
13649 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
13650 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
13651 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
13652 back end when it comes to reading mail.
13654 @cindex self contained nnml servers
13655 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
13656 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13657 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13658 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
13659 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
13660 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
13661 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
13662 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
13665 Virtual server settings:
13668 @item nnml-directory
13669 @vindex nnml-directory
13670 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
13671 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
13674 @item nnml-active-file
13675 @vindex nnml-active-file
13676 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
13677 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
13679 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
13680 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
13681 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13682 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
13684 @item nnml-get-new-mail
13685 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13686 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
13689 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
13690 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
13691 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13692 default is @code{nil}.
13694 @item nnml-nov-file-name
13695 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
13696 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
13698 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13699 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13700 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
13702 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
13703 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
13704 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13705 default is @code{nil}.
13707 @item nnml-marks-file-name
13708 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
13709 The name of the @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
13713 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
13714 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
13715 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
13716 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
13717 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
13718 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
13719 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
13724 @subsubsection MH Spool
13726 @cindex mh-e mail spool
13728 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
13729 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
13730 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
13731 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
13733 Virtual server settings:
13736 @item nnmh-directory
13737 @vindex nnmh-directory
13738 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
13739 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13742 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
13743 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13744 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
13748 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
13749 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
13750 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
13751 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
13752 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
13753 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
13754 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
13759 @subsubsection Mail Folders
13761 @cindex mbox folders
13762 @cindex mail folders
13764 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
13765 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
13766 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
13769 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
13770 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
13771 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13772 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13773 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
13774 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
13775 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
13776 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
13777 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
13778 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
13779 @code{nnfolder} directory).
13781 Virtual server settings:
13784 @item nnfolder-directory
13785 @vindex nnfolder-directory
13786 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
13787 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13790 @item nnfolder-active-file
13791 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
13792 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
13794 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13795 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13796 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13797 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
13799 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
13800 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13801 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
13804 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13805 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13806 @cindex backup files
13807 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
13808 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
13809 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
13810 your @file{.emacs} file:
13813 (defun turn-off-backup ()
13814 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
13816 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
13819 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13820 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13821 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
13822 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
13823 extract some information from it before removing it.
13825 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13826 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13827 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13828 default is @code{nil}.
13830 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13831 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13832 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
13834 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
13835 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
13836 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
13837 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13839 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13840 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13841 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13842 default is @code{nil}.
13844 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13845 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13846 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
13848 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
13849 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
13850 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
13851 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13856 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
13857 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
13858 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
13859 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
13860 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
13861 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
13864 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
13865 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
13867 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
13868 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
13869 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
13870 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
13871 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
13873 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
13874 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
13875 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
13876 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
13877 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
13878 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
13879 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
13880 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
13883 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
13884 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
13885 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
13886 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
13891 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
13892 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
13893 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
13894 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
13895 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
13896 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
13897 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
13898 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
13899 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
13900 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
13901 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
13902 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
13903 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
13908 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
13909 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
13910 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
13911 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
13912 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
13913 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
13914 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
13915 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
13916 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
13917 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
13918 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
13919 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
13920 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
13921 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
13923 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
13924 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
13929 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
13930 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
13931 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
13932 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
13933 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
13934 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
13935 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
13936 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
13937 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
13938 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
13939 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
13940 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
13941 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
13942 provided by the active file and overviews.
13944 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
13945 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
13946 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
13947 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
13948 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
13951 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
13952 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
13957 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
13958 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
13959 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
13960 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
13961 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
13962 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
13963 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
13967 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
13968 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
13969 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
13970 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
13971 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
13972 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
13973 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
13974 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
13975 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
13977 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
13978 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
13979 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
13980 friendly mail back end all over.
13985 @node Browsing the Web
13986 @section Browsing the Web
13988 @cindex browsing the web
13992 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
13993 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
13994 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
13995 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
13996 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
13997 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
13998 even know what a news group is.
14000 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14001 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14002 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14003 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14004 you mad in the end.
14006 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14009 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14010 interfaces to these sources.
14014 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14015 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14016 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14017 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14018 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14019 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14022 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14024 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14025 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14026 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14027 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14028 though, you should be ok.
14030 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14031 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14032 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14033 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14034 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14036 @node Archiving Mail
14037 @subsection Archiving Mail
14038 @cindex archiving mail
14039 @cindex backup of mail
14041 Some of the back ends, notably nnml and nnfolder, now actually store
14042 the article marks with each group. For these servers, archiving and
14043 restoring a group while preserving marks is fairly simple.
14045 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14046 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @code{.newsrc.eld} deity
14049 To archive an entire @code{nnml} or @code{nnfolder} server, take a
14050 recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need to shut down
14051 Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or similar. You
14052 restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and adding a server
14053 definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The @ref{Article
14054 Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things might interfer
14055 with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus before you
14058 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml} or
14059 @code{nnfolder} groups, while preserving marks. For @code{nnml}, you
14060 copy all files in the group's directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need
14061 to copy both the base folder file itself (@code{FOO}, say), and the
14062 marks file (@code{FOO.mrk} in this example). Restoring the group is
14063 done with @kbd{G m} from the Group buffer. The last step makes Gnus
14064 notice the new directory.
14067 @subsection Web Searches
14071 @cindex InReference
14072 @cindex Usenet searches
14073 @cindex searching the Usenet
14075 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14076 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14077 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14078 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14079 searches without having to use a browser.
14081 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14082 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14083 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14084 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14085 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14087 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14088 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14089 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14090 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14091 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14092 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14093 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14094 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14095 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14096 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14099 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14100 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14101 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14102 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14103 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14104 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14106 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14107 to use @code{nnweb}.
14109 Virtual server variables:
14114 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14115 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
14119 @vindex nnweb-search
14120 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14122 @item nnweb-max-hits
14123 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14124 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14127 @item nnweb-type-definition
14128 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14129 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14130 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14135 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14139 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14142 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14145 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14149 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14156 @subsection Slashdot
14160 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14161 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14162 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14164 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14165 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14168 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14169 '((nnslashdot "")))
14172 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14173 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14174 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14175 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14176 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14179 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14180 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14182 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14183 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14184 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14185 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14186 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14187 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14190 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14193 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14194 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14195 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14196 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14197 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14198 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14199 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14201 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14202 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14203 The login name to use when posting.
14205 @item nnslashdot-password
14206 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14207 The password to use when posting.
14209 @item nnslashdot-directory
14210 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14211 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14212 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14214 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14215 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14216 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14217 news articles and comments. The default is
14218 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14220 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14221 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14222 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14224 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14226 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14227 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14228 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14230 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14232 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14233 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14234 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14236 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14237 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14238 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14239 updated. The default is 0.
14246 @subsection Ultimate
14248 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14250 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14251 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14252 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14253 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14255 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14256 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14257 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14258 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14259 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14260 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14261 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14263 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14266 @item nnultimate-directory
14267 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14268 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14269 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14274 @subsection Web Archive
14276 @cindex Web Archive
14278 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14279 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14280 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14281 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14284 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14285 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14286 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14287 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14288 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14289 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14290 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14292 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14295 @item nnwarchive-directory
14296 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14297 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14298 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14300 @item nnwarchive-login
14301 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14302 The account name on the web server.
14304 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14305 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14306 The password for your account on the web server.
14314 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14315 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14316 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14319 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14320 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14323 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14326 @item nnrss-directory
14327 @vindex nnrss-directory
14328 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14329 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14333 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14334 the summary buffer.
14337 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14338 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14340 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14342 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14343 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14346 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14349 (require 'browse-url)
14351 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14353 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14356 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14357 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14359 (browse-url (cdr url))
14360 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14362 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14363 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14364 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14365 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14368 @node Customizing w3
14369 @subsection Customizing w3
14375 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14376 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14377 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14379 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14380 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14381 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14384 (eval-after-load "w3"
14386 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14387 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14388 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14389 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14391 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14394 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14395 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14404 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14405 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14406 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14407 specify the network address of the server.
14409 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14410 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14411 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14412 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14413 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14415 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14416 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14417 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14418 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14420 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14421 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14422 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14423 usage explained in this section.
14425 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14426 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14427 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14430 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14431 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14432 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14434 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14435 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14436 ; a UW server running on localhost
14438 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14439 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14440 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14441 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14442 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14443 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14444 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14445 (nnimap-stream network))
14446 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14448 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14449 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14450 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14453 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14458 @item nnimap-address
14459 @vindex nnimap-address
14461 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14462 server name if not specified.
14464 @item nnimap-server-port
14465 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14466 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14468 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14471 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14472 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14475 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14476 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14477 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14478 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14479 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14480 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14481 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14483 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14484 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14485 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14488 Example server specification:
14491 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14492 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14493 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14496 @item nnimap-stream
14497 @vindex nnimap-stream
14498 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14499 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14500 of SSL/TLS. (IMAP over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
14501 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
14503 Example server specification:
14506 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14507 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14510 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14514 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
14515 @samp{imtest} program.
14517 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14519 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14520 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14523 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
14524 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
14525 library @samp{ssl.el}.
14527 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14529 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14532 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14533 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14534 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14535 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14536 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14537 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14538 restrictions on IMAP commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14539 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14540 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14543 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14544 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14545 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14546 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14547 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14548 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14549 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14550 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
14551 distribution, for instance).
14553 @vindex imap-shell-program
14554 @vindex imap-shell-host
14555 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14556 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14558 @item nnimap-authenticator
14559 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14561 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14562 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14564 Example server specification:
14567 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14568 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14571 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14575 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
14576 external program @code{imtest}.
14578 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
14581 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
14582 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14584 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14586 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14588 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14591 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14593 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14594 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14595 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14596 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14597 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14598 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14601 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14602 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14603 running in circles yet?
14605 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14606 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14609 The possible options are:
14614 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14617 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14618 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14619 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14620 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14622 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14627 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
14628 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
14630 If non-nil, marks dormant articles as ticked (as well), for other IMAP
14631 clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will naturally still (only) be
14632 marked as ticked. This is to make dormant articles stand out, just
14633 like ticked articles, in other IMAP clients. (In other words, Gnus has
14634 two ``Tick'' marks and IMAP has only one.)
14636 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
14637 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
14640 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
14641 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14642 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
14643 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14646 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
14647 as ticked for other users.
14649 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
14651 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
14653 This variable contain the IMAP search command sent to server when
14654 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
14655 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
14656 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
14658 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
14659 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
14660 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
14661 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
14663 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14664 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14666 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14667 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14668 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14674 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14675 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14676 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14681 @node Splitting in IMAP
14682 @subsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14683 @cindex splitting imap mail
14685 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14686 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14687 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14688 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14689 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14693 Here are the variables of interest:
14697 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14698 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14700 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14702 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14703 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14705 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14707 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14708 @cindex splitting, inbox
14710 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14712 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14713 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14717 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14718 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14721 No nnmail equivalent.
14723 @item nnimap-split-rule
14724 @cindex Splitting, rules
14725 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14727 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14730 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14731 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14732 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14733 Neither did I, we need examples.
14736 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14738 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14739 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14740 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14743 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14744 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14745 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14747 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14748 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14752 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14755 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14756 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14757 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14758 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14760 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14761 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14762 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14763 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14764 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14765 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14767 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14768 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14769 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14771 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14772 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14773 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14775 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
14777 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14778 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14779 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14782 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14783 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14784 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14785 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14786 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14787 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14790 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14791 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14792 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14793 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14794 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14795 group/function elements.
14797 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14799 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14801 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14803 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14804 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14806 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14807 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14808 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14811 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14812 @cindex splitting, fancy
14813 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14814 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14816 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14817 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14818 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14820 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14821 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14822 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14823 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14828 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14829 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14832 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14836 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14837 @subsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14838 @cindex editing imap acls
14839 @cindex Access Control Lists
14840 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14842 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14844 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14845 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14846 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14849 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14850 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14851 editing window with detailed instructions.
14853 Some possible uses:
14857 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14858 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14859 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14861 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14862 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14863 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14867 @node Expunging mailboxes
14868 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
14872 @cindex Manual expunging
14874 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14876 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
14877 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14878 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14880 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14885 @node Other Sources
14886 @section Other Sources
14888 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
14889 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
14893 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
14894 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
14895 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
14896 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
14897 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
14901 @node Directory Groups
14902 @subsection Directory Groups
14904 @cindex directory groups
14906 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
14907 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
14910 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
14911 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
14912 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
14913 back end to read directories. Big deal.
14915 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
14916 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
14917 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
14918 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
14919 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
14921 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
14923 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
14924 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
14925 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
14926 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
14929 @node Anything Groups
14930 @subsection Anything Groups
14933 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
14934 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
14935 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
14938 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
14939 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
14940 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
14941 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
14942 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
14943 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
14944 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
14945 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
14946 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
14947 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
14950 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
14951 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
14952 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
14953 in the article buffer, just as usual.
14955 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
14956 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
14957 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
14958 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
14960 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
14961 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
14962 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
14963 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
14964 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
14965 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
14966 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
14967 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
14972 @item nneething-map-file-directory
14973 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
14974 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
14975 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
14977 @item nneething-exclude-files
14978 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
14979 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
14980 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
14982 @item nneething-include-files
14983 @vindex nneething-include-files
14984 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
14985 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
14987 @item nneething-map-file
14988 @vindex nneething-map-file
14989 Name of the map files.
14993 @node Document Groups
14994 @subsection Document Groups
14996 @cindex documentation group
14999 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15000 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15007 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15012 The standard Unix mbox file.
15014 @cindex MMDF mail box
15016 The MMDF mail box format.
15019 Several news articles appended into a file.
15022 @cindex rnews batch files
15023 The rnews batch transport format.
15024 @cindex forwarded messages
15027 Forwarded articles.
15030 Netscape mail boxes.
15033 MIME multipart messages.
15035 @item standard-digest
15036 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15039 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15042 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15043 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15044 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15047 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15048 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15049 group. And that's it.
15051 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15052 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15053 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15054 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15055 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15056 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15057 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15058 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15059 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15060 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15062 Virtual server variables:
15065 @item nndoc-article-type
15066 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15067 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15068 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15069 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15070 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail},
15071 @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman} or @code{guess}.
15073 @item nndoc-post-type
15074 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15075 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15076 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15081 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15085 @node Document Server Internals
15086 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15088 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15089 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15090 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15091 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15093 First, here's an example document type definition:
15097 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15098 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15101 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15102 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15103 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15104 types can be defined with very few settings:
15107 @item first-article
15108 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15109 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15112 @item article-begin
15113 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15114 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15116 @item head-begin-function
15117 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15120 @item nndoc-head-begin
15121 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15124 @item nndoc-head-end
15125 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15126 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15128 @item body-begin-function
15129 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15133 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15136 @item body-end-function
15137 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15141 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15144 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15145 regexp will be totally ignored.
15149 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15150 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15151 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15152 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15153 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15156 @item prepare-body-function
15157 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15158 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15159 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15161 @item article-transform-function
15162 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15163 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15164 body of the article.
15166 @item generate-head-function
15167 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15168 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15169 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15170 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15174 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15179 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15180 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15181 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15182 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15183 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15184 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15185 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15186 (subtype digest guess))
15189 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15190 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15191 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15192 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15193 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15195 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15196 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15197 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15198 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15199 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
15200 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15201 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15202 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15203 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15204 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15212 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15213 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15214 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15216 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15217 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15218 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15221 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15222 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15223 that interested in doing things properly.
15225 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15226 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15229 First some terminology:
15234 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15235 get news and/or mail from.
15238 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15239 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15242 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15246 @item message packets
15247 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15248 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15249 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15251 @item response packets
15252 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15253 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15254 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15264 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15265 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15266 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15267 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15270 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15273 You put the packet in your home directory.
15276 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15277 the native or secondary server.
15280 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15281 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15284 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15288 You transfer this packet to the server.
15291 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15294 You then repeat until you die.
15298 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15299 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15302 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15303 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15304 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15308 @node SOUP Commands
15309 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15311 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15315 @kindex G s b (Group)
15316 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15317 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15318 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15319 process/prefix convention.
15322 @kindex G s w (Group)
15323 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15324 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15327 @kindex G s s (Group)
15328 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15329 Send all replies from the replies packet
15330 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15333 @kindex G s p (Group)
15334 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15335 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15338 @kindex G s r (Group)
15339 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15340 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15343 @kindex O s (Summary)
15344 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15345 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15346 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15347 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15352 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
15357 @item gnus-soup-directory
15358 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
15359 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
15360 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
15362 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
15363 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
15364 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
15365 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
15367 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
15368 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
15369 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
15370 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
15372 @item gnus-soup-packer
15373 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
15374 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15375 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
15377 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
15378 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
15379 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15380 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15382 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
15383 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
15384 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
15386 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15387 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15388 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
15389 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
15395 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
15398 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
15399 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
15400 you can read them at leisure.
15402 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
15406 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
15407 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
15408 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
15409 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
15411 @item nnsoup-directory
15412 @vindex nnsoup-directory
15413 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
15414 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
15416 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
15417 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
15418 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
15419 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
15421 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
15422 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
15423 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
15424 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
15425 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
15427 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
15428 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
15429 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
15430 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
15432 @item nnsoup-active-file
15433 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
15434 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
15435 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
15436 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
15437 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
15439 @item nnsoup-packer
15440 @vindex nnsoup-packer
15441 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
15442 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
15444 @item nnsoup-unpacker
15445 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
15446 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
15447 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15449 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
15450 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
15451 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
15454 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
15455 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
15456 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
15459 @item nnsoup-always-save
15460 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
15461 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
15467 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
15469 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
15470 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
15471 more for that to happen.
15473 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
15474 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
15475 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
15478 In specific, this is what it does:
15481 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
15482 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
15485 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
15486 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
15487 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
15490 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
15491 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
15492 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
15495 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
15496 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
15497 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
15499 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
15505 @item nngateway-address
15506 @vindex nngateway-address
15507 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
15509 @item nngateway-header-transformation
15510 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
15511 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
15512 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
15513 transformation should be called, and defaults to
15514 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
15515 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
15518 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
15519 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
15520 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
15523 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
15526 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
15529 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
15532 The following pre-defined functions exist:
15534 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15537 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15538 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15539 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
15541 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15543 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15544 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15545 @code{nngateway-address}.
15550 (setq gnus-post-method
15552 "mail2news@@replay.com"
15553 (nngateway-header-transformation
15554 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
15562 So, to use this, simply say something like:
15565 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
15570 @node Combined Groups
15571 @section Combined Groups
15573 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
15577 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
15578 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
15582 @node Virtual Groups
15583 @subsection Virtual Groups
15585 @cindex virtual groups
15586 @cindex merging groups
15588 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
15591 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
15592 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
15593 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
15595 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
15596 regexp to match component groups.
15598 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
15599 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
15600 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
15601 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
15602 the virtual group.)
15604 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
15605 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
15608 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
15611 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
15612 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
15614 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
15615 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
15616 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
15617 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
15620 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
15623 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
15624 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
15625 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
15627 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
15628 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
15629 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
15630 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
15631 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
15633 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
15634 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
15635 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
15637 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
15638 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
15639 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
15640 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
15641 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
15642 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
15643 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
15644 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
15645 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
15646 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
15647 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
15649 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
15650 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
15651 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
15652 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
15653 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
15654 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
15655 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
15657 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
15658 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
15660 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
15661 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
15665 @node Kibozed Groups
15666 @subsection Kibozed Groups
15670 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
15671 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
15672 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
15673 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
15675 @kindex G k (Group)
15676 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
15679 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
15680 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
15681 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
15682 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
15684 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
15685 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
15686 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
15688 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
15689 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
15690 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
15691 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
15692 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
15693 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
15694 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
15695 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
15697 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
15698 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
15699 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
15700 Stranger things have happened.
15702 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
15703 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
15705 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
15706 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
15707 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
15708 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
15709 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
15710 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
15712 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
15713 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
15716 @node Gnus Unplugged
15717 @section Gnus Unplugged
15722 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
15724 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
15725 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
15726 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
15727 read news. Believe it or not.
15729 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
15730 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
15731 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
15732 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
15733 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
15735 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
15736 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
15737 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
15738 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
15739 reading news on a machine.
15741 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
15745 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
15746 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
15750 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
15751 @file{.gnus.el} file:
15758 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
15760 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
15763 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
15764 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
15765 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
15766 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
15767 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
15768 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
15769 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
15770 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
15771 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
15772 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
15777 @subsection Agent Basics
15779 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
15781 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
15782 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
15783 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
15784 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
15786 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
15787 connected to the net continuously.
15789 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
15790 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
15792 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
15797 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
15798 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
15799 already fetched while in this mode.
15802 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
15803 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
15804 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
15805 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
15806 Source Specifiers}).
15809 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
15810 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
15811 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
15812 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
15813 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
15816 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
15817 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
15818 then you read the news offline.
15821 And then you go to step 2.
15824 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
15830 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
15831 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
15832 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
15833 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
15834 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
15835 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
15838 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
15845 @node Agent Categories
15846 @subsection Agent Categories
15848 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
15849 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
15850 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
15851 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
15852 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
15853 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
15854 you're interested in the articles anyway.
15856 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
15857 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
15858 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
15859 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
15860 managing categories.
15863 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
15864 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
15865 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
15869 @node Category Syntax
15870 @subsubsection Category Syntax
15872 A category consists of two things.
15876 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
15877 are eligible for downloading; and
15880 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
15881 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
15882 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
15885 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
15886 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
15887 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
15888 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
15890 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
15891 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
15892 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
15894 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
15895 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
15896 operators sprinkled in between.
15898 Perhaps some examples are in order.
15900 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
15901 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
15907 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
15908 short (for some value of ``short'').
15910 Here's a more complex predicate:
15919 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
15920 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
15923 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
15924 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
15925 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
15927 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
15928 you want to do, you can write your own.
15932 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
15933 lines; default 100.
15936 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
15937 lines; default 200.
15940 True iff the article has a download score less than
15941 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
15944 True iff the article has a download score greater than
15945 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
15948 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
15949 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
15950 checksum and sees whether articles match.
15959 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
15960 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
15961 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
15964 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
15965 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
15966 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
15967 something along the lines of the following:
15970 (defun my-article-old-p ()
15971 "Say whether an article is old."
15972 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
15973 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
15976 with the predicate then defined as:
15979 (not my-article-old-p)
15982 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
15983 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
15984 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
15985 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
15988 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
15989 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
15990 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
15993 and simply specify your predicate as:
15999 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16000 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16001 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16002 just don't give a damn.
16004 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16005 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16006 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16007 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16008 parameters like so:
16011 (agent-predicate . short)
16014 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16015 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16016 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16018 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16021 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16024 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16025 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16026 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16029 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16030 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16031 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16032 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16033 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16034 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16036 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16037 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16038 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16039 if it's to be specific to that group.
16041 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16048 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16049 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16055 Category specification
16059 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16065 Group Parameter specification
16068 (agent-score ("from"
16069 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16074 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16080 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16087 Category specification
16090 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16096 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16100 Group Parameter specification
16103 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16106 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16111 Use @code{normal} score files
16113 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16114 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16115 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16116 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16118 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16119 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16120 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16121 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16125 Category Specification
16132 Group Parameter specification
16135 (agent-score . file)
16140 @node Category Buffer
16141 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16143 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16144 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16145 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16147 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16151 @kindex q (Category)
16152 @findex gnus-category-exit
16153 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16156 @kindex k (Category)
16157 @findex gnus-category-kill
16158 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16161 @kindex c (Category)
16162 @findex gnus-category-copy
16163 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16166 @kindex a (Category)
16167 @findex gnus-category-add
16168 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16171 @kindex p (Category)
16172 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16173 Edit the predicate of the current category
16174 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16177 @kindex g (Category)
16178 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16179 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16180 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16183 @kindex s (Category)
16184 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16185 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16186 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16189 @kindex l (Category)
16190 @findex gnus-category-list
16191 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16195 @node Category Variables
16196 @subsubsection Category Variables
16199 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16200 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16201 Hook run in category buffers.
16203 @item gnus-category-line-format
16204 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16205 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16206 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16210 The name of the category.
16213 The number of groups in the category.
16216 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16217 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16218 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16220 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16221 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16222 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16224 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16225 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16226 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16228 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16229 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16230 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16233 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16234 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16235 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16241 @node Agent Commands
16242 @subsection Agent Commands
16244 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16245 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16246 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16250 * Group Agent Commands::
16251 * Summary Agent Commands::
16252 * Server Agent Commands::
16255 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
16256 following incantation:
16258 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
16260 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
16265 @node Group Agent Commands
16266 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16270 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16271 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16272 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16273 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16276 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16277 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16278 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16281 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16282 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16283 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16284 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16287 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16288 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16289 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16290 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16293 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16294 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16295 Add the current group to an Agent category
16296 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16297 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16300 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16301 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16302 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16303 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16304 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16307 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16308 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16309 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16315 @node Summary Agent Commands
16316 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16320 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16321 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16322 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16325 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16326 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16327 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16328 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16331 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16332 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16333 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16336 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16337 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16338 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16341 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16342 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16343 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16344 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16349 @node Server Agent Commands
16350 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16354 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16355 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16356 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16357 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16360 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16361 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16362 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16363 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
16369 @subsection Agent Expiry
16371 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
16372 @findex gnus-agent-expire
16373 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
16374 @cindex Agent expiry
16375 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
16378 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
16379 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
16380 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
16381 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
16382 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
16383 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
16385 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
16386 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
16387 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
16388 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
16389 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
16392 @node Agent and IMAP
16393 @subsection Agent and IMAP
16395 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
16396 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
16397 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
16398 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
16400 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
16401 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
16402 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
16403 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
16405 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
16406 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
16407 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
16408 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
16409 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
16411 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16412 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
16413 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
16414 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
16415 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
16416 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
16418 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
16419 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
16420 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
16421 in the group buffer by default.
16423 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
16424 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
16429 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
16432 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
16436 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
16437 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
16438 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
16439 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
16440 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
16441 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
16442 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
16443 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
16446 @node Outgoing Messages
16447 @subsection Outgoing Messages
16449 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
16450 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
16451 after posting, and edit them at will.
16453 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
16454 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
16455 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
16456 messages in the draft group.
16460 @node Agent Variables
16461 @subsection Agent Variables
16464 @item gnus-agent-directory
16465 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
16466 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
16467 @file{~/News/agent/}.
16469 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
16470 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
16471 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
16472 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
16473 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
16476 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16477 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16478 Hook run when connecting to the network.
16480 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16481 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16482 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
16484 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16485 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16486 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
16491 @node Example Setup
16492 @subsection Example Setup
16494 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
16495 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
16496 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
16499 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
16500 ;;; from your ISP's server.
16501 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
16503 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
16504 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
16505 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
16507 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
16508 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
16510 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
16514 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
16515 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
16518 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
16519 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
16520 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
16521 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
16522 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
16525 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
16526 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
16527 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
16528 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
16529 back all the killed groups.)
16531 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
16532 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
16533 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
16536 @node Batching Agents
16537 @subsection Batching Agents
16539 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
16540 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
16541 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
16545 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
16549 @node Agent Caveats
16550 @subsection Agent Caveats
16552 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
16553 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
16557 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
16562 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
16563 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
16569 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
16570 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
16577 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
16578 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
16579 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
16582 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
16583 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
16584 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
16585 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
16586 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
16588 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
16589 before generating the summary buffer.
16591 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
16592 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
16593 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
16595 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
16596 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
16597 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
16598 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
16601 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
16602 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
16603 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
16604 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
16605 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
16606 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
16607 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
16608 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
16609 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
16610 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
16611 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
16612 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
16613 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
16614 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
16615 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
16616 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
16617 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
16621 @node Summary Score Commands
16622 @section Summary Score Commands
16623 @cindex score commands
16625 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
16626 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
16627 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
16628 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
16629 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
16631 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
16632 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
16633 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
16634 score file the current one.
16636 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
16641 @kindex V s (Summary)
16642 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
16643 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
16646 @kindex V S (Summary)
16647 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
16648 Display the score of the current article
16649 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
16652 @kindex V t (Summary)
16653 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
16654 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
16655 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
16658 @kindex V R (Summary)
16659 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
16660 Run the current summary through the scoring process
16661 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
16662 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
16663 effect you're having.
16666 @kindex V c (Summary)
16667 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
16668 Make a different score file the current
16669 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
16672 @kindex V e (Summary)
16673 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
16674 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
16675 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
16679 @kindex V f (Summary)
16680 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
16681 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
16682 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
16685 @kindex V F (Summary)
16686 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16687 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
16688 after editing score files.
16691 @kindex V C (Summary)
16692 @findex gnus-score-customize
16693 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
16694 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
16698 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
16703 @kindex V m (Summary)
16704 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
16705 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
16706 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
16709 @kindex V x (Summary)
16710 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
16711 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
16712 expunge all articles below this score
16713 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
16716 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
16717 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
16720 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
16721 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
16725 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
16726 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
16728 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
16729 keys are available:
16733 Score on the author name.
16736 Score on the subject line.
16739 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
16742 Score on the @code{References} line.
16748 Score on the number of lines.
16751 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
16754 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
16755 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
16756 @file{ADAPT} files.)
16765 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
16771 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
16772 what headers you are scoring on.
16784 Substring matching.
16787 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
16816 Greater than number.
16821 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
16822 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
16823 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
16827 Temporary score entry.
16830 Permanent score entry.
16833 Immediately scoring.
16838 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
16839 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
16840 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
16841 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
16843 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
16844 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
16845 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
16846 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
16847 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
16849 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
16850 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
16851 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
16852 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
16853 current score file.
16855 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
16856 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
16857 pretend they are keymaps or not.
16860 @node Group Score Commands
16861 @section Group Score Commands
16862 @cindex group score commands
16864 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
16869 @kindex W f (Group)
16870 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16871 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
16872 all the time. This command will flush the cache
16873 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
16877 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
16879 @findex gnus-batch-score
16880 @cindex batch scoring
16882 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
16886 @node Score Variables
16887 @section Score Variables
16888 @cindex score variables
16892 @item gnus-use-scoring
16893 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
16894 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
16895 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
16897 @item gnus-kill-killed
16898 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
16899 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
16900 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
16901 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
16902 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
16903 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
16904 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
16906 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
16907 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
16908 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
16909 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
16910 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
16912 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
16913 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
16914 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
16915 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
16917 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
16918 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
16919 @cindex score cache
16920 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
16921 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
16922 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
16923 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
16924 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
16925 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
16928 @item gnus-save-score
16929 @vindex gnus-save-score
16930 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
16931 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
16932 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
16934 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
16935 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
16936 across group visits.
16938 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16939 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16940 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
16941 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
16942 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
16943 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
16944 manually entered data.
16946 @item gnus-summary-default-score
16947 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
16948 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
16950 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
16951 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
16952 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
16953 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
16954 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
16955 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
16957 @item gnus-score-over-mark
16958 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
16959 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
16960 default. Default is @samp{+}.
16962 @item gnus-score-below-mark
16963 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
16964 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
16965 default. Default is @samp{-}.
16967 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16968 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16969 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
16970 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
16972 Predefined functions available are:
16975 @item gnus-score-find-single
16976 @findex gnus-score-find-single
16977 Only apply the group's own score file.
16979 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
16980 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
16981 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
16982 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
16983 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
16984 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
16985 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
16986 then a regexp match is done.
16988 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
16989 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
16991 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
16992 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
16993 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
16994 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
16996 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16997 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16998 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
16999 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17000 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17004 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17005 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17006 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17007 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17008 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17009 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17010 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17013 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17014 overall score file, you could use the value
17016 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17017 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17020 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17021 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17022 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17023 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17024 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17026 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17027 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17028 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
17029 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
17030 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
17031 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
17032 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
17035 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17036 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17037 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17039 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17040 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17041 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17042 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17043 threading---according to the current value of
17044 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17045 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17046 simplified in this manner.
17051 @node Score File Format
17052 @section Score File Format
17053 @cindex score file format
17055 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17056 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17057 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17059 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17063 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17065 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17067 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17069 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17074 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17078 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17079 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17080 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17081 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17085 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17086 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17088 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17089 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17090 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17092 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17097 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17098 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17099 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17100 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17101 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17102 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17103 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17104 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17105 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17106 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17107 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17108 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17109 to articles that matches these score entries.
17111 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17112 score entry has one to four elements.
17116 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17117 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17121 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17122 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17123 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17124 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17125 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17126 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17129 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17130 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17131 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17132 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17133 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17136 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17137 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17138 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17139 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17142 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17143 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17144 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17145 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17146 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17147 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17148 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17149 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17150 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17151 instead, if you feel like.
17154 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17155 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17157 These predicates are true if
17160 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17163 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17164 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17171 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17172 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17173 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17174 it's not. I think.)
17176 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17177 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17178 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17179 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17182 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17183 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17184 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17185 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17186 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17187 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17188 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17192 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17193 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17194 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17195 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17196 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17197 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17198 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17199 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17202 @item Head, Body, All
17203 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17207 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17208 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17209 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17210 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17211 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17212 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17213 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17217 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17218 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17219 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17220 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17221 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17222 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17223 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17224 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17225 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17226 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17227 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17231 @cindex Score File Atoms
17233 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17234 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17237 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17238 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17240 @item mark-and-expunge
17241 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17242 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17245 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17246 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17247 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17248 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17249 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17252 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17253 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17256 @item exclude-files
17257 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17258 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17262 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17263 ignored when handling global score files.
17266 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17267 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17268 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17269 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17272 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17273 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17274 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17275 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17277 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17281 (mark-and-expunge -100)
17284 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
17285 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
17286 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
17287 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
17288 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
17290 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
17291 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
17292 scoring rules exist.
17295 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
17296 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
17297 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
17298 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
17299 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
17300 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
17301 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17302 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
17303 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
17304 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
17305 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
17309 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
17310 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
17311 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
17312 file for a number of groups.
17315 @cindex local variables
17316 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
17317 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
17318 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
17319 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
17320 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
17324 @node Score File Editing
17325 @section Score File Editing
17327 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
17328 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
17329 with a mode for that.
17331 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
17332 additional commands:
17337 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
17338 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
17339 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
17340 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
17343 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
17344 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
17345 Insert the current date in numerical format
17346 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
17347 you were wondering.
17350 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
17351 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
17352 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
17353 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
17354 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
17359 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
17361 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
17362 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
17364 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
17365 e} to begin editing score files.
17368 @node Adaptive Scoring
17369 @section Adaptive Scoring
17370 @cindex adaptive scoring
17372 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
17373 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
17374 stupidity, to be precise.
17376 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
17377 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
17378 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
17379 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
17380 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17381 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
17382 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
17383 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
17384 variable to @code{(word line)}.
17386 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17387 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
17388 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
17389 might look something like this:
17392 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17393 '((gnus-unread-mark)
17394 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
17395 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
17396 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
17397 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
17398 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
17399 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
17400 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
17401 (gnus-ancient-mark)
17402 (gnus-low-score-mark)
17403 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
17406 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
17407 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
17408 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
17409 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
17410 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
17411 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
17414 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
17415 will be applied to each article.
17417 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
17418 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
17419 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
17420 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
17422 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
17423 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
17424 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
17425 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
17427 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
17428 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
17429 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
17430 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
17432 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
17433 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
17434 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
17435 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
17436 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
17437 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
17439 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
17440 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
17441 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
17442 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
17443 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
17444 aspirins afterwards.)
17446 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
17447 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
17448 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
17450 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
17451 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
17452 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
17454 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
17455 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
17456 let you use different rules in different groups.
17458 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
17459 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
17460 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
17463 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
17464 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
17465 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
17466 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
17467 the length of the match is less than
17468 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
17469 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
17472 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17473 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
17474 headers. If you adapt on words, the
17475 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
17476 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
17479 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17480 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
17481 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
17482 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
17483 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
17486 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
17487 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
17488 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
17489 score with 30 points.
17491 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
17492 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
17493 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
17494 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
17495 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
17497 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
17498 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
17499 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
17500 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
17501 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
17503 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
17504 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
17505 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
17506 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
17508 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
17509 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
17510 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
17511 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
17513 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
17514 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
17515 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
17516 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
17517 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
17519 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
17520 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
17521 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
17523 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
17524 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
17525 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
17526 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
17529 @node Home Score File
17530 @section Home Score File
17532 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
17533 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
17534 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
17535 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
17537 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
17538 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
17539 could perhaps use the same home score file.
17541 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
17542 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
17547 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
17551 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
17552 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
17556 A list. The elements in this list can be:
17560 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
17561 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
17564 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
17565 the home score file.
17568 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
17571 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
17576 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
17579 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17580 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
17583 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
17584 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
17586 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
17588 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17589 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
17592 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
17593 Other functions include
17596 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
17597 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
17598 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
17599 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
17603 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
17604 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
17605 their own home score files:
17608 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17609 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
17610 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
17611 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
17612 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
17615 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
17616 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
17617 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
17618 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
17619 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
17621 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
17622 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
17623 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
17624 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
17625 precedence over this variable.
17628 @node Followups To Yourself
17629 @section Followups To Yourself
17631 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
17632 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
17633 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
17634 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
17635 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
17636 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
17640 @item gnus-score-followup-article
17641 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
17642 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
17645 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
17646 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
17647 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
17651 @vindex message-sent-hook
17652 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
17653 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
17655 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
17659 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
17660 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
17664 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17665 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17668 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
17669 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
17674 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
17678 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
17679 is system-dependent.
17682 @node Scoring On Other Headers
17683 @section Scoring On Other Headers
17684 @cindex scoring on other headers
17686 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
17687 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
17688 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
17689 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
17690 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
17692 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
17693 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
17694 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
17695 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
17696 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
17698 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
17701 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
17702 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
17705 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
17706 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
17707 time if you have much mail.
17709 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
17710 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
17716 @section Scoring Tips
17717 @cindex scoring tips
17723 @cindex scoring crossposts
17724 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
17725 the @code{Xref} header.
17727 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
17730 @item Multiple crossposts
17731 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
17732 more than, say, 3 groups:
17735 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
17739 @item Matching on the body
17740 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
17741 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
17742 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
17743 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
17744 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
17745 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
17746 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
17749 @item Marking as read
17750 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
17751 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
17752 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
17756 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
17758 @item Negated character classes
17759 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
17760 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
17761 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
17765 @node Reverse Scoring
17766 @section Reverse Scoring
17767 @cindex reverse scoring
17769 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
17770 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
17771 like this in your score file:
17775 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
17780 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
17781 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
17784 @node Global Score Files
17785 @section Global Score Files
17786 @cindex global score files
17788 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
17789 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
17790 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
17792 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
17793 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
17794 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
17796 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
17797 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
17798 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
17799 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
17800 files are applicable to which group.
17802 To use the score file
17803 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
17804 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
17808 (setq gnus-global-score-files
17809 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
17810 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
17813 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
17815 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
17816 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
17817 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
17818 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
17820 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
17821 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
17823 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
17824 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
17825 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
17826 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
17827 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
17828 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
17830 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
17836 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
17838 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
17840 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
17842 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
17843 lowered out of existence.
17845 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
17846 articles completely.
17849 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
17850 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
17851 old articles for a long time.
17854 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
17855 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
17856 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
17857 holding our breath yet?
17861 @section Kill Files
17864 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
17865 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
17866 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
17868 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
17869 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
17870 files into score files.
17872 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
17873 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
17874 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
17875 that isn't a very good idea.
17877 Normal kill files look like this:
17880 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17881 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
17885 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
17886 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
17888 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
17889 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
17892 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
17897 @kindex M-k (Summary)
17898 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
17899 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
17902 @kindex M-K (Summary)
17903 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
17904 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
17907 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
17912 @kindex M-k (Group)
17913 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
17914 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
17917 @kindex M-K (Group)
17918 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
17919 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
17922 Kill file variables:
17925 @item gnus-kill-file-name
17926 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
17927 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
17928 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
17929 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
17930 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
17931 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
17933 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
17934 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
17935 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
17936 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
17939 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
17940 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
17941 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
17942 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
17943 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
17944 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
17945 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
17946 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
17947 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
17949 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
17950 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
17951 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
17956 @node Converting Kill Files
17957 @section Converting Kill Files
17959 @cindex converting kill files
17961 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
17962 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
17963 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
17966 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
17967 You can fetch it from
17968 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
17970 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
17971 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
17972 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
17980 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
17981 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
17982 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
17983 news articles generated every day.
17985 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
17986 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
17987 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
17988 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
17989 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
17990 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
17991 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
17992 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
17995 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
17996 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
17999 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18000 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18001 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18002 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18006 @node Using GroupLens
18007 @subsection Using GroupLens
18009 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18011 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18012 better bit in town at the moment.
18014 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18018 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18019 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18020 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18021 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18023 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18024 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18025 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18026 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18028 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18029 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18030 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18034 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18035 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18036 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18037 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18038 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18039 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18042 @node Rating Articles
18043 @subsection Rating Articles
18045 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18046 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18047 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18048 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18051 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18056 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18057 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18058 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18061 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18062 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18063 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18064 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18065 threads in rec.humor.
18069 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18070 the score of the article you're reading.
18075 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18076 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18077 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18080 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18081 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18082 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18086 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18087 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18090 @node Displaying Predictions
18091 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18093 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18094 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18095 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18096 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18097 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18099 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18100 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18101 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18102 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18103 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18104 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18105 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18106 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18107 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18108 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18109 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18110 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18111 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18113 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18114 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18115 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18116 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18118 The following are valid values for that variable.
18121 @item prediction-spot
18122 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18125 @item confidence-interval
18126 A numeric confidence interval.
18128 @item prediction-bar
18129 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18131 @item confidence-bar
18132 Numerical confidence.
18134 @item confidence-spot
18135 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18137 @item prediction-num
18138 Plain-old numeric value.
18140 @item confidence-plus-minus
18141 Prediction +/- confidence.
18146 @node GroupLens Variables
18147 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18151 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18152 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18153 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18154 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18157 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18158 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18161 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18162 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18164 @item grouplens-score-offset
18165 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18166 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18169 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18170 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18171 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18176 @node Advanced Scoring
18177 @section Advanced Scoring
18179 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18180 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18181 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18182 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18183 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18185 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18189 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18190 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18191 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18195 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18196 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18198 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18199 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18200 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18201 non-@code{nil} value.
18203 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18204 operator, and various match operators.
18211 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18212 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18213 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18218 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18219 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18220 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18225 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18226 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18230 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18231 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18232 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18233 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18234 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18235 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18236 the ancestry you want to go.
18238 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18239 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18240 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18241 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18242 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18245 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18246 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18248 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18249 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18252 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18253 when he's talking about Gnus:
18257 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18258 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18264 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18268 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18275 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18276 really don't want to read what he's written:
18280 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18281 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
18285 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
18286 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
18287 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
18294 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
18295 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
18296 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
18297 ("body" "white.*socks"))
18301 The possibilities are endless.
18304 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
18305 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
18307 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
18308 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
18309 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
18310 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
18311 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
18312 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
18313 @samp{subject}) first.
18315 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
18316 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
18327 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
18328 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
18334 ("subject" "Gnus")))
18341 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
18342 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
18347 @section Score Decays
18348 @cindex score decays
18351 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
18352 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
18353 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
18354 use them in any sensible way.
18356 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
18357 @findex gnus-decay-score
18358 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
18359 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
18360 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
18361 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
18362 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
18363 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
18364 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
18365 definition of that function:
18368 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
18370 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
18371 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
18374 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
18376 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
18378 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
18381 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
18382 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
18383 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
18384 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
18388 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
18391 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
18394 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
18398 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
18399 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
18400 the new score, which should be an integer.
18402 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
18403 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
18408 @include message.texi
18409 @chapter Emacs MIME
18410 @include emacs-mime.texi
18412 @include sieve.texi
18420 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
18421 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
18422 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
18423 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
18424 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
18425 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
18426 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
18427 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
18428 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
18429 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
18430 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
18431 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
18432 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
18433 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
18434 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
18435 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
18436 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
18437 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
18438 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
18442 @node Process/Prefix
18443 @section Process/Prefix
18444 @cindex process/prefix convention
18446 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
18447 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
18449 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
18450 command to be performed on.
18454 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
18455 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
18456 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
18457 with the current one.
18459 @vindex transient-mark-mode
18460 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
18461 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
18463 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
18464 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
18467 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
18468 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
18470 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
18473 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
18474 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
18475 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
18476 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18478 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
18479 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
18480 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
18481 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
18482 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
18483 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
18484 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
18485 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
18487 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
18488 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
18489 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
18490 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
18491 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
18495 @section Interactive
18496 @cindex interaction
18500 @item gnus-novice-user
18501 @vindex gnus-novice-user
18502 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
18503 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
18504 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
18505 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
18508 @item gnus-expert-user
18509 @vindex gnus-expert-user
18510 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
18511 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
18512 matter how strange.
18514 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
18515 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
18516 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
18517 is @code{t} by default.
18519 @item gnus-interactive-exit
18520 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
18521 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
18526 @node Symbolic Prefixes
18527 @section Symbolic Prefixes
18528 @cindex symbolic prefixes
18530 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
18531 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
18532 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
18533 rule of 900 to the current article.
18535 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
18536 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
18537 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
18538 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
18539 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
18540 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
18541 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
18543 @kindex M-i (Summary)
18544 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
18545 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
18546 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
18547 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
18548 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
18549 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
18550 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
18551 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
18553 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
18554 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
18555 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
18557 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
18561 @node Formatting Variables
18562 @section Formatting Variables
18563 @cindex formatting variables
18565 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
18566 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
18567 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
18568 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
18569 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
18572 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
18573 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
18574 lots of percentages everywhere.
18577 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
18578 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
18579 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
18580 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
18581 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
18582 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
18583 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
18584 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
18587 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
18588 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
18589 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
18590 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
18591 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
18592 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
18593 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
18594 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
18596 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
18597 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
18599 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
18600 @findex gnus-update-format
18601 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
18602 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
18603 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
18604 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
18608 @node Formatting Basics
18609 @subsection Formatting Basics
18611 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
18612 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
18613 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
18615 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
18616 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
18617 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
18618 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
18619 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
18622 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
18623 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
18624 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
18625 less than 4 characters wide.
18627 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
18628 @samp{%&user-date;}.
18631 @node Mode Line Formatting
18632 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
18634 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
18635 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
18636 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
18637 with the following two differences:
18642 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
18645 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
18646 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
18647 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
18648 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
18649 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
18650 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
18651 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
18656 @node Advanced Formatting
18657 @subsection Advanced Formatting
18659 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
18660 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
18661 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
18662 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
18664 These are the valid modifiers:
18669 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
18673 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
18678 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
18681 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
18686 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
18689 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
18692 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
18695 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
18701 "~(form (current-time-string))@"
18706 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
18707 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
18708 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
18709 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
18710 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
18711 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
18712 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
18714 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
18715 last operation, padding.
18717 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
18718 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
18719 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
18720 @xref{Compilation}.
18723 @node User-Defined Specs
18724 @subsection User-Defined Specs
18726 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
18727 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
18728 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
18729 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
18730 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
18731 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
18732 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
18733 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
18734 should protect against that.
18736 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
18737 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
18739 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
18740 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
18741 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
18742 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
18746 @node Formatting Fonts
18747 @subsection Formatting Fonts
18749 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
18750 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
18751 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
18752 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
18755 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
18756 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
18757 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
18758 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
18759 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
18760 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
18762 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
18763 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
18764 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
18765 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
18766 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
18767 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
18768 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
18769 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
18771 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
18774 ;; Create three face types.
18775 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
18776 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
18778 ;; We want the article count to be in
18779 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
18780 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
18781 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
18783 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
18784 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
18786 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
18787 (setq gnus-group-line-format
18788 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
18791 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
18792 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
18794 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
18795 mode-line variables.
18797 @node Positioning Point
18798 @subsection Positioning Point
18800 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
18801 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
18802 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
18804 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
18806 @findex gnus-goto-colon
18807 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
18808 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
18810 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
18811 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
18812 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
18817 @subsection Tabulation
18819 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
18820 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
18821 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
18822 about lining up the following text afterwards.
18824 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
18825 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
18827 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
18828 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
18829 This is the soft tabulator.
18831 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
18832 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
18833 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
18836 @node Wide Characters
18837 @subsection Wide Characters
18839 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
18840 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
18841 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
18843 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
18844 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
18845 these coutries, that's not true.
18847 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
18848 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
18849 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
18850 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
18854 @node Window Layout
18855 @section Window Layout
18856 @cindex window layout
18858 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
18860 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
18861 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
18862 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
18863 @code{t} by default.
18865 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
18866 glitches. Use at your own peril.
18868 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
18869 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
18870 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
18873 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
18874 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
18875 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
18879 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
18880 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
18881 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
18882 possible names is listed below.
18884 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
18885 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
18888 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
18892 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
18893 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
18894 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
18895 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
18896 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
18897 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
18898 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
18899 size spec per split.
18901 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
18902 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
18903 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
18904 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
18905 present) gets focus.
18907 Here's a more complicated example:
18910 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
18911 (summary 0.25 point)
18912 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
18916 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
18917 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
18918 occupy, not a percentage.
18920 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
18921 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
18922 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
18923 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
18924 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
18927 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
18930 (article (horizontal 1.0
18935 (summary 0.25 point)
18940 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
18941 @code{horizontal} thingie?
18943 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
18944 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
18945 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
18946 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
18947 the screen is to be given to this strip.
18949 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
18950 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
18951 lines from the splits.
18953 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
18957 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
18958 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
18959 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
18960 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
18961 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
18962 size = number | frame-params
18963 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
18966 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
18967 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
18968 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
18969 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
18971 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
18972 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
18973 @cindex window height
18974 @cindex window width
18975 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
18976 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
18977 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
18978 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
18979 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
18980 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
18982 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
18983 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
18984 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
18985 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
18987 @findex gnus-configure-frame
18988 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
18989 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
18990 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
18991 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
18992 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
18993 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
18994 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
18995 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
18996 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
18997 configuration list.
19000 (gnus-configure-frame
19004 (article 0.3 point))
19012 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19013 @code{frame} split:
19016 (gnus-configure-frame
19019 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19021 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19022 (user-position . t)
19023 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19028 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19029 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19030 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19031 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19032 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19033 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19034 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19035 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19037 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19038 be found in its default value.
19040 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19041 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19042 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19046 (message (horizontal 1.0
19047 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19049 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19054 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19055 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19056 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19061 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19062 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19063 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19064 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19065 (name . "Message"))
19066 (message 1.0 point))))
19069 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19070 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19071 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19072 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19073 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19076 (gnus-add-configuration
19077 '(article (vertical 1.0
19079 (summary .25 point)
19083 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19084 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19085 Gnus has been loaded.
19087 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19088 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19089 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19090 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19091 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19093 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19094 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19095 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19098 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19102 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19103 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19118 (gnus-add-configuration
19121 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19123 (summary 0.16 point)
19126 (gnus-add-configuration
19129 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19130 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19136 @node Faces and Fonts
19137 @section Faces and Fonts
19142 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19143 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19144 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19149 @section Compilation
19150 @cindex compilation
19151 @cindex byte-compilation
19153 @findex gnus-compile
19155 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19156 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19157 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
19158 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19159 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19160 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19163 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19164 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19165 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19166 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
19167 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
19168 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
19169 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
19173 @section Mode Lines
19176 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19177 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19178 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19179 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19180 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19181 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19182 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19185 @cindex display-time
19187 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19188 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19189 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19190 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19191 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19192 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19193 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19194 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19197 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19199 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19200 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19202 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19203 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19204 (length display-time-string)))))
19207 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19208 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19209 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19210 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19211 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19214 @node Highlighting and Menus
19215 @section Highlighting and Menus
19217 @cindex highlighting
19220 @vindex gnus-visual
19221 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19222 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19223 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19226 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19227 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19230 @item group-highlight
19231 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19232 @item summary-highlight
19233 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19234 @item article-highlight
19235 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19237 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19239 Create menus in the group buffer.
19241 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19243 Create menus in the article buffer.
19245 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19247 Create menus in the server buffer.
19249 Create menus in the score buffers.
19251 Create menus in all buffers.
19254 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19255 buffers, you could say something like:
19258 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19261 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19264 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19267 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19268 in all Gnus buffers.
19270 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19273 @item gnus-mouse-face
19274 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19275 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19276 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
19280 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
19284 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
19285 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
19286 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
19288 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
19289 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
19290 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
19292 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
19293 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
19294 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
19296 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
19297 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
19298 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
19300 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
19301 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
19302 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
19304 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
19305 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
19306 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
19317 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
19318 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
19319 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
19320 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
19321 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
19325 @vindex gnus-carpal
19326 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
19327 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
19328 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
19333 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19334 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19335 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
19337 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
19338 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
19339 Face used on buttons.
19341 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
19342 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
19343 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
19345 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19346 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19347 Buttons in the group buffer.
19349 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19350 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19351 Buttons in the summary buffer.
19353 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19354 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19355 Buttons in the server buffer.
19357 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19358 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19359 Buttons in the browse buffer.
19362 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
19363 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
19364 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
19372 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
19373 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
19374 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
19375 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
19376 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
19378 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
19379 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
19380 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
19382 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
19383 been idle for thirty minutes:
19386 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
19389 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
19393 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
19396 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
19397 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
19398 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19400 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
19401 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
19402 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
19403 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19405 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
19406 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
19407 @var{idle} minutes.
19409 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
19410 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
19413 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
19414 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
19415 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
19417 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
19418 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
19419 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
19420 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
19422 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
19423 your @file{.gnus} file:
19425 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
19427 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
19430 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
19431 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
19432 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
19433 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
19434 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
19435 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
19436 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
19437 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
19438 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
19439 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
19440 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
19442 @findex gnus-demon-init
19443 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
19444 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
19445 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
19446 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
19447 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
19449 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
19450 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
19451 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
19460 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
19461 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
19463 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
19464 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
19465 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
19466 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
19469 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
19470 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
19471 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
19472 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
19474 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
19475 this will make spam disappear.
19477 There are some variables to customize, of course:
19480 @item gnus-use-nocem
19481 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
19482 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
19485 @item gnus-nocem-groups
19486 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
19487 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
19488 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
19489 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
19491 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
19492 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
19493 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
19494 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
19495 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
19496 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
19498 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
19499 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
19501 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
19502 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
19503 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
19504 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
19505 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
19506 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
19507 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
19508 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
19509 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
19510 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
19512 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
19513 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
19516 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
19519 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
19520 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
19523 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
19526 The specs are applied left-to-right.
19529 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
19530 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
19532 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
19533 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
19534 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
19535 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
19537 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
19538 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
19541 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
19543 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
19551 This might be dangerous, though.
19553 @item gnus-nocem-directory
19554 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
19555 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
19556 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
19558 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19559 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19560 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
19561 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
19562 might then see old spam.
19564 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
19565 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
19566 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
19567 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
19568 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
19571 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19572 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19573 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
19574 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
19578 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
19579 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
19580 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
19581 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
19588 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
19589 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
19590 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
19592 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
19593 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
19594 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
19595 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
19596 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
19597 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
19598 @code{undo} function.
19600 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
19601 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
19602 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
19603 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
19604 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
19605 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
19606 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
19607 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
19608 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
19609 never be totally undoable.
19611 @findex gnus-undo-mode
19612 @vindex gnus-use-undo
19614 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
19615 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
19616 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
19617 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
19621 @node Predicate Specifiers
19622 @section Predicate Specifiers
19623 @cindex predicate specifiers
19625 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
19626 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
19627 to type all that much.
19629 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
19634 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
19635 gnus-article-unread-p)
19638 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
19639 functions all take one parameter.
19641 @findex gnus-make-predicate
19642 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
19643 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
19644 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
19649 @section Moderation
19652 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
19653 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
19654 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
19657 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
19661 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
19664 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
19666 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
19671 You split your incoming mail by matching on
19672 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
19673 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
19676 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
19677 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
19680 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
19681 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
19685 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
19688 (setq gnus-moderated-list
19689 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
19693 @node Image Enhancements
19694 @section Image Enhancements
19696 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
19697 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
19700 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
19701 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
19702 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
19703 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
19704 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
19717 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
19718 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
19719 over your shoulder as you read news.
19722 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
19723 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
19724 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
19725 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
19726 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
19731 @subsubsection Picon Basics
19733 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
19742 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
19743 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
19744 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
19745 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
19746 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
19747 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
19748 @code{GIF} formats.
19751 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19752 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
19753 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
19754 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
19755 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
19757 @vindex gnus-picons-database
19758 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
19759 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
19760 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
19761 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
19762 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
19764 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
19765 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
19768 @node Picon Requirements
19769 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
19771 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
19772 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
19773 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
19774 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
19776 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19777 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
19778 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
19779 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
19780 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
19781 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19784 @subsubsection Easy Picons
19786 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
19787 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
19790 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
19791 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
19794 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
19795 containing the Picons databases.
19797 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
19800 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19801 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
19806 @subsubsection Hard Picons
19814 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
19815 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
19816 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
19817 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
19818 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
19823 @item gnus-picons-database
19824 @vindex gnus-picons-database
19825 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
19826 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
19827 subdirectories. This is only useful if
19828 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
19829 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
19831 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19832 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19833 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
19834 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
19835 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
19836 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
19837 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
19839 @item gnus-picons-display-where
19840 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
19841 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
19842 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
19843 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
19844 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
19845 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
19846 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
19848 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
19849 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
19850 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
19855 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
19856 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
19858 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
19859 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
19862 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
19864 @item gnus-article-display-picons
19865 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
19866 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
19867 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
19869 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
19870 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
19871 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
19872 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
19878 @node Picon Useless Configuration
19879 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
19887 The following variables offer further control over how things are
19888 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
19889 don't need to worry about.
19893 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
19894 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
19895 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
19896 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
19898 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
19899 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
19900 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
19901 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
19903 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
19904 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
19905 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
19906 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
19907 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
19909 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19910 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19911 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
19912 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
19913 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
19914 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
19915 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
19916 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19918 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
19919 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
19920 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
19921 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
19922 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19924 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
19925 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
19926 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
19927 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
19928 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
19929 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
19930 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
19932 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
19933 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
19934 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
19935 Defaults to @code{nil}.
19937 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
19938 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
19939 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
19940 Defaults to @code{t}.
19942 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
19943 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
19944 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
19945 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
19947 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
19948 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
19949 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
19951 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
19952 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
19953 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
19954 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
19956 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
19957 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
19959 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
19960 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
19961 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
19962 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
19963 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
19964 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
19965 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
19966 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
19977 @subsection Smileys
19982 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
19987 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
19988 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
19990 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
19991 @file{.gnus.el} file:
19994 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
19997 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
19998 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
19999 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20000 text and maps that to file names.
20002 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20003 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20004 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20005 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20006 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20007 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20009 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20010 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20012 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20013 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20014 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20016 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20017 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20021 @item smiley-data-directory
20022 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20023 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20025 @item smiley-flesh-color
20026 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20027 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20029 @item smiley-features-color
20030 @vindex smiley-features-color
20031 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20033 @item smiley-tongue-color
20034 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20035 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20037 @item smiley-circle-color
20038 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20039 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20041 @item smiley-mouse-face
20042 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20043 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20052 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20053 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20054 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20058 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20059 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20060 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20061 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20069 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20070 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20071 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20072 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20074 The variable that controls this is the
20075 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20076 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20077 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20078 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20079 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20081 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20082 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20083 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20084 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20087 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20088 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20089 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20090 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20091 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20092 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20093 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20094 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20096 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20099 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20100 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20102 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20103 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20104 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20105 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20106 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20107 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20109 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a file as the parameter, and then
20110 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20111 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20113 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20114 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20117 (setq message-required-news-headers
20118 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20119 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20122 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20125 (setq message-required-news-headers
20126 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20127 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20128 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20129 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20134 @subsection Toolbar
20144 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20145 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20146 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20147 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20148 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20150 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20151 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20152 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20154 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20155 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20156 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20158 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20159 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20160 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20166 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20169 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20170 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20171 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20172 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20173 unusual directory structure.
20175 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20176 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20177 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20178 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20180 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20181 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20182 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20183 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20184 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20185 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20187 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20188 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20189 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20203 @node Fuzzy Matching
20204 @section Fuzzy Matching
20205 @cindex fuzzy matching
20207 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20208 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20210 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20211 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20212 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20214 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20215 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20216 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20217 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20218 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20221 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20222 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20226 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20228 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20229 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20230 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20231 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20232 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20233 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
20234 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
20235 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
20238 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
20239 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
20240 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
20241 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
20242 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
20243 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
20247 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
20248 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
20250 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
20251 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
20252 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
20253 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
20254 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
20255 part of the mail address.)
20258 (setq message-default-news-headers
20259 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
20262 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
20263 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20268 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
20269 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
20270 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
20276 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
20277 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
20278 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
20279 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
20281 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
20282 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
20283 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
20284 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
20285 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
20286 your fancy split rule in this way:
20291 (to "larsi" "misc")
20295 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
20296 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
20297 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
20298 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
20299 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
20301 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
20302 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
20303 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
20304 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
20305 cosmic balance somewhat.
20307 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
20308 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
20309 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
20310 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
20313 @node Various Various
20314 @section Various Various
20320 @item gnus-home-directory
20321 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
20322 defaults to @file{~/}.
20324 @item gnus-directory
20325 @vindex gnus-directory
20326 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
20327 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
20328 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
20330 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
20331 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
20332 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
20333 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
20335 @item gnus-default-directory
20336 @vindex gnus-default-directory
20337 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
20338 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
20339 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
20340 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
20341 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
20342 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
20345 @vindex gnus-verbose
20346 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
20347 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
20348 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
20349 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
20350 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
20352 @item gnus-verbose-backends
20353 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
20354 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
20355 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
20357 @item nnheader-max-head-length
20358 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
20359 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
20360 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
20361 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
20362 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
20363 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
20364 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
20365 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
20366 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
20368 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
20369 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
20370 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
20371 read when doing the operation described above.
20373 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20374 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20376 @cindex invalid characters in file names
20377 @cindex characters in file names
20378 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
20379 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
20380 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
20383 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20387 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
20388 Windows (phooey) systems.
20390 @item gnus-hidden-properties
20391 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
20392 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
20393 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
20394 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
20396 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
20397 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
20398 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
20399 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
20400 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
20402 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
20403 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
20404 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
20406 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20407 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20409 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
20410 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
20411 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
20412 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
20415 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
20423 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
20424 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
20426 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
20428 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
20434 Not because of victories @*
20437 but for the common sunshine,@*
20439 the largess of the spring.
20443 but for the day's work done@*
20444 as well as I was able;@*
20445 not for a seat upon the dais@*
20446 but at the common table.@*
20451 @chapter Appendices
20454 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
20455 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
20456 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
20457 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
20458 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
20459 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
20460 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
20461 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
20462 * Frequently Asked Questions::
20469 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
20471 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
20472 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
20473 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
20474 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
20475 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}.
20482 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
20483 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
20485 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
20486 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
20487 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
20488 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
20489 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
20491 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
20492 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
20493 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
20494 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
20495 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
20496 appropriate name, don't you think?)
20498 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
20499 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
20500 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
20501 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
20504 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
20505 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
20506 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
20507 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
20508 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
20509 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
20510 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
20511 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
20512 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
20516 @node Gnus Versions
20517 @subsection Gnus Versions
20519 @cindex September Gnus
20521 @cindex Quassia Gnus
20522 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
20526 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
20527 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
20528 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
20530 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
20531 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
20533 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
20534 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
20536 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
20537 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
20539 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
20540 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
20543 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
20545 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
20546 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
20547 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
20548 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
20549 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
20550 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
20553 @node Other Gnus Versions
20554 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
20557 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
20558 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
20559 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
20560 @sc{mime} capabilities.
20562 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
20563 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
20564 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
20565 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
20572 What's the point of Gnus?
20574 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
20575 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
20576 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
20577 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
20578 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
20579 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
20580 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
20581 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
20582 keep track of millions of people who post?
20584 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
20585 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
20586 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
20587 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
20588 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
20589 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
20590 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
20591 every one of you to explore and invent.
20593 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
20594 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
20597 @node Compatibility
20598 @subsection Compatibility
20600 @cindex compatibility
20601 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
20602 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
20603 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
20608 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
20612 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
20615 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
20618 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
20619 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
20620 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
20621 important variables have their values copied into their global
20622 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
20623 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
20625 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
20626 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
20627 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
20628 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
20629 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
20633 @cindex highlighting
20634 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
20635 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
20636 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
20637 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
20638 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
20639 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
20642 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
20643 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
20644 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
20645 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
20647 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
20648 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
20649 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
20650 to stop doing it the old way.
20652 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
20654 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20656 @cindex reporting bugs
20658 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
20659 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
20660 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
20662 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
20663 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
20664 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
20665 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
20670 @subsection Conformity
20672 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
20673 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
20681 There are no known breaches of this standard.
20685 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
20687 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
20688 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
20689 We do have some breaches to this one.
20695 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
20696 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
20697 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
20698 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
20699 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
20704 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
20705 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
20706 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
20707 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
20709 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
20713 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
20714 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
20715 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-MIME aware PGP
20716 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
20717 decoding (verification and decryption).
20719 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
20721 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
20722 1991) describes the MIME-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
20723 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
20725 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
20727 RFC 2633 describes the S/MIME format.
20729 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
20731 RFC 1730 is IMAP version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (IMAP 4
20732 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for IMAP. RFC
20733 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for IMAP. RFC 2359
20734 describes a IMAP protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
20735 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with IMAP. RFC 1731 describes the
20736 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for IMAP.
20740 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
20741 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
20746 @subsection Emacsen
20752 Gnus should work on :
20760 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
20764 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
20765 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
20768 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
20769 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
20770 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
20774 @node Gnus Development
20775 @subsection Gnus Development
20777 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
20778 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
20779 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
20780 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
20781 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
20782 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
20783 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
20784 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
20786 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
20787 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
20788 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
20789 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
20790 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
20793 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
20794 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
20795 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
20796 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
20797 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
20799 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
20800 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
20801 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
20802 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
20803 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
20804 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
20805 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
20806 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
20807 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
20808 can't be assumed to do so.
20813 @subsection Contributors
20814 @cindex contributors
20816 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
20817 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
20818 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
20819 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
20820 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
20821 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
20822 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
20823 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
20824 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
20825 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
20827 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
20833 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
20836 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
20837 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
20838 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
20839 functionality and stuff.
20842 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
20843 well as numerous other things).
20846 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
20849 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
20852 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
20855 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
20858 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
20859 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
20862 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
20865 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
20866 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
20869 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
20872 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
20875 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
20878 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
20881 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
20882 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
20885 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
20888 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
20891 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
20894 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
20898 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
20901 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
20904 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
20907 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
20908 well as autoconf support.
20912 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
20913 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
20915 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
20924 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
20928 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
20938 Alexei V. Barantsev,
20953 Massimo Campostrini,
20958 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
20959 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
20963 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
20966 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
20972 Michael Welsh Duggan,
20977 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
20981 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
20989 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
20991 Michelangelo Grigni,
20995 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
20997 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
20999 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
21006 François Felix Ingrand,
21007 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
21008 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
21010 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
21021 Peter Skov Knudsen,
21022 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
21024 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
21025 Thor Kristoffersen,
21028 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
21046 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
21047 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
21054 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
21059 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
21063 John McClary Prevost,
21069 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
21074 Christian von Roques,
21077 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
21084 Philippe Schnoebelen,
21086 Randal L. Schwartz,
21100 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
21105 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
21121 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
21126 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
21127 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
21128 (550kB and counting).
21130 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
21133 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
21134 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
21138 @subsection New Features
21139 @cindex new features
21142 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
21143 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
21144 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
21145 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
21146 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
21149 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
21150 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
21151 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
21154 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
21156 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
21161 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
21162 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
21165 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
21166 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
21169 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
21172 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
21173 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
21174 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
21177 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
21178 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
21179 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
21180 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21183 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
21184 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21187 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
21188 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
21189 (@pxref{The Active File}).
21192 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
21193 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
21196 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
21197 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
21198 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21201 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
21202 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
21203 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
21206 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
21207 the @file{.emacs} file.
21210 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
21211 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
21214 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
21215 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
21218 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
21219 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21222 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
21223 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
21226 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
21227 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21230 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
21233 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
21234 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
21237 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
21238 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
21241 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
21242 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
21245 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
21248 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
21249 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21252 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
21256 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
21260 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
21261 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
21264 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
21270 @node September Gnus
21271 @subsubsection September Gnus
21275 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
21279 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
21284 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
21285 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
21289 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
21290 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
21294 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
21298 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
21299 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
21302 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
21306 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21309 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
21312 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
21315 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
21319 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
21320 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
21323 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
21327 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
21331 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
21335 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
21339 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
21342 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
21343 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
21346 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
21350 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
21351 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
21354 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
21357 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
21358 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
21359 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21362 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
21366 The Gnus cache is much faster.
21369 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
21373 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
21374 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
21377 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
21378 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
21381 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
21382 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21385 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
21386 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
21387 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
21390 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
21391 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
21394 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
21397 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21400 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
21403 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
21406 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
21407 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
21410 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
21414 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
21417 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
21422 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
21425 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
21429 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21432 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
21436 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
21439 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
21442 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
21443 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21446 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
21447 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
21451 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
21452 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
21455 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
21459 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
21460 buffer to allow easier treatment.
21463 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
21466 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
21470 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
21474 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
21475 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
21478 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
21482 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
21483 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21486 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
21487 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21490 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
21494 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21497 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
21500 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
21506 @subsubsection Red Gnus
21508 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
21512 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
21519 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
21522 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
21523 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21526 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
21527 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
21531 Article washing status can be displayed in the
21532 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
21535 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
21538 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
21539 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
21542 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
21546 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
21547 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
21551 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
21552 Server Internals}).
21555 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
21559 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
21562 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
21563 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
21566 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
21567 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
21568 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
21571 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
21572 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21575 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
21576 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
21579 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
21583 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
21584 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21587 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
21588 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21591 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
21595 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
21598 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
21602 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
21603 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21606 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
21607 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21610 A new command for reading collections of documents
21611 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
21612 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
21615 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
21619 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
21620 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
21623 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
21624 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
21625 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
21628 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
21629 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
21633 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
21637 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
21641 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
21646 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
21650 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
21654 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
21655 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
21658 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
21664 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
21666 New features in Gnus 5.6:
21671 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
21672 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
21673 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
21676 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
21677 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
21678 group, which is created automatically.
21681 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
21685 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
21688 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
21689 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
21692 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
21696 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
21699 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
21700 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
21703 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
21706 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
21707 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
21710 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
21711 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
21714 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
21715 control over simplification.
21718 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
21721 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
21725 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
21728 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
21731 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
21732 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
21733 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
21736 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
21737 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
21740 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
21744 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
21745 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
21748 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
21749 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
21752 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
21756 A history of where mails have been split is available.
21759 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
21762 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
21763 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
21766 A new function for citing in Message has been
21767 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
21770 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
21773 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
21777 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
21778 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
21781 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
21782 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
21785 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
21788 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
21792 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
21793 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
21795 New features in Gnus 5.8:
21800 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
21801 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
21803 If you used procmail like in
21806 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
21807 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
21808 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
21809 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
21812 this now has changed to
21816 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
21820 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
21821 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
21824 Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
21825 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
21828 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
21829 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
21832 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
21833 called to position point.
21836 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
21837 summary buffers and NOV files.
21840 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
21841 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
21844 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
21845 subtly different manner.
21848 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
21849 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
21850 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
21853 Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
21861 @section The Manual
21865 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
21866 either @code{texi2dvi}
21868 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
21869 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
21871 to get what you hold in your hands now.
21873 The following conventions have been used:
21878 This is a @samp{string}
21881 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
21884 This is a @file{file}
21887 This is a @code{symbol}
21891 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
21895 (setq flargnoze "yes")
21898 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
21901 (setq flumphel 'yes)
21904 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
21905 ever get them confused.
21909 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
21910 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
21911 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
21912 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
21913 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
21914 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
21915 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
21921 @node On Writing Manuals
21922 @section On Writing Manuals
21924 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
21925 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
21926 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
21927 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
21928 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
21929 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
21932 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
21933 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
21934 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
21937 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
21938 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
21943 @section Terminology
21945 @cindex terminology
21950 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
21951 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
21952 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
21953 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
21954 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
21958 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
21959 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
21960 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
21961 not posting, and replying is not following up.
21965 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
21969 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
21974 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of back ends, both news and mail
21975 back ends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
21976 is all done by the back ends.
21980 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
21981 default, way of getting news.
21985 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
21986 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
21991 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
21992 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
21996 A message that has been posted as news.
21999 @cindex mail message
22000 A message that has been mailed.
22004 A mail message or news article
22008 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
22013 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
22018 A line from the head of an article.
22022 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
22023 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
22027 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
22028 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
22029 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
22030 normal @sc{head} format.
22034 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
22035 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
22036 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
22037 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
22038 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
22039 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
22041 @item killed groups
22042 @cindex killed groups
22043 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
22044 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
22046 @item zombie groups
22047 @cindex zombie groups
22048 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
22051 @cindex active file
22052 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
22053 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
22054 is rather large, as you might surmise.
22057 @cindex bogus groups
22058 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
22059 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
22060 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
22063 @cindex activating groups
22064 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
22065 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
22066 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
22070 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
22072 @item select method
22073 @cindex select method
22074 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
22077 @item virtual server
22078 @cindex virtual server
22079 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
22080 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
22081 whole is a virtual server.
22085 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
22086 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
22089 @item ephemeral groups
22090 @cindex ephemeral groups
22091 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
22092 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
22093 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
22096 @cindex solid groups
22097 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
22098 group buffer are solid groups.
22100 @item sparse articles
22101 @cindex sparse articles
22102 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
22103 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
22107 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
22108 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
22112 @cindex thread root
22113 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
22114 articles in the thread.
22118 An article that has responses.
22122 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
22126 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
22127 specified by RFC 1153.
22133 @node Customization
22134 @section Customization
22135 @cindex general customization
22137 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
22138 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
22139 for some quite common situations.
22142 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
22143 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
22144 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
22145 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
22149 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
22150 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
22152 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
22153 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
22154 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
22158 @item gnus-read-active-file
22159 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
22160 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
22161 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22162 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
22163 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
22165 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
22166 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
22167 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
22168 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
22172 @node Slow Terminal Connection
22173 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
22175 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
22176 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
22177 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
22181 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
22182 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
22183 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
22184 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
22185 horizontal and vertical recentering.
22187 @item gnus-visible-headers
22188 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
22189 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
22190 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
22191 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
22193 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
22195 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
22196 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
22197 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
22200 @item gnus-use-full-window
22201 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
22202 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
22203 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
22204 want to read them anyway.
22206 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22207 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
22210 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
22211 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
22212 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
22217 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22218 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
22219 gnus-article-unseen-p))
22222 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
22223 unread, but you get my drift.)
22226 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
22227 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
22228 lines, which might save some time.
22232 @node Little Disk Space
22233 @subsection Little Disk Space
22236 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
22237 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
22241 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
22242 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
22243 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22244 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22247 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
22248 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
22249 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22250 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22253 @item gnus-save-killed-list
22254 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
22255 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
22256 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
22257 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
22263 @subsection Slow Machine
22264 @cindex slow machine
22266 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
22267 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
22269 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22270 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
22272 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
22273 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
22274 summary buffer faster.
22278 @node Troubleshooting
22279 @section Troubleshooting
22280 @cindex troubleshooting
22282 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
22290 Make sure your computer is switched on.
22293 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
22294 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
22298 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
22299 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
22300 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
22301 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
22304 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
22308 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
22309 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
22310 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
22311 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
22312 something like that.
22315 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
22318 @cindex reporting bugs
22320 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22322 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
22323 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
22324 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
22325 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
22327 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
22328 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
22329 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
22330 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
22333 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
22334 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
22335 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
22336 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
22337 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
22338 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
22340 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
22341 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
22342 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
22346 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
22347 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
22349 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
22350 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
22352 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
22353 @cindex ding mailing list
22354 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
22355 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
22359 @node Gnus Reference Guide
22360 @section Gnus Reference Guide
22362 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
22363 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
22364 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
22365 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
22368 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
22369 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
22370 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
22371 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
22372 and general methods of operation.
22375 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
22376 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
22377 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
22378 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
22379 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
22380 * Group Info:: The group info format.
22381 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
22382 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
22383 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
22387 @node Gnus Utility Functions
22388 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
22389 @cindex Gnus utility functions
22390 @cindex utility functions
22392 @cindex internal variables
22394 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
22395 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
22396 Below is a list of the most common ones.
22400 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
22401 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
22402 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
22404 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
22405 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
22406 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
22408 @item gnus-group-real-name
22409 @findex gnus-group-real-name
22410 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
22413 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
22414 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
22415 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
22416 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
22418 @item gnus-get-info
22419 @findex gnus-get-info
22420 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
22422 @item gnus-group-unread
22423 @findex gnus-group-unread
22424 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
22428 @findex gnus-active
22429 The active entry for @var{group}.
22431 @item gnus-set-active
22432 @findex gnus-set-active
22433 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
22435 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22436 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22437 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
22440 @item gnus-continuum-version
22441 @findex gnus-continuum-version
22442 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
22443 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
22446 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
22447 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
22448 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
22450 @item gnus-news-group-p
22451 @findex gnus-news-group-p
22452 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
22454 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22455 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22456 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
22458 @item gnus-server-to-method
22459 @findex gnus-server-to-method
22460 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
22462 @item gnus-server-equal
22463 @findex gnus-server-equal
22464 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
22466 @item gnus-group-native-p
22467 @findex gnus-group-native-p
22468 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
22470 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
22471 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
22472 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
22474 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
22475 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
22476 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
22478 @item group-group-find-parameter
22479 @findex group-group-find-parameter
22480 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
22481 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
22483 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
22484 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
22485 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
22487 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
22488 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
22489 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
22491 @item gnus-check-backend-function
22492 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
22493 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
22494 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
22497 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
22501 @item gnus-read-method
22502 @findex gnus-read-method
22503 Prompts the user for a select method.
22508 @node Back End Interface
22509 @subsection Back End Interface
22511 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
22512 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
22513 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
22514 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
22515 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
22516 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
22518 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
22519 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
22520 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
22521 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
22522 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
22523 been opened, the function should fail.
22525 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
22526 name. Take this example:
22530 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
22531 (nntp-port-number 4324))
22534 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
22535 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
22537 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
22538 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
22539 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
22541 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
22542 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
22543 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
22545 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
22546 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
22547 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
22548 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
22549 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
22550 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
22553 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
22554 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
22555 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
22556 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
22559 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
22560 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
22561 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
22562 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
22563 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
22564 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
22565 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
22566 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
22567 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
22568 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
22570 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
22571 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
22572 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
22573 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
22574 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
22575 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
22576 of numbers as long as possible.
22578 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
22581 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
22584 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
22585 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
22586 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
22587 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
22588 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
22589 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
22593 @node Required Back End Functions
22594 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
22598 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
22600 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
22601 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
22602 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
22603 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
22605 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
22606 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
22607 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
22608 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
22610 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
22611 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
22612 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
22613 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
22614 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
22615 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
22616 number, do maximum fetches.
22618 Here's an example HEAD:
22621 221 1056 Article retrieved.
22622 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
22623 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
22624 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
22625 Subject: Re: Something very droll
22626 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
22627 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
22629 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
22630 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
22631 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
22635 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
22636 these in the data buffer.
22638 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
22642 head = error / valid-head
22643 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
22644 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
22645 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
22646 header = <text> eol
22649 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
22650 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
22654 nov-buffer = *nov-line
22655 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
22656 field = <text except TAB>
22659 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
22663 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
22665 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
22666 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
22668 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
22669 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
22670 server. In fact, it should do so.
22672 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
22673 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
22676 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
22678 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
22679 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
22682 There should be no data returned.
22685 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
22687 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
22688 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
22689 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
22690 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
22692 There should be no data returned.
22695 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
22697 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
22698 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
22699 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
22700 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
22702 There should be no data returned.
22705 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
22707 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
22709 There should be no data returned.
22712 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
22714 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
22715 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
22716 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
22717 it would be nice if that were possible.
22719 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
22720 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
22721 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
22722 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
22723 into its article buffer.
22725 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
22726 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
22727 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
22728 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
22729 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
22730 on successful article retrieval.
22733 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
22735 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
22736 making @var{group} the current group.
22738 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
22741 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
22744 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
22747 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
22748 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
22749 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
22750 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
22751 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
22752 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
22753 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
22754 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
22757 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
22758 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
22759 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
22763 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22765 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
22766 a no-op on most back ends.
22768 There should be no data returned.
22771 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
22773 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
22776 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
22779 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
22780 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
22783 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
22784 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
22787 active-file = *active-line
22788 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
22790 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
22793 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
22794 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
22795 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
22798 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
22800 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
22801 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
22802 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
22803 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
22804 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
22805 clear if the posting could not be completed.
22807 There should be no result data from this function.
22812 @node Optional Back End Functions
22813 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
22817 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
22819 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
22820 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
22821 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
22823 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
22824 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
22825 former is in the same format as the data from
22826 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
22827 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
22830 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
22834 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
22836 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
22837 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
22838 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
22839 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
22840 should return the (altered) group info.
22842 There should be no result data from this function.
22845 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
22847 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
22848 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
22849 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
22850 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
22851 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
22852 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
22853 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
22854 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
22856 There should be no result data from this function.
22859 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
22861 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
22862 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
22863 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
22864 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
22865 propagate the mark information to the server.
22867 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
22870 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
22873 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
22874 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
22875 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
22876 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
22877 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
22878 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
22879 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
22880 possible, not limit itself to these.
22882 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
22883 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
22884 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
22885 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
22887 An example action list:
22890 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
22891 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
22892 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
22895 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
22896 mark on (currently not used for anything).
22898 There should be no result data from this function.
22900 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
22902 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
22903 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
22904 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
22905 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
22906 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
22908 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
22909 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
22910 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
22913 There should be no result data from this function.
22916 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
22918 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
22919 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
22920 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
22921 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
22922 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
22923 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
22924 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
22926 There should be no result data from this function.
22929 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
22931 The result data from this function should be a description of
22935 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
22937 description = <text>
22940 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
22942 The result data from this function should be the description of all
22943 groups available on the server.
22946 description-buffer = *description-line
22950 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
22952 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
22953 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
22954 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
22955 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
22956 in the active buffer format.
22958 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
22959 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
22960 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
22961 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
22962 many groups, so nnml and the like are probably safe. But for back ends
22963 like nntp, where the groups have been created by the server, it is quite
22964 likely that there can be many groups.
22967 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22969 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
22971 There should be no return data.
22974 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
22976 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
22977 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
22978 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
22979 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
22980 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
22983 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
22986 There should be no result data returned.
22989 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
22992 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
22993 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
22995 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
22996 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
22997 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
22998 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
22999 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
23000 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
23002 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
23003 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
23006 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23007 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23009 There should be no data returned.
23012 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
23014 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
23015 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
23016 this function in short order.
23018 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23019 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23021 There should be no data returned.
23024 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
23026 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
23027 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
23029 There should be no data returned.
23032 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
23034 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
23035 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
23036 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
23038 There should be no data returned.
23041 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
23043 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
23044 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
23046 There should be no data returned.
23051 @node Error Messaging
23052 @subsubsection Error Messaging
23054 @findex nnheader-report
23055 @findex nnheader-get-report
23056 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
23057 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
23058 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
23059 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
23060 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
23061 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
23064 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
23066 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
23069 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
23070 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
23071 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
23072 takes one argument---the server symbol.
23074 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
23075 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
23076 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
23079 @node Writing New Back Ends
23080 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
23082 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
23083 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
23084 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
23085 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
23086 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
23089 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
23090 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
23091 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
23093 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
23094 package called @code{nnoo}.
23096 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
23097 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
23103 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
23104 parameters. For instance:
23107 (nnoo-declare nndir
23111 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
23112 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
23115 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
23116 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
23117 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
23119 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
23120 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
23121 a function in those back ends.
23124 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23125 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23126 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23129 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
23130 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
23131 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
23133 @item nnoo-define-basics
23134 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
23138 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23142 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
23143 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
23144 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
23146 @item nnoo-map-functions
23147 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
23148 functions from the parent back ends.
23151 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23152 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23153 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
23156 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
23157 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
23158 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
23159 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
23162 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
23163 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
23164 haven't already been defined.
23170 nnmh-request-newgroups)
23174 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
23175 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
23176 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
23181 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
23184 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
23185 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
23189 (require 'nnheader)
23193 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
23195 (nnoo-declare nndir
23198 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23199 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23200 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23202 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
23203 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
23206 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
23208 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
23209 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
23210 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
23212 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
23213 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
23215 ;;; Interface functions.
23217 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23219 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
23220 (setq nndir-directory
23221 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
23223 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
23224 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
23225 (push `(nndir-current-group
23226 ,(file-name-nondirectory
23227 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23229 (push `(nndir-top-directory
23230 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23232 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
23234 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23235 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23236 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23237 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
23238 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
23242 nnmh-status-message
23244 nnmh-request-newgroups))
23250 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23251 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23253 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
23254 @findex gnus-declare-backend
23255 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
23256 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
23257 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
23259 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
23260 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
23265 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
23268 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
23270 The abilities can be:
23274 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
23276 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
23278 This back end supports both mail and news.
23280 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
23283 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
23284 articles and groups.
23286 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
23287 true for almost all back ends.
23288 @item prompt-address
23289 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
23290 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
23291 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
23295 @node Mail-like Back Ends
23296 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
23298 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
23299 back ends is the heavy dependence by the mail back ends on common
23300 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
23301 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
23304 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
23305 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
23306 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
23309 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
23310 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
23313 This function takes four parameters.
23317 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
23320 @item exit-function
23321 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
23323 @item temp-directory
23324 Where the temporary files should be stored.
23327 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
23328 performed for one group only.
23331 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
23332 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
23333 find the article number assigned to this article.
23335 The function also uses the following variables:
23336 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
23337 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
23338 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
23339 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
23343 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
23344 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
23348 @node Score File Syntax
23349 @subsection Score File Syntax
23351 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
23352 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
23353 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
23355 Here's a typical score file:
23359 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
23366 BNF definition of a score file:
23369 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
23370 element = rule / atom
23371 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
23372 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
23373 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
23374 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
23376 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
23377 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
23378 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
23379 date-header = "date"
23380 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23381 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23382 score = "nil" / <integer>
23383 date = "nil" / <natural number>
23384 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
23385 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
23386 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
23387 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
23388 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23389 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23390 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
23391 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23392 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
23393 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
23394 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
23395 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
23396 exclude-files / read-only / touched
23397 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
23398 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
23399 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
23400 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
23401 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
23402 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
23403 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
23404 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
23405 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
23406 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
23407 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
23408 eval = "eval" space <form>
23409 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
23412 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
23415 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
23416 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
23417 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
23418 one looong line, then that's ok.
23420 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
23421 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23425 @subsection Headers
23427 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
23428 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
23429 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
23430 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
23432 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
23433 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
23434 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
23435 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
23436 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
23437 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
23438 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
23440 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
23441 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
23442 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
23443 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
23444 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
23446 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
23447 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
23453 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
23454 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
23456 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
23457 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
23458 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
23459 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
23461 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
23465 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
23468 is transformed into
23471 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
23474 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
23475 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
23478 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
23481 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
23482 is slightly tricky:
23485 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
23491 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
23494 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
23500 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
23507 and is equal to the previous range.
23509 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
23510 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
23511 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
23515 range = simple-range / normal-range
23516 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
23517 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
23518 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
23519 number *[ " " contents ]
23522 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
23523 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
23524 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
23525 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
23526 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
23531 @subsection Group Info
23533 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
23534 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
23535 describes the group.
23537 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
23538 second is a more complex one:
23541 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
23543 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
23544 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
23546 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
23549 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
23550 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
23551 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
23552 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
23553 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
23554 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
23555 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
23556 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
23557 this section is about.
23559 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
23560 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
23561 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
23563 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
23566 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
23567 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
23568 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23569 group = quote <string> quote
23570 ralevel = rank / level
23571 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23572 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
23573 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23575 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
23576 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
23577 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
23578 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
23581 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
23582 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
23585 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
23586 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
23589 @item gnus-info-group
23590 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
23591 @findex gnus-info-group
23592 @findex gnus-info-set-group
23593 Get/set the group name.
23595 @item gnus-info-rank
23596 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
23597 @findex gnus-info-rank
23598 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
23599 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
23601 @item gnus-info-level
23602 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
23603 @findex gnus-info-level
23604 @findex gnus-info-set-level
23605 Get/set the group level.
23607 @item gnus-info-score
23608 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
23609 @findex gnus-info-score
23610 @findex gnus-info-set-score
23611 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
23613 @item gnus-info-read
23614 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
23615 @findex gnus-info-read
23616 @findex gnus-info-set-read
23617 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
23619 @item gnus-info-marks
23620 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
23621 @findex gnus-info-marks
23622 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
23623 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
23625 @item gnus-info-method
23626 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
23627 @findex gnus-info-method
23628 @findex gnus-info-set-method
23629 Get/set the group select method.
23631 @item gnus-info-params
23632 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
23633 @findex gnus-info-params
23634 @findex gnus-info-set-params
23635 Get/set the group parameters.
23638 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
23639 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
23641 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
23642 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
23643 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
23644 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
23647 @node Extended Interactive
23648 @subsection Extended Interactive
23649 @cindex interactive
23650 @findex gnus-interactive
23652 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
23653 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
23654 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
23657 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
23658 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
23663 The best thing to do would have been to implement
23664 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
23665 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
23666 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
23667 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
23668 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
23669 @code{interactive}.
23671 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
23676 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
23677 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
23681 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
23682 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
23683 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
23686 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
23690 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
23694 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
23700 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
23701 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
23705 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
23706 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
23707 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
23709 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
23710 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
23711 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
23712 Gnus, that's very useful.
23714 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
23715 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
23716 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
23717 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
23718 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
23719 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
23720 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
23721 following function:
23724 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
23728 (,function ,@@args))
23732 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
23733 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
23734 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
23737 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
23738 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
23739 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
23741 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
23742 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
23743 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
23746 @node Various File Formats
23747 @subsection Various File Formats
23750 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
23751 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
23755 @node Active File Format
23756 @subsubsection Active File Format
23758 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
23759 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
23762 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
23765 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
23766 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
23767 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
23768 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
23769 no.general 1000 900 y
23772 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
23775 active = *group-line
23776 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
23777 group = <non-white-space string>
23779 high-number = <non-negative integer>
23780 low-number = <positive integer>
23781 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
23784 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
23785 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
23788 @node Newsgroups File Format
23789 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
23791 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
23792 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
23793 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
23796 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
23797 Here's the definition:
23801 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
23802 group = <non-white-space string>
23804 description = <string>
23809 @node Emacs for Heathens
23810 @section Emacs for Heathens
23812 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
23813 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
23814 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
23815 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
23816 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
23817 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
23818 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
23822 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
23823 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
23828 @subsection Keystrokes
23832 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
23835 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
23838 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
23839 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
23840 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
23841 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
23842 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
23843 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
23845 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
23846 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
23847 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
23848 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
23849 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
23850 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
23851 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
23853 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
23854 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
23855 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
23856 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
23857 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
23858 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
23859 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
23861 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
23862 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
23863 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
23864 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
23865 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
23871 @subsection Emacs Lisp
23873 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
23874 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
23875 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
23876 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
23878 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
23879 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
23880 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
23881 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
23882 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
23883 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
23884 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
23887 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
23888 write the following:
23891 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
23894 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
23895 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
23896 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
23899 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
23900 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
23901 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
23902 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
23903 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
23905 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
23906 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
23907 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
23911 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
23915 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
23918 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
23919 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
23922 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
23925 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
23926 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
23929 @include gnus-faq.texi
23949 @c Local Variables:
23951 @c coding: iso-8859-1
23953 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
23954 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
23955 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
23956 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
23957 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref