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,colorlinks=true]{hyperref}
36 \newcommand{\gnusversionname}{Oort Gnus v0.07}
37 \newcommand{\gnuschaptername}{}
38 \newcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
40 \newcommand{\gnusbackslash}{/}
42 \newcommand{\gnusref}[1]{``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
43 \ifx\pdfoutput\undefined
44 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
46 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\href{#1}{\gnustt{#1}}}
48 \newcommand{\gnusxref}[1]{See ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
49 \newcommand{\gnuspxref}[1]{see ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
51 \newcommand{\gnuskindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
52 \newcommand{\gnusindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
54 \newcommand{\gnustt}[1]{{\gnusselectttfont{}#1}}
55 \newcommand{\gnuscode}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
56 \newcommand{\gnussamp}[1]{``{\fontencoding{OT1}\gnusselectttfont{}#1}''}
57 \newcommand{\gnuslisp}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
58 \newcommand{\gnuskbd}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
59 \newcommand{\gnusfile}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
60 \newcommand{\gnusdfn}[1]{\textit{#1}}
61 \newcommand{\gnusi}[1]{\textit{#1}}
62 \newcommand{\gnusstrong}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
63 \newcommand{\gnusemph}[1]{\textit{#1}}
64 \newcommand{\gnusvar}[1]{{\fontsize{10pt}{10}\selectfont\textsl{\textsf{#1}}}}
65 \newcommand{\gnussc}[1]{\textsc{#1}}
66 \newcommand{\gnustitle}[1]{{\huge\textbf{#1}}}
67 \newcommand{\gnusversion}[1]{{\small\textit{#1}}}
68 \newcommand{\gnusauthor}[1]{{\large\textbf{#1}}}
69 \newcommand{\gnusresult}[1]{\gnustt{=> #1}}
71 \newcommand{\gnusbullet}{{${\bullet}$}}
72 \newcommand{\gnusdollar}{\$}
73 \newcommand{\gnusampersand}{\&}
74 \newcommand{\gnuspercent}{\%}
75 \newcommand{\gnushash}{\#}
76 \newcommand{\gnushat}{\symbol{"5E}}
77 \newcommand{\gnusunderline}{\symbol{"5F}}
78 \newcommand{\gnusnot}{$\neg$}
79 \newcommand{\gnustilde}{\symbol{"7E}}
80 \newcommand{\gnusless}{{$<$}}
81 \newcommand{\gnusgreater}{{$>$}}
82 \newcommand{\gnusbraceleft}{{$>$}}
83 \newcommand{\gnusbraceright}{{$>$}}
85 \newcommand{\gnushead}{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-head,height=1cm}}}
86 \newcommand{\gnusinteresting}{
87 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\gnushead]{\gnushead}
90 \newcommand{\gnuscleardoublepage}{\ifodd\count0\mbox{}\clearpage\thispagestyle{empty}\mbox{}\clearpage\else\clearpage\fi}
92 \newcommand{\gnuspagechapter}[1]{
99 \newcommand{\gnuschapter}[2]{
101 \ifdim \gnusdimen = 0pt\setcounter{page}{1}\pagestyle{gnus}\pagenumbering{arabic} \gnusdimen 1pt\fi
103 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
104 \renewcommand{\gnuschaptername}{#2}
105 \thispagestyle{empty}
107 \begin{picture}(500,500)(0,0)
108 \put(480,350){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{#1}}
109 \put(40,300){\makebox(500,50)[bl]{{\Huge\bf{#2}}}}
114 \newcommand{\gnusfigure}[3]{
116 \mbox{}\ifodd\count0\hspace*{-0.8cm}\else\hspace*{-3cm}\fi\begin{picture}(440,#2)
123 \newcommand{\gnusicon}[1]{
124 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\raisebox{-1.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/#1-up,height=1.5cm}}]{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/#1-up,height=1cm}}}
127 \newcommand{\gnuspicon}[1]{
128 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=2cm}}
131 \newcommand{\gnusxface}[2]{
132 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=1cm}\epsfig{figure=#2,width=1cm}}
135 \newcommand{\gnussmiley}[2]{
136 \margindex{\makebox[2cm]{\hfill\epsfig{figure=#1,width=0.5cm}\hfill\epsfig{figure=#2,width=0.5cm}\hfill}}
139 \newcommand{\gnusitemx}[1]{\mbox{}\vspace*{-\itemsep}\vspace*{-\parsep}\item#1}
141 \newcommand{\gnussection}[1]{
142 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{#1}
146 \newenvironment{codelist}%
151 \newenvironment{kbdlist}%
157 \newenvironment{dfnlist}%
162 \newenvironment{stronglist}%
167 \newenvironment{samplist}%
172 \newenvironment{varlist}%
177 \newenvironment{emphlist}%
182 \newlength\gnusheadtextwidth
183 \setlength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{\headtextwidth}
184 \addtolength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{1cm}
186 \newpagestyle{gnuspreamble}%
191 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\mbox{}}\textbf{\hfill\roman{page}}}
195 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\roman{page}\hfill\mbox{}}}
204 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
206 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
211 \newpagestyle{gnusindex}%
216 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\gnuschaptername\hfill\arabic{page}}}}
220 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}
228 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
230 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
240 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{3.1cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{chapter}.\arabic{section}} \textbf{\gnussectionname\hfill\arabic{page}}}}}
244 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{-2.95cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}}
252 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
254 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
259 \pagenumbering{roman}
260 \pagestyle{gnuspreamble}
270 %\addtolength{\oddsidemargin}{-5cm}
271 %\addtolength{\evensidemargin}{-5cm}
273 \addtolength{\textheight}{2cm}
275 \gnustitle{\gnustitlename}\hfill\gnusversion{\gnusversionname}\\
278 \hspace*{0cm}\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=15cm}
281 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
288 \thispagestyle{empty}
290 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
291 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
294 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
295 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
296 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
297 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
298 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
299 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
300 License'' in the Emacs manual.
302 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
303 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
304 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
306 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
307 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
308 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
309 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
317 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
319 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
320 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
322 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
323 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
324 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
325 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
326 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
327 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
328 License'' in the Emacs manual.
330 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
331 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
332 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
334 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
335 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
336 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
337 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
345 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
348 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
349 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
350 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
352 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
353 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
354 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
355 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
356 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
357 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
358 License'' in the Emacs manual.
360 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
361 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
362 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
364 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
365 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
366 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
367 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
376 @top The Gnus Newsreader
380 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
381 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
382 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
385 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.07.
396 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
397 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
399 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
400 being accused of plagiarism:
402 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
403 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
404 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
405 can even read news with it!
407 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
408 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
409 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
410 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
411 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
417 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
418 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
419 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
420 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
421 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
422 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
423 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
424 * Various:: General purpose settings.
425 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
426 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
427 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
428 * Key Index:: Key Index.
431 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
435 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
436 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
437 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
438 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
439 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
440 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
441 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
442 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
443 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
444 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
445 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
449 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
450 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
451 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
455 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
456 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
457 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
458 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
459 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
460 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
461 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
462 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
463 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
464 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
465 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
466 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
467 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
468 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
469 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
470 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
471 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
475 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
476 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
477 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
481 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
482 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
483 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
484 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
485 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
489 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
490 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
491 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
492 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
493 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
497 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
498 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
499 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
500 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
501 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
503 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
504 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
505 * Threading:: How threads are made.
506 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
507 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
508 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
509 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
510 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
511 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
512 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
513 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
514 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
515 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
516 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
517 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
518 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
519 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
520 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
521 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
522 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
523 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
524 or reselecting the current group.
525 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
526 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
527 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
528 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
530 Summary Buffer Format
532 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
533 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
534 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
535 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
539 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
540 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
542 Reply, Followup and Post
544 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
545 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
546 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
547 * Canceling and Superseding::
551 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
552 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
553 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
555 * Generic Marking Commands::
556 * Setting Process Marks::
560 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
561 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
562 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
566 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
567 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
569 Customizing Threading
571 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
572 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
573 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
574 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
578 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
579 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
580 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
581 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
582 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
583 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
587 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
588 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
589 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
593 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
594 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
595 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
596 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
597 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
598 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
599 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
600 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
601 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
602 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
604 Alternative Approaches
606 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
607 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
609 Various Summary Stuff
611 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
612 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
613 * Summary Generation Commands::
614 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
618 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
619 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
620 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
621 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
622 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
626 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
627 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
628 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
629 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
630 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
631 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
632 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
633 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
637 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
638 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
639 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
640 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
641 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
642 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
643 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
644 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
648 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
649 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
650 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
651 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
652 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
653 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
654 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
658 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
659 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
663 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
664 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
665 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
669 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
670 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
671 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
672 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
673 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
674 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
675 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
676 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
677 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
678 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
679 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
680 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
681 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
685 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
686 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
687 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
689 Choosing a Mail Back End
691 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
692 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
693 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
694 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
695 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
696 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
701 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
702 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
703 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
704 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
705 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
706 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
710 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
711 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
712 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
716 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
717 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
718 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
719 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
720 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
724 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
728 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
729 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
730 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
734 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
735 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
739 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
740 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
741 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
742 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
743 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
744 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
745 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
746 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
747 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
748 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
749 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
753 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
754 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
755 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
759 * Group Agent Commands::
760 * Summary Agent Commands::
761 * Server Agent Commands::
765 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
766 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
767 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
768 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
769 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
770 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
771 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
772 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
773 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
774 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
775 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
776 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
777 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
778 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
779 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
780 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
781 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
785 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
786 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
787 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
788 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
792 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
793 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
794 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
798 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
799 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
800 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
801 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
802 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
803 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
804 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
805 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
806 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
807 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
808 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
809 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
810 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
811 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
812 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
813 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
814 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
815 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
816 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
820 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
821 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
822 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
823 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
824 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
825 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
826 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
827 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
831 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
832 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
833 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
834 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
835 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
839 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
840 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
841 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
842 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
843 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
847 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
848 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
849 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
853 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
854 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
855 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
856 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
857 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
858 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
859 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
860 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
861 * Frequently Asked Questions::
865 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
866 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
867 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
868 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
869 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
870 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
871 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
872 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
873 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
877 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
878 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
879 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
880 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
881 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
885 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
886 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
887 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
888 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
892 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
893 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
894 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
895 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
896 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
897 * Group Info:: The group info format.
898 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
899 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
900 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
904 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
905 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
906 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
907 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
908 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
909 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
913 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
914 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
918 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
919 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
925 @chapter Starting Gnus
930 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
931 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
934 @findex gnus-other-frame
935 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
936 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
937 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
939 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
940 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
941 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
943 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
944 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
947 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
948 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
949 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
950 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
951 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
952 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
953 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
954 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
955 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
956 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
957 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
961 @node Finding the News
962 @section Finding the News
965 @vindex gnus-select-method
967 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
968 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
969 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
970 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
973 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
974 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
977 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
980 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
983 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
986 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
987 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
988 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
990 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
992 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
993 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
994 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
995 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
996 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
997 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
999 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1000 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1001 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1002 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1004 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1005 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1006 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1007 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1008 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1009 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1010 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1011 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1012 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1015 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1017 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1018 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1019 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1020 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1021 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1022 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1024 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1026 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1027 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1028 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1029 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1030 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1031 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1034 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1035 you would typically set this variable to
1038 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1042 @node The First Time
1043 @section The First Time
1044 @cindex first time usage
1046 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1047 be subscribed by default.
1049 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1050 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1051 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1052 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1055 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1056 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1057 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1059 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1060 help you with most common problems.
1062 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1063 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1067 @node The Server is Down
1068 @section The Server is Down
1069 @cindex server errors
1071 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1072 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1073 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1075 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1076 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1077 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1078 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1079 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1080 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1081 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1083 @findex gnus-no-server
1084 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1086 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1087 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1088 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1089 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1090 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1091 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1092 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1096 @section Slave Gnusae
1099 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1100 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1101 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1102 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1104 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1105 @code{.newsrc} file.
1107 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1108 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1109 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1110 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1111 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1112 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1113 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1115 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1116 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1117 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1118 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1119 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1120 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1121 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1122 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1124 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1125 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1127 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1128 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1129 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1130 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1131 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1133 @node Fetching a Group
1134 @section Fetching a Group
1135 @cindex fetching a group
1137 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1138 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1139 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1140 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1141 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1142 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1148 @cindex subscription
1150 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1151 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1152 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1153 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1154 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1155 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1156 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1157 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1158 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1161 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1162 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1163 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1167 @node Checking New Groups
1168 @subsection Checking New Groups
1170 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1171 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1172 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1173 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1174 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1175 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1176 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1177 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1178 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1179 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1181 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1182 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1183 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1184 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1185 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1186 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1187 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1188 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1189 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1190 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1191 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1193 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1194 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1195 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1196 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1197 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1198 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1201 @node Subscription Methods
1202 @subsection Subscription Methods
1204 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1205 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1206 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1208 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1209 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1211 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1215 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1216 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1217 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1218 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1219 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1221 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1222 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1223 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1224 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1226 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1227 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1228 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1230 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1231 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1232 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1233 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1234 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1235 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1236 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1237 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1238 up. Or something like that.
1240 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1241 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1242 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1243 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1244 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1246 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1247 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1248 Kill all new groups.
1250 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1251 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1252 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1253 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1254 topic parameter that looks like
1260 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1263 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1268 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1269 A closely related variable is
1270 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1271 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1272 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1273 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1276 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1277 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1278 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1279 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1282 @node Filtering New Groups
1283 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1285 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1286 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1287 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1290 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1293 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1294 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1295 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1296 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1297 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1298 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1299 subscribing these groups.
1300 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1301 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1303 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1304 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1305 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1306 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1307 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1308 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1309 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1310 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1312 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1313 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1314 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1315 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1316 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1317 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1318 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1319 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1320 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1321 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1324 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1325 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1328 @node Changing Servers
1329 @section Changing Servers
1330 @cindex changing servers
1332 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1333 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1334 very flaky and you want to use another.
1336 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1337 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1341 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1342 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1343 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1344 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1347 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1348 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1349 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1350 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1352 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1353 @findex gnus-change-server
1354 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1355 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1356 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1357 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1358 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1360 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1361 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1362 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1363 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1364 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1366 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1367 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1368 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1369 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1370 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1371 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1373 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1374 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1375 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1376 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1378 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1379 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1380 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1381 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1382 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1383 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1384 cache for all groups).
1388 @section Startup Files
1389 @cindex startup files
1394 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1395 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1397 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1398 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1399 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1400 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1401 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1402 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1403 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1405 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1406 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1407 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1408 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1409 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1410 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1412 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1413 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1414 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1415 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1416 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1417 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1418 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1419 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1420 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1421 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1423 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1424 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1425 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1426 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1427 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1428 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1429 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1430 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1431 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1432 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1433 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1434 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1436 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1437 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1438 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1439 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1441 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1442 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1443 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1444 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1445 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1446 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1447 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1448 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1449 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1450 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1453 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1454 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1456 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1457 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1460 @vindex gnus-init-file
1461 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1462 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1463 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1464 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1465 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1466 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1467 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1468 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1469 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1475 @cindex dribble file
1478 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1479 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1480 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1481 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1482 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1485 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1486 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1489 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1490 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1491 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1493 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1494 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1495 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1496 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1497 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1498 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1500 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1501 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1502 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1505 @node The Active File
1506 @section The Active File
1508 @cindex ignored groups
1510 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1511 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1512 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1514 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1515 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1516 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1517 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1518 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1519 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1520 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1523 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1524 @c if you set it to anything else.
1526 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1528 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1529 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1530 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1532 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1533 you actually subscribe to.
1535 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1536 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1537 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1538 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1540 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1541 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1542 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1543 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1544 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1545 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1547 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1548 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1549 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1552 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1553 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1554 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1555 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1556 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1557 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1559 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1560 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1562 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1563 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1565 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1566 secondary select methods.
1569 @node Startup Variables
1570 @section Startup Variables
1574 @item gnus-load-hook
1575 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1576 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1577 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1578 times you start Gnus.
1580 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1581 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1582 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1584 @item gnus-startup-hook
1585 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1586 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1588 @item gnus-started-hook
1589 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1590 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1593 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1594 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1595 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1596 generating the group buffer.
1598 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1599 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1600 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1601 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1602 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1603 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1604 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1605 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1607 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1608 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1609 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1610 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1611 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1612 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1614 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1615 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1616 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1618 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1619 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1620 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1622 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1623 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1624 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1625 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1631 @chapter Group Buffer
1632 @cindex group buffer
1634 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1636 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1637 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1638 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1639 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1640 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1641 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1642 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1643 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1644 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1645 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1646 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1647 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1648 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1649 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1650 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1651 @c human rights at 9...
1654 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1655 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1656 long as Gnus is active.
1660 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1661 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1662 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1663 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1664 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1665 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1666 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1667 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1673 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1674 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1675 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1676 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1677 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1678 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1679 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1680 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1681 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1682 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1683 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1684 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1685 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1686 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1687 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1688 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1689 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1693 @node Group Buffer Format
1694 @section Group Buffer Format
1697 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1698 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1699 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1703 @node Group Line Specification
1704 @subsection Group Line Specification
1705 @cindex group buffer format
1707 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1708 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1710 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1713 25: news.announce.newusers
1714 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1719 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1720 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1721 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1722 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1724 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1725 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1726 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1727 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1728 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1729 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1731 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1733 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1734 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1735 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1736 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1737 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1739 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1740 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1741 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1743 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1748 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1751 Whether the group is subscribed.
1754 Level of subscribedness.
1757 Number of unread articles.
1760 Number of dormant articles.
1763 Number of ticked articles.
1766 Number of read articles.
1769 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1770 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1772 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1773 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1774 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1775 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1776 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1777 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1778 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1779 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1782 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1785 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1794 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1795 comment element in the group parameters.
1798 Newsgroup description.
1801 @samp{m} if moderated.
1804 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1813 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1817 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1820 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1821 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1822 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1823 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1824 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1827 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1829 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1833 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1836 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1840 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1841 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1842 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1843 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1844 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1845 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1850 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1851 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1852 group, or a bogus native group.
1855 @node Group Modeline Specification
1856 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1857 @cindex group modeline
1859 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1860 The mode line can be changed by setting
1861 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1862 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1866 The native news server.
1868 The native select method.
1872 @node Group Highlighting
1873 @subsection Group Highlighting
1874 @cindex highlighting
1875 @cindex group highlighting
1877 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1878 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1879 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1880 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1881 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1883 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1887 (cond (window-system
1888 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1889 (defface my-group-face-1
1890 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1891 (defface my-group-face-2
1892 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1893 (defface my-group-face-3
1894 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1895 (defface my-group-face-4
1896 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1897 (defface my-group-face-5
1898 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1900 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1901 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1902 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1903 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1904 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1905 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1908 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1910 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1917 The number of unread articles in the group.
1921 Whether the group is a mail group.
1923 The level of the group.
1925 The score of the group.
1927 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1929 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1930 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1932 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1933 topic being inserted.
1936 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1937 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1938 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1940 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1941 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1942 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1943 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1944 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1947 @node Group Maneuvering
1948 @section Group Maneuvering
1949 @cindex group movement
1951 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1952 expected, hopefully.
1958 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1959 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1960 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1966 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1967 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1968 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1972 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1973 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1977 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1978 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1982 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1983 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1984 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1988 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1989 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1990 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1993 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1999 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2000 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2001 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2006 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2007 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2008 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2012 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2013 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2014 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2017 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2018 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2019 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2020 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2024 @node Selecting a Group
2025 @section Selecting a Group
2026 @cindex group selection
2031 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2032 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2033 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2034 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2035 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2036 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2037 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2038 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2039 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2040 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2042 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2043 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2044 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2046 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2047 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2052 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2053 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2054 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2055 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2056 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2060 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2061 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2062 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2063 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2064 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2065 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2066 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2067 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2068 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2069 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2072 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2073 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2074 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2075 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2076 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2079 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2080 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2081 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2082 doing any processing of its contents
2083 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2084 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2085 manner will have no permanent effects.
2089 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2090 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2091 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2092 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2093 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2094 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2095 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2096 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2099 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2100 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2101 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2102 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2103 Which article this is is controlled by the
2104 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2110 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2113 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2116 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2118 @item unseen-or-unread
2119 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2120 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2124 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2128 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2129 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2131 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2132 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2133 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2134 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2138 @node Subscription Commands
2139 @section Subscription Commands
2140 @cindex subscription
2148 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2149 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2150 Toggle subscription to the current group
2151 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2157 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2158 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2159 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2160 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2166 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2167 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2168 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2174 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2175 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2178 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2179 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2180 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2181 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2182 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2188 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2189 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2193 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2194 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2197 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2198 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2199 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2200 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2201 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2202 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2203 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2204 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2205 @file{.newsrc} file.
2209 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2219 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2220 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2221 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2222 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2223 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2224 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2229 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2230 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2231 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2235 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2236 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2237 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2239 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2240 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2241 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2242 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2243 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2244 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2251 @section Group Levels
2255 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2256 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2257 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2258 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2259 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2261 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2267 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2268 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2269 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2270 prompted for a level.
2273 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2274 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2275 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2276 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2277 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2278 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2279 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2280 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2281 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2282 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2283 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2284 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2285 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2286 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2287 reasons of efficiency.
2289 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2290 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2292 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2293 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2294 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2295 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2296 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2297 groups are hidden, in a way.
2299 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2300 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2301 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2302 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2303 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2304 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2306 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2307 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2308 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2309 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2310 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2311 list of killed groups.)
2313 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2314 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2315 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2317 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2318 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2319 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2320 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2321 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2322 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2323 relevant valid ranges.
2325 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2326 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2327 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2328 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2329 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2330 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2333 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2334 one with the best level.
2336 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2337 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2338 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2341 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2342 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2343 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2344 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2347 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2348 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2349 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2350 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2352 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2353 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2354 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2355 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2356 to 5. The default is 6.
2360 @section Group Score
2365 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2366 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2367 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2370 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2371 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2372 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2373 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2374 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2375 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2376 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2377 least significant part.))
2379 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2380 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2381 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2382 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2383 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2384 action after each summary exit, you can add
2385 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2386 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2387 slow things down somewhat.
2390 @node Marking Groups
2391 @section Marking Groups
2392 @cindex marking groups
2394 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2395 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2396 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2397 bidding on those groups.
2399 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2400 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2401 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2409 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2410 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2416 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2417 Remove the mark from the current group
2418 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2422 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2423 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2427 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2428 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2432 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2433 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2437 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2438 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2439 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2442 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2444 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2445 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2446 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2447 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2448 the command to be executed.
2451 @node Foreign Groups
2452 @section Foreign Groups
2453 @cindex foreign groups
2455 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2456 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2457 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2458 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2465 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2466 @cindex making groups
2467 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2468 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2469 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2473 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2474 @cindex renaming groups
2475 Rename the current group to something else
2476 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2477 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2483 @findex gnus-group-customize
2484 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2488 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2489 @cindex renaming groups
2490 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2491 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2495 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2496 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2497 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2501 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2502 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2503 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2507 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2509 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2510 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2515 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2516 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2520 @cindex (ding) archive
2521 @cindex archive group
2522 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2523 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2524 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2525 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2526 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2527 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2528 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2532 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2534 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2535 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2536 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2537 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2541 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2543 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2544 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2545 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2549 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2550 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2552 Make a group based on some file or other
2553 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2554 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2555 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2556 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2557 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2558 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2559 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2560 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2561 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2565 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2566 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2567 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2568 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2572 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2576 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2577 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2578 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2579 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2580 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2581 @xref{Web Searches}.
2583 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2584 to a particular group by using a match string like
2585 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2588 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2589 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2590 This function will delete the current group
2591 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2592 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2593 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2594 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2595 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2599 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2600 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2601 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2605 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2606 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2607 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2610 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2613 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2614 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2615 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2616 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2617 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2618 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2622 @node Group Parameters
2623 @section Group Parameters
2624 @cindex group parameters
2626 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2627 Here's an example group parameter list:
2630 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2634 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2635 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2636 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2637 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2639 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2640 is an alist of regexps and values.
2642 The following group parameters can be used:
2647 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2650 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2653 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2654 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2655 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2656 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2657 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2659 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2660 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2661 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2662 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2663 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2664 list address instead.
2666 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2670 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2673 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2676 It is totally ignored
2677 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2678 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2680 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2681 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2682 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2683 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2684 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2686 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2687 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2688 sending the message.
2690 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2691 @cindex Mail List Groups
2692 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2693 entering summary buffer.
2695 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2700 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2701 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2702 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2703 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2704 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2705 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2707 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2708 directly uses this group parameter.
2712 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2713 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2714 of whether it has any unread articles.
2716 @item broken-reply-to
2717 @cindex broken-reply-to
2718 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2719 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2720 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2721 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2722 broken behavior. So there!
2726 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2727 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2731 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2732 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2733 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2738 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2739 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2740 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2741 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2742 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2743 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2744 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2745 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2746 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept artciles.
2750 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2751 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2752 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2754 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2757 @cindex total-expire
2758 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2759 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2760 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2761 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2764 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2768 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2769 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2770 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2771 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2772 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2773 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2776 @cindex score file group parameter
2777 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2778 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2779 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2782 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2783 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2784 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2785 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2788 @cindex admin-address
2789 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2790 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2791 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2792 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2796 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2797 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2801 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2804 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2805 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2808 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2812 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2814 Here are some examples:
2818 Display only unread articles.
2821 Display everything except expirable articles.
2823 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2824 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2828 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2829 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2830 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2831 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2832 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2836 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2837 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2838 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2842 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2843 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2844 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2848 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2849 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2850 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2852 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2854 @item ignored-charsets
2855 @cindex ignored-charset
2856 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2857 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2858 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2860 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2863 @cindex posting-style
2864 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2865 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2866 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2867 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2868 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2870 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2871 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2872 like this in the group parameters:
2877 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2882 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2883 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2887 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2888 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2889 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2890 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2891 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2895 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2896 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2897 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2898 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2900 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2901 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2902 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2903 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2906 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2907 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2911 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2914 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2915 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2916 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2917 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2918 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2919 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2920 @code{eval}ed there.
2922 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2923 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2924 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2925 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2926 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2927 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2928 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2929 parameters for the group.
2932 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2933 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2934 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2935 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2936 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2940 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2941 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2942 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2943 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2944 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2946 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2947 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2951 (setq gnus-parameters
2953 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2954 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2955 (gnus-summary-line-format
2956 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2960 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2964 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2968 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2971 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2972 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2975 @node Listing Groups
2976 @section Listing Groups
2977 @cindex group listing
2979 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2987 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2988 List all groups that have unread articles
2989 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2990 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2991 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2992 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2999 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3000 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3001 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3002 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3003 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3004 unsubscribed groups).
3008 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3009 List all unread groups on a specific level
3010 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3011 with no unread articles.
3015 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3016 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3017 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3018 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3023 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3024 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3028 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3029 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3030 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3034 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3035 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3039 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3040 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3041 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3042 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3043 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3044 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3045 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3046 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3050 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3051 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3052 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3056 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3057 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3058 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3062 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3063 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3067 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3068 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3072 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3073 List groups limited within the current selection
3074 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3078 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3079 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3083 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3084 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3088 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3089 @cindex visible group parameter
3090 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3091 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3092 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3093 get the same effect.
3095 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3096 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3097 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3098 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3099 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3102 @node Sorting Groups
3103 @section Sorting Groups
3104 @cindex sorting groups
3106 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3107 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3108 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3109 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3110 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3111 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3116 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3117 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3118 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3120 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3121 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3122 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3124 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3125 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3126 Sort by group level.
3128 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3129 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3130 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3132 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3133 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3134 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3135 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3137 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3138 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3139 Sort by number of unread articles.
3141 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3142 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3143 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3145 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3146 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3147 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3152 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3153 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3157 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3158 some sorting criteria:
3162 @kindex G S a (Group)
3163 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3164 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3165 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3168 @kindex G S u (Group)
3169 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3170 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3171 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3174 @kindex G S l (Group)
3175 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3176 Sort the group buffer by group level
3177 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3180 @kindex G S v (Group)
3181 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3182 Sort the group buffer by group score
3183 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3186 @kindex G S r (Group)
3187 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3188 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3189 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3192 @kindex G S m (Group)
3193 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3194 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3195 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3199 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3200 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3202 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3203 commands will sort in reverse order.
3205 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3209 @kindex G P a (Group)
3210 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3211 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3212 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3215 @kindex G P u (Group)
3216 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3217 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3218 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3221 @kindex G P l (Group)
3222 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3223 Sort the groups by group level
3224 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3227 @kindex G P v (Group)
3228 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3229 Sort the groups by group score
3230 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3233 @kindex G P r (Group)
3234 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3235 Sort the groups by group rank
3236 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3239 @kindex G P m (Group)
3240 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3241 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3242 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3245 @kindex G P s (Group)
3246 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3247 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3251 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3255 @node Group Maintenance
3256 @section Group Maintenance
3257 @cindex bogus groups
3262 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3263 Find bogus groups and delete them
3264 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3268 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3269 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3270 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3271 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3272 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3276 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3277 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3278 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3279 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3280 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3281 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3284 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3285 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3286 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3287 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3292 @node Browse Foreign Server
3293 @section Browse Foreign Server
3294 @cindex foreign servers
3295 @cindex browsing servers
3300 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3301 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3302 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3303 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3306 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3307 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3308 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3309 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3311 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3316 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3317 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3321 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3322 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3325 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3326 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3327 Enter the current group and display the first article
3328 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3331 @kindex RET (Browse)
3332 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3333 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3337 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3338 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3339 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3345 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3346 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3350 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3351 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3355 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3356 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3357 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3362 @section Exiting Gnus
3363 @cindex exiting Gnus
3365 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3370 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3371 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3372 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3373 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3377 @findex gnus-group-exit
3378 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3379 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3383 @findex gnus-group-quit
3384 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3385 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3388 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3389 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3390 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3391 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3392 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3397 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3398 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3399 trying to customize meta-variables.
3404 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3405 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3406 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3412 @section Group Topics
3415 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3416 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3417 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3418 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3419 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3420 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3424 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3425 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3436 2: alt.religion.emacs
3439 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3441 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3442 13: comp.sources.unix
3445 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3447 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3448 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3449 is a toggling command.)
3451 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3452 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3453 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3454 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3457 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3458 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3459 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3462 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3466 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3467 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3468 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3469 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3470 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3474 @node Topic Commands
3475 @subsection Topic Commands
3476 @cindex topic commands
3478 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3479 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3480 definitions slightly.
3482 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3483 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3484 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3485 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3486 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3487 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3489 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3496 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3497 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3498 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3502 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3504 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3505 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3506 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3507 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3510 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3511 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3512 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3513 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3517 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3518 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3519 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3520 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3526 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3527 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3528 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3532 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3533 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3534 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3537 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3538 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3539 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3540 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3541 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3543 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3544 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3548 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3549 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3556 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3558 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3559 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3560 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3561 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3562 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3563 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3567 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3573 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3574 Move the current group to some other topic
3575 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3576 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3580 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3581 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3585 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3586 Copy the current group to some other topic
3587 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3588 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3592 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3593 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3594 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3598 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3599 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3600 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3604 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3605 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3606 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3607 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3608 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3609 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3610 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3613 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3614 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3618 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3619 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3620 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3624 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3625 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3626 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3630 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3631 Toggle hiding empty topics
3632 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3636 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3637 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3638 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3641 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3642 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3643 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3644 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3647 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3648 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3649 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3650 expiry process (if any)
3651 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3655 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3656 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3659 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3660 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3661 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3665 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3666 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3667 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3670 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3671 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3672 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3675 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3676 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3677 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3681 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3682 @cindex group parameters
3683 @cindex topic parameters
3685 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3686 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3691 @node Topic Variables
3692 @subsection Topic Variables
3693 @cindex topic variables
3695 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3696 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3698 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3699 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3700 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3713 Number of groups in the topic.
3715 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3717 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3720 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3721 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3722 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3725 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3726 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3728 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3729 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3730 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3734 @subsection Topic Sorting
3735 @cindex topic sorting
3737 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3743 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3744 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3745 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3746 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3749 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3750 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3751 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3752 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3755 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3756 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3757 Sort the current topic by group level
3758 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3761 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3762 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3763 Sort the current topic by group score
3764 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3767 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3768 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3769 Sort the current topic by group rank
3770 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3773 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3774 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3775 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3776 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3779 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3780 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3781 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3782 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3786 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3787 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3788 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3789 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3793 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3794 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3798 @node Topic Topology
3799 @subsection Topic Topology
3800 @cindex topic topology
3803 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3809 2: alt.religion.emacs
3812 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3814 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3815 13: comp.sources.unix
3818 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3819 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3820 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3825 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3826 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3830 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3831 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3832 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3833 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3834 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3835 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3837 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3838 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3839 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3842 @node Topic Parameters
3843 @subsection Topic Parameters
3844 @cindex topic parameters
3846 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3847 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3848 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3850 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3855 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3856 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3857 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3860 @item subscribe-level
3861 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3862 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3863 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3867 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3868 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3869 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3870 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3876 2: alt.religion.emacs
3880 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3882 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3883 13: comp.sources.unix
3887 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3888 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3889 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3890 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3891 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3892 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3894 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3895 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3896 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3897 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3898 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3900 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3901 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3902 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3903 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3904 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3905 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3906 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3907 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3910 @node Misc Group Stuff
3911 @section Misc Group Stuff
3914 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3915 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3916 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3917 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3918 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3925 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3926 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3927 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3931 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3932 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3933 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3934 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3935 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3936 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3937 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3941 @findex gnus-group-mail
3942 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3943 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3944 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3945 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3949 @findex gnus-group-news
3950 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3951 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3952 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3954 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3955 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3956 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3957 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3958 for this to work though.
3962 Variables for the group buffer:
3966 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3967 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3968 is called after the group buffer has been
3971 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3972 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3973 is called after the group buffer is
3974 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3977 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3978 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3979 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3980 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3982 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3983 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3984 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3985 whether they are empty or not.
3987 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3988 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3989 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3990 non-ASCII group names.
3994 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3995 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3998 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3999 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4000 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4001 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4002 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4003 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
4007 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4008 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4013 @node Scanning New Messages
4014 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4015 @cindex new messages
4016 @cindex scanning new news
4022 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4023 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4024 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4025 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4026 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4027 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4032 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4033 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4034 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4035 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4036 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4037 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4038 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4040 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4041 @cindex activating groups
4043 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4044 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4049 @findex gnus-group-restart
4050 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4051 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4052 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4056 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4057 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4059 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4060 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4064 @node Group Information
4065 @subsection Group Information
4066 @cindex group information
4067 @cindex information on groups
4074 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4075 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4078 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4079 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4080 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4081 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4082 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4083 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4084 for fetching the file.
4086 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4087 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4091 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4092 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4094 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4095 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Gnus will use
4096 @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of the charter.
4097 If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control messages for the
4098 group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4102 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4103 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4104 @cindex control message
4105 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4106 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}).
4108 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-nil, Gnus
4109 will open the control messages in a browser using @code{browse-url}.
4110 Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp} and displayed in an
4113 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4114 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4115 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4119 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4121 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4122 @cindex describing groups
4123 @cindex group description
4124 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4125 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4126 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4130 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4131 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4132 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4139 @findex gnus-version
4140 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4144 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4145 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4148 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4151 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4152 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4156 @node Group Timestamp
4157 @subsection Group Timestamp
4159 @cindex group timestamps
4161 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4162 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4163 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4166 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4169 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4171 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4172 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4175 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4176 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4179 This will result in lines looking like:
4182 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4183 0: custom 19961002T012713
4186 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4187 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4191 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4192 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4195 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4196 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4200 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4201 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4202 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4203 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4205 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4211 @subsection File Commands
4212 @cindex file commands
4218 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4219 @vindex gnus-init-file
4220 @cindex reading init file
4221 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4222 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4226 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4227 @cindex saving .newsrc
4228 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4229 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4230 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4233 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4234 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4235 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4240 @node Sieve Commands
4241 @subsection Sieve Commands
4242 @cindex group sieve commands
4244 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4245 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4246 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4247 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4248 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4250 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4251 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4252 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4253 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4254 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4255 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4256 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4257 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4258 regenerate the Sieve script.
4260 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4261 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4262 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4263 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4264 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4265 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4266 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4267 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4268 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4269 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4272 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4273 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4278 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4284 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4285 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4286 @cindex generating sieve script
4287 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4288 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4292 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4293 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4294 @cindex updating sieve script
4295 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4296 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4297 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4302 @node Summary Buffer
4303 @chapter Summary Buffer
4304 @cindex summary buffer
4306 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4307 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4309 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4310 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4312 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4315 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4316 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4317 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4318 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4319 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4320 * Delayed Articles::
4321 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4322 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4323 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4324 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4325 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4326 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4327 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4328 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4329 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4330 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4331 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4332 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4333 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4334 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4335 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4336 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4337 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4338 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4339 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4340 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4341 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4342 or reselecting the current group.
4343 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4344 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4345 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4346 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4350 @node Summary Buffer Format
4351 @section Summary Buffer Format
4352 @cindex summary buffer format
4356 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4357 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4358 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4364 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4365 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4366 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4367 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4370 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4371 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4372 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4373 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4374 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4375 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4376 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4377 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4378 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4379 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4380 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4383 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4384 'mail-extract-address-components)
4387 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4388 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4389 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4390 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4393 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4394 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4396 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4397 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4398 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4399 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4400 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4402 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4403 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4404 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4405 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4406 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4407 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4409 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4411 The following format specification characters and extended format
4412 specification(s) are understood:
4418 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4419 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4421 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4422 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4423 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4425 Full @code{From} header.
4427 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4429 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4432 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4433 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4434 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4435 may be more thorough.
4437 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4440 Number of lines in the article.
4442 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4443 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4445 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4446 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4448 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4450 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4453 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4454 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4456 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4457 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4459 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4460 for adopted articles.
4462 One space for each thread level.
4464 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4466 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4469 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4470 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4471 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4474 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4476 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4477 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4478 default level. If the difference between
4479 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4480 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4488 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4490 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4496 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4497 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4499 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4500 article has any children.
4506 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4507 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4509 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4510 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4511 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4512 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4513 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4514 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4517 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4518 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4519 There can only be one such area.
4521 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4522 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4523 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4524 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4525 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4526 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4528 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4529 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4531 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4534 @node To From Newsgroups
4535 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4539 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4540 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4541 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4542 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4543 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4547 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4548 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4549 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4553 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4554 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4557 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4558 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4561 @findex gnus-extra-header
4562 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4563 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4564 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4567 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4571 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4572 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4573 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4574 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4575 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4576 headers are used instead.
4580 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4581 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4582 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4583 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4584 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4585 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4587 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4588 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4589 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4590 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4592 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4596 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4598 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4599 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4600 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4601 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4605 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4608 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4609 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4612 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4613 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4614 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4620 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4621 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4624 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4625 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4627 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4628 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4629 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4630 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4632 Here are the elements you can play with:
4638 Unprefixed group name.
4640 Current article number.
4642 Current article score.
4646 Number of unread articles in this group.
4648 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4651 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4652 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4653 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4654 and no unselected ones.
4656 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4657 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4659 Subject of the current article.
4661 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4663 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4665 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4667 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4669 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4671 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4675 @node Summary Highlighting
4676 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4680 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4681 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4682 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4683 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4684 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4686 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4687 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4688 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4689 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4691 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4692 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4693 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4694 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4696 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4697 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4698 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4699 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4700 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4701 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4704 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4705 ((> score default) . bold))
4707 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4708 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4712 @node Summary Maneuvering
4713 @section Summary Maneuvering
4714 @cindex summary movement
4716 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4717 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4719 None of these commands select articles.
4724 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4725 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4726 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4727 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4728 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4732 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4733 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4734 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4735 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4736 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4739 @kindex G g (Summary)
4740 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4741 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4742 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4745 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4746 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4747 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4748 to the group buffer.
4750 Variables related to summary movement:
4754 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4755 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4756 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4757 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4758 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4759 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4760 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4761 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4762 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4763 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4764 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4765 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4766 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4767 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4769 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4770 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4771 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4772 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4773 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4774 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4775 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4777 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4779 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4780 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4781 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4782 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4783 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4785 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4786 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4787 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4788 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4789 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4790 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4791 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4792 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4795 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4796 the given number of lines from the top.
4801 @node Choosing Articles
4802 @section Choosing Articles
4803 @cindex selecting articles
4806 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4807 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4811 @node Choosing Commands
4812 @subsection Choosing Commands
4814 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4815 and they all select and display an article.
4817 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4818 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4822 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4823 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4824 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4825 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4830 @kindex G n (Summary)
4831 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4832 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4833 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4838 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4839 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4840 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4845 @kindex G N (Summary)
4846 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4847 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4852 @kindex G P (Summary)
4853 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4854 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4857 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4858 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4859 Go to the next article with the same subject
4860 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4863 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4864 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4865 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4866 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4870 @kindex G f (Summary)
4872 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4873 Go to the first unread article
4874 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4878 @kindex G b (Summary)
4880 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4881 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4882 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4883 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4888 @kindex G l (Summary)
4889 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4890 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4893 @kindex G o (Summary)
4894 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4896 @cindex article history
4897 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4898 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4899 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4900 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4901 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4902 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4907 @kindex G j (Summary)
4908 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4909 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4910 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4915 @node Choosing Variables
4916 @subsection Choosing Variables
4918 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4921 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4922 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4923 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4924 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4925 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4926 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4928 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4929 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4930 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4931 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4933 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4934 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4935 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4936 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4937 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4938 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4939 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4940 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4941 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4942 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4943 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4944 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4945 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4946 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4951 @node Paging the Article
4952 @section Scrolling the Article
4953 @cindex article scrolling
4958 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4959 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4960 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4961 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4962 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4965 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4966 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4967 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4970 @kindex RET (Summary)
4971 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4972 Scroll the current article one line forward
4973 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4976 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4977 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4978 Scroll the current article one line backward
4979 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4983 @kindex A g (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4986 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4987 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4988 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4989 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4990 the way it came from the server.
4992 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4993 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4994 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4997 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5002 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5007 @kindex A < (Summary)
5008 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5009 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5010 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5015 @kindex A > (Summary)
5016 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5017 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5021 @kindex A s (Summary)
5023 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5024 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5025 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5029 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5030 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5035 @node Reply Followup and Post
5036 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5039 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5040 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5041 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5042 * Canceling and Superseding::
5046 @node Summary Mail Commands
5047 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5049 @cindex composing mail
5051 Commands for composing a mail message:
5057 @kindex S r (Summary)
5059 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5060 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5061 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5062 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5063 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5068 @kindex S R (Summary)
5069 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5070 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5071 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5072 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5073 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5076 @kindex S w (Summary)
5077 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5078 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5079 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5080 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5081 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5084 @kindex S W (Summary)
5085 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5086 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5087 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5088 the process/prefix convention.
5091 @kindex S v (Summary)
5092 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5093 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5094 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5095 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5096 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5097 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5100 @kindex S V (Summary)
5101 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5102 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5103 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5104 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5107 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5108 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5109 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5110 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5113 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5114 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5115 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5116 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5117 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5121 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5122 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5123 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5124 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5125 Forward the current article to some other person
5126 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5127 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5128 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5129 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5130 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5131 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5132 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5133 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5134 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5140 @kindex S m (Summary)
5141 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5142 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5143 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5144 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5145 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5150 @kindex S i (Summary)
5151 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5152 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5153 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5154 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5156 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5157 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5158 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5159 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5160 for this to work though.
5163 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5164 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5165 @cindex bouncing mail
5166 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5167 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5168 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5169 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5170 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5171 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5172 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5173 very well fail, though.
5176 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5177 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5178 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5179 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5180 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5181 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5182 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5183 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5184 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5185 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5187 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5188 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5189 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5190 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5191 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5193 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5194 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5197 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5198 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5199 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5200 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5201 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5204 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5205 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5206 @cindex crossposting
5207 @cindex excessive crossposting
5208 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5209 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5211 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5212 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5213 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5214 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5215 command understands the process/prefix convention
5216 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5220 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5221 Manual}, for more information.
5224 @node Summary Post Commands
5225 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5227 @cindex composing news
5229 Commands for posting a news article:
5235 @kindex S p (Summary)
5236 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5237 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5238 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5239 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5240 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5245 @kindex S f (Summary)
5246 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5247 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5248 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5252 @kindex S F (Summary)
5254 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5255 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5256 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5257 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5258 process/prefix convention.
5261 @kindex S n (Summary)
5262 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5263 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5264 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5267 @kindex S N (Summary)
5268 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5269 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5270 message through mail and include the original message
5271 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5272 the process/prefix convention.
5275 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5276 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5277 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5278 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5279 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5280 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5281 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5282 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5283 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5284 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5285 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5286 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5287 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5290 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5291 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5293 @cindex making digests
5294 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5295 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5296 process/prefix convention.
5299 @kindex S u (Summary)
5300 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5301 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5302 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5303 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5306 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5307 Manual}, for more information.
5310 @node Summary Message Commands
5311 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5315 @kindex S y (Summary)
5316 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5317 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5318 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5319 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5320 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5325 @node Canceling and Superseding
5326 @subsection Canceling Articles
5327 @cindex canceling articles
5328 @cindex superseding articles
5330 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5331 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5333 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5335 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5337 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5338 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5339 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5340 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5341 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5342 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5344 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5345 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5348 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5349 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5350 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5352 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5353 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5354 your original article.
5356 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5358 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5359 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5360 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5363 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5364 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5365 have posted almost the same article twice.
5367 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5368 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5369 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5370 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5371 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5372 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5373 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5374 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5375 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5376 canceled/superseded.
5378 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5380 @node Delayed Articles
5381 @section Delayed Articles
5382 @cindex delayed sending
5383 @cindex send delayed
5385 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5386 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5387 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5388 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5391 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5394 @findex gnus-delay-article
5395 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5396 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5397 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5398 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5402 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5403 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5404 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5405 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5408 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5409 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5410 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5413 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5414 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5415 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5416 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5417 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5418 that means a time tomorrow.
5421 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5422 couple of variables:
5425 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5426 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5427 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5428 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5430 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5431 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5432 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5433 formats described above.
5435 @item gnus-delay-group
5436 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5437 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5438 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5439 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5441 @item gnus-delay-header
5442 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5443 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5444 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5445 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5448 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5449 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5450 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5451 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5452 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5454 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5455 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5456 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5457 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5458 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5459 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5462 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5463 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5464 By default, this function installs the @kbd{C-c C-j} key binding in
5465 Message mode and @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5466 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts two optional arguments,
5467 @code{no-keymap} and @code{no-check}. If @code{no-keymap} is non-nil,
5468 the @kbd{C-c C-j} binding is not intalled. If @code{no-check} is
5469 non-nil, @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed.
5471 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to change the
5472 keymap but not to change @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. Presumably, you
5473 want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles. Just don't
5474 forget to set that up :-)
5478 @node Marking Articles
5479 @section Marking Articles
5480 @cindex article marking
5481 @cindex article ticking
5484 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5486 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5487 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5488 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5490 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5493 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5494 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5495 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5499 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5503 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5504 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5505 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5509 @node Unread Articles
5510 @subsection Unread Articles
5512 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5517 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5518 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5520 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5521 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5522 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5523 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5524 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5525 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5526 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5529 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5530 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5532 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5533 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5534 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5535 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5539 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5540 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5542 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5547 @subsection Read Articles
5548 @cindex expirable mark
5550 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5555 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5556 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5557 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5560 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5561 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5564 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5565 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5566 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5569 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5570 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5573 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5574 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5577 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5578 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5581 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5582 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5585 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5586 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5589 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5590 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5593 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5594 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5598 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5599 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5600 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5604 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5605 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5607 One more special mark, though:
5611 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5612 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5614 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5615 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5616 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5617 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5623 @subsection Other Marks
5624 @cindex process mark
5627 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5633 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5634 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5635 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5636 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5637 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5640 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5641 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5642 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5643 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5646 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5647 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5648 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5651 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5652 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5653 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5656 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5657 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5658 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5659 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5662 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5663 Articles that according to the back end haven't been seen by the user
5664 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5665 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all back ends support this
5666 mark, in which case it simply never appears.
5669 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5670 Articles that haven't been seen by the user before are marked with a
5671 @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5674 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5675 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5676 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5677 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5678 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5681 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5682 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5683 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5684 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5685 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5686 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5690 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5691 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5692 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5694 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5695 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5696 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5700 @subsection Setting Marks
5701 @cindex setting marks
5703 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5708 @kindex M c (Summary)
5709 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5710 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5711 @cindex mark as unread
5712 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5713 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5719 @kindex M t (Summary)
5720 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5721 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5722 @xref{Article Caching}.
5727 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5728 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5729 Mark the current article as dormant
5730 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5734 @kindex M d (Summary)
5736 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5737 Mark the current article as read
5738 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5742 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5743 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5744 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5749 @kindex M k (Summary)
5750 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5751 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5752 and then select the next unread article
5753 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5757 @kindex M K (Summary)
5758 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5759 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5760 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5761 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5764 @kindex M C (Summary)
5765 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5766 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5767 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5770 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5771 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5772 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5773 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5776 @kindex M H (Summary)
5777 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5778 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5779 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5782 @kindex M h (Summary)
5783 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5784 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5785 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5788 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5789 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5790 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5791 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5794 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5795 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5796 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5797 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5801 @kindex M e (Summary)
5803 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5804 Mark the current article as expirable
5805 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5808 @kindex M b (Summary)
5809 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5810 Set a bookmark in the current article
5811 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5814 @kindex M B (Summary)
5815 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5816 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5817 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5820 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5821 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5822 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5823 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5826 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5827 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5828 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5829 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5832 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5833 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5834 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5835 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5836 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5839 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5840 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5841 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5842 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5843 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5844 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5845 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5846 The default is @code{t}.
5849 @node Generic Marking Commands
5850 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5852 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5853 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5854 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5855 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5856 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5859 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5860 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5863 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5864 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5865 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5866 to list in this manual.
5868 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5869 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5870 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5871 article, you could say something like:
5874 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5875 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5876 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5882 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5883 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5887 @node Setting Process Marks
5888 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5889 @cindex setting process marks
5896 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5897 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5898 Mark the current article with the process mark
5899 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5900 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5904 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5905 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5906 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5907 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5910 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5911 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5912 Remove the process mark from all articles
5913 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5916 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5917 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5918 Invert the list of process marked articles
5919 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5922 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5923 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5924 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5925 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5928 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5929 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5930 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5931 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5934 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5935 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5936 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5940 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
5941 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
5944 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5945 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5946 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5947 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5950 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5951 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5952 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5953 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5956 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5957 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5958 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5959 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5962 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5963 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5964 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5967 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5968 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5969 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5970 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5973 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5974 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5975 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5978 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5979 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5980 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5981 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5984 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5985 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5986 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5987 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5990 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5991 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5992 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5993 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5996 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5997 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5998 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5999 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6003 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6004 set process marks based on article body contents.
6011 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6012 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6013 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6016 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6017 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6018 additional articles.
6024 @kindex / / (Summary)
6025 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6026 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6027 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6031 @kindex / a (Summary)
6032 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6033 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6034 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6038 @kindex / x (Summary)
6039 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6040 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6041 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6042 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6047 @kindex / u (Summary)
6049 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6050 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6051 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6052 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6053 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6056 @kindex / m (Summary)
6057 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6058 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6059 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6062 @kindex / t (Summary)
6063 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6064 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6065 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6066 articles younger than that number of days.
6069 @kindex / n (Summary)
6070 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6071 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6072 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6073 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6076 @kindex / w (Summary)
6077 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6078 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6079 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6083 @kindex / . (Summary)
6084 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6085 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6086 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6089 @kindex / v (Summary)
6090 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6091 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6092 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6095 @kindex / p (Summary)
6096 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6097 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6098 group parameter predicate
6099 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6100 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6104 @kindex M S (Summary)
6105 @kindex / E (Summary)
6106 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6107 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6108 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6111 @kindex / D (Summary)
6112 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6113 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6114 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6117 @kindex / * (Summary)
6118 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6119 Include all cached articles in the limit
6120 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6123 @kindex / d (Summary)
6124 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6125 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6126 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6129 @kindex / M (Summary)
6130 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6131 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6134 @kindex / T (Summary)
6135 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6136 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6139 @kindex / c (Summary)
6140 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6141 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6142 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6145 @kindex / C (Summary)
6146 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6147 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6148 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6149 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6152 @kindex / N (Summary)
6153 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6154 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6155 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6158 @kindex / o (Summary)
6159 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6160 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6161 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6169 @cindex article threading
6171 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6172 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6173 hierarchical fashion.
6175 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6176 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6177 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6178 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6179 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6180 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6181 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6183 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6187 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6190 A tree-like article structure.
6193 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6196 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6197 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6198 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6199 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6200 called loose threads.
6202 @item thread gathering
6203 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6205 @item sparse threads
6206 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6207 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6213 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6214 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6218 @node Customizing Threading
6219 @subsection Customizing Threading
6220 @cindex customizing threading
6223 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6224 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6225 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6226 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6231 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6234 @cindex loose threads
6237 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6238 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6239 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6240 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6241 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6242 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6244 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6245 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6246 There are four possible values:
6250 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6251 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6252 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6253 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6254 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6259 @cindex adopting articles
6264 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6265 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6266 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6267 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6270 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6271 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6272 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6273 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6274 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6275 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6276 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6279 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6280 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6281 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6285 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6286 display them after one another.
6289 Don't gather loose threads.
6292 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6293 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6294 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6295 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6296 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6297 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6298 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6299 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6300 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6301 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6302 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6304 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6305 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6306 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6309 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6310 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6311 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6312 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6313 simplification is used.
6315 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6316 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6317 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6318 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6320 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6322 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6328 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6329 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6330 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6331 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6336 (mapconcat 'identity
6337 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6339 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6342 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6345 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6346 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6347 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6348 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6349 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6350 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6352 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6355 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6356 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6357 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6359 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6360 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6363 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6364 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6365 Remove excessive whitespace.
6367 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6368 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6369 Remove all whitespace.
6372 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6375 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6376 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6377 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6378 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6379 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6380 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6381 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6382 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6384 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6385 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6386 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6387 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6388 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6389 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6390 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6391 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6392 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6396 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6397 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6398 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6399 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6401 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6402 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6403 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6406 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6410 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6411 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6417 @node Filling In Threads
6418 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6421 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6422 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6423 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6424 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6425 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6426 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6427 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6428 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6429 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6430 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6431 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6432 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6435 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6436 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6437 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6439 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6440 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6441 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6442 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6443 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6444 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6445 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6446 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6447 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6448 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6449 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6450 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6451 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6452 @code{nil} by default.
6454 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6455 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6456 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6457 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6458 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6459 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6460 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6462 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6463 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6464 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6469 @node More Threading
6470 @subsubsection More Threading
6473 @item gnus-show-threads
6474 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6475 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6476 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6477 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6478 slower and more awkward.
6480 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6481 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6482 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6485 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6486 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6487 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6492 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6493 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6494 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6497 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6498 unread, but you get my drift.)
6501 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6502 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6503 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6504 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6505 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6506 threads are expunged.
6508 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6509 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6510 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6513 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6514 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6515 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6516 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6517 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6518 result in a new thread.
6520 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6521 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6522 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6525 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6526 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6527 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6528 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6529 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6530 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6531 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6532 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6533 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6534 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6535 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6540 @node Low-Level Threading
6541 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6545 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6546 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6547 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6549 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6550 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6551 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6552 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6553 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6554 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6555 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6556 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6557 meaningful. Here's one example:
6560 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6562 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6563 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6565 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6567 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6574 @node Thread Commands
6575 @subsection Thread Commands
6576 @cindex thread commands
6582 @kindex T k (Summary)
6583 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6584 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6585 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6586 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6587 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6592 @kindex T l (Summary)
6593 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6594 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6595 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6596 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6599 @kindex T i (Summary)
6600 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6601 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6602 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6605 @kindex T # (Summary)
6606 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6607 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6608 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6611 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6612 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6613 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6614 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6617 @kindex T T (Summary)
6618 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6619 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6622 @kindex T s (Summary)
6623 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6624 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6625 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6628 @kindex T h (Summary)
6629 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6630 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6633 @kindex T S (Summary)
6634 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6635 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6638 @kindex T H (Summary)
6639 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6640 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6643 @kindex T t (Summary)
6644 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6645 Re-thread the current article's thread
6646 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6647 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6650 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6651 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6652 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6653 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6657 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6658 understand the numeric prefix.
6663 @kindex T n (Summary)
6665 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6667 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6668 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6669 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6672 @kindex T p (Summary)
6674 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6676 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6677 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6678 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6681 @kindex T d (Summary)
6682 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6683 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6686 @kindex T u (Summary)
6687 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6688 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6691 @kindex T o (Summary)
6692 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6693 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6696 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6697 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6698 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6699 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6700 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6701 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6702 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6703 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6704 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6705 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6706 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6707 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6711 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6712 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6714 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6715 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6716 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6717 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6718 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6719 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6720 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6721 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6722 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6723 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6724 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6725 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6726 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6728 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6729 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6730 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6731 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6732 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6733 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6734 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6735 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6737 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6738 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6739 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6741 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6742 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6743 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6744 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6745 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6746 ascending article order.
6748 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6749 by number, you could do something like:
6752 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6753 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6754 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6755 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6758 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6759 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6760 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6761 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6762 which the articles arrived.
6764 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6768 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6770 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6771 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6774 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6775 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6776 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6777 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6780 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6781 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6782 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6783 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6784 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6785 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6786 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6787 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6788 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6789 variable. It is very similar to the
6790 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6791 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6792 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6793 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6794 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6795 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6796 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6798 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6802 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6803 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6804 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6809 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6810 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6811 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6812 @cindex article pre-fetch
6815 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6816 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6817 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6818 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6819 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6821 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6822 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6824 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6825 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6826 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6827 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6828 connection is blocked.
6830 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6831 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6832 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6833 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6835 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6836 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6837 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6838 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6841 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6844 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6845 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6846 happen automatically.
6848 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6849 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6850 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6851 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6852 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6853 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6854 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6856 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6857 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6858 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6859 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6860 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6861 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6862 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6863 data structure as the only parameter.
6865 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6868 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6869 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6870 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6871 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6874 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6877 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6878 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6879 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6881 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6882 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6883 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6884 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6888 Remove articles when they are read.
6891 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6894 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6896 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6897 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6898 @c from the next group.
6901 @node Article Caching
6902 @section Article Caching
6903 @cindex article caching
6906 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6907 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6908 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6909 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6910 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6912 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6914 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6915 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6916 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6917 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6918 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6919 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6920 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6921 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6923 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6924 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6925 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6926 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6927 as dormant, and don't worry.
6929 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6931 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6932 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6933 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6934 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6935 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6936 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6937 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6938 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6939 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6940 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6942 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6943 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6944 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6945 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6946 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6947 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6948 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6949 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6950 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6951 not then be downloaded by this command.
6953 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6954 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6955 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6956 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6957 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6958 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6960 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6961 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6962 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6963 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6964 variables, the group is not cached.
6966 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6967 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6968 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6969 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6970 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6971 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6972 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6973 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6974 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6977 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
6978 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
6979 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
6980 where, isn't that cool?
6982 @node Persistent Articles
6983 @section Persistent Articles
6984 @cindex persistent articles
6986 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6987 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6988 useful in my opinion.
6990 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6991 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6992 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6993 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6994 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6995 the expiry going on at the news server.
6997 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6998 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6999 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7005 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7006 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7009 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7010 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7011 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7012 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7016 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7018 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7019 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7020 interested in persistent articles:
7023 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7027 @node Article Backlog
7028 @section Article Backlog
7030 @cindex article backlog
7032 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7033 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7034 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7035 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7036 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7037 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7038 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7039 increase memory usage some.
7041 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7042 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7043 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7044 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7045 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7046 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7047 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7049 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
7052 @node Saving Articles
7053 @section Saving Articles
7054 @cindex saving articles
7056 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7057 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7058 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7059 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7060 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7062 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7063 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7064 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7066 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7067 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7068 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7070 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7071 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7072 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7073 deleted before saving.
7079 @kindex O o (Summary)
7081 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7082 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7083 Save the current article using the default article saver
7084 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7087 @kindex O m (Summary)
7088 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7089 Save the current article in mail format
7090 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7093 @kindex O r (Summary)
7094 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7095 Save the current article in rmail format
7096 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7099 @kindex O f (Summary)
7100 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7101 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7102 Save the current article in plain file format
7103 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7106 @kindex O F (Summary)
7107 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7108 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7109 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7112 @kindex O b (Summary)
7113 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7114 Save the current article body in plain file format
7115 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7118 @kindex O h (Summary)
7119 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7120 Save the current article in mh folder format
7121 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7124 @kindex O v (Summary)
7125 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7126 Save the current article in a VM folder
7127 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7131 @kindex O p (Summary)
7133 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7134 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7135 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7138 @kindex O P (Summary)
7139 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7140 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7141 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7142 external program Muttprint (see
7143 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7144 options to use is controlled by the variable
7145 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7149 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7150 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7151 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7152 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7153 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7154 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7155 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7156 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7157 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7158 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7159 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7160 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7164 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7165 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7166 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7167 functions below, or you can create your own.
7171 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7172 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7173 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7174 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7175 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7176 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7177 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7179 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7180 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7181 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7182 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7183 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7184 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7186 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7187 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7188 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7189 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7190 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7191 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7192 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7194 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7195 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7196 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7197 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7198 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7199 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7201 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7202 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7203 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7204 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7205 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7207 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7208 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7209 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7210 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7211 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7214 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7215 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7216 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7217 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7218 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7220 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7221 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7222 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7223 reader to use this setting.
7226 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7227 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7228 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7229 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7232 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7233 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7234 available functions that generate names:
7238 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7239 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7240 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7242 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7243 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7244 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7246 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7247 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7248 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7250 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7251 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7252 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7254 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7255 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7256 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7259 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7260 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7261 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7262 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7263 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7267 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7268 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7269 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7270 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7273 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7274 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7275 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7276 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7277 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7278 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7279 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7280 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7281 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7283 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7284 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7285 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7286 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7288 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7289 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7290 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7293 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7294 lots of mail groups called things like
7295 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7296 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7297 following will do just that:
7300 (defun my-save-name (group)
7301 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7302 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7304 (setq gnus-split-methods
7305 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7310 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7311 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7312 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7313 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7314 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7315 all the files in the top level directory
7316 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7317 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7318 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7319 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7321 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7322 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7323 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7324 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7325 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7328 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7332 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7333 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7334 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7337 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7338 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7339 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7340 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7343 @node Decoding Articles
7344 @section Decoding Articles
7345 @cindex decoding articles
7347 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7348 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7351 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7352 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7353 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7354 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7355 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7356 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7360 @cindex article series
7361 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7362 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7363 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7364 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7365 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7367 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7368 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7369 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7371 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7372 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7373 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7375 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7376 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7377 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7380 @node Uuencoded Articles
7381 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7383 @cindex uuencoded articles
7388 @kindex X u (Summary)
7389 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7390 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7391 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7394 @kindex X U (Summary)
7395 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7396 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7397 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7400 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7401 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7402 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7405 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7406 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7407 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7408 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7412 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7413 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7414 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7415 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7416 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7418 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7419 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7420 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7421 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7424 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7425 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7426 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7427 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7428 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7429 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7433 @node Shell Archives
7434 @subsection Shell Archives
7436 @cindex shell archives
7437 @cindex shared articles
7439 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7440 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7441 some commands to deal with these:
7446 @kindex X s (Summary)
7447 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7448 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7451 @kindex X S (Summary)
7452 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7453 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7456 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7457 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7458 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7461 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7462 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7463 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7464 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7468 @node PostScript Files
7469 @subsection PostScript Files
7475 @kindex X p (Summary)
7476 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7477 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7480 @kindex X P (Summary)
7481 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7482 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7483 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7486 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7487 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7488 View the current PostScript series
7489 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7492 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7493 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7494 View and save the current PostScript series
7495 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7500 @subsection Other Files
7504 @kindex X o (Summary)
7505 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7506 Save the current series
7507 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7510 @kindex X b (Summary)
7511 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7512 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7513 doesn't really work yet.
7517 @node Decoding Variables
7518 @subsection Decoding Variables
7520 Adjective, not verb.
7523 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7524 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7525 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7529 @node Rule Variables
7530 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7531 @cindex rule variables
7533 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7534 variables are of the form
7537 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7544 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7545 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7547 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7548 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7551 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7552 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7555 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7556 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7557 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7558 user and default view rules.
7560 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7561 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7562 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7567 @node Other Decode Variables
7568 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7571 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7573 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7574 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7575 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7576 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7577 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7581 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7582 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7585 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7586 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7587 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7590 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7591 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7592 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7593 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7594 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7597 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7598 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7599 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7601 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7602 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7603 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7604 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7605 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7608 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7609 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7610 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7612 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7613 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7614 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7615 looking for files to display.
7617 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7618 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7619 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7622 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7623 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7624 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7627 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7628 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7629 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7632 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7633 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7634 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7637 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7638 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7639 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7640 decoded articles as unread.
7642 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7643 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7644 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7645 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7647 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7648 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7649 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7651 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7652 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7654 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7655 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7656 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7657 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7659 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7660 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7661 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7662 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7663 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7664 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7665 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7666 simply dropped them.
7671 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7672 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7676 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7677 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7678 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7679 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7680 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7681 for you when you post the article.
7683 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7684 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7685 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7686 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7688 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7689 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7690 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7691 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7692 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7693 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7694 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7696 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7697 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7698 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7699 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7700 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7701 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7702 Default is @code{t}.
7708 @subsection Viewing Files
7709 @cindex viewing files
7710 @cindex pseudo-articles
7712 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7713 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7714 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7715 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7716 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7717 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7718 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7720 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7721 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7722 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7723 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7725 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7726 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7727 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7729 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7730 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7731 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7732 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7733 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7735 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7736 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7737 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7738 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7739 a list of parameters to that command.
7741 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7742 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7743 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7745 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7746 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7747 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7750 @node Article Treatment
7751 @section Article Treatment
7753 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7754 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7755 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7756 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7757 these articles easier.
7760 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7761 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7762 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7763 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7764 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7765 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7766 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7767 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7768 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7769 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7773 @node Article Highlighting
7774 @subsection Article Highlighting
7775 @cindex highlighting
7777 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7778 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7783 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7784 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7785 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7786 Do much highlighting of the current article
7787 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7788 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7791 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7792 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7793 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7794 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7795 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7796 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7797 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7798 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7799 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7800 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7801 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7802 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7805 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7806 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7807 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7809 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7812 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7814 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7815 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7816 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7818 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7819 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7820 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7822 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7823 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7824 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7825 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7826 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7827 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7829 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7830 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7831 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7833 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7834 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7835 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7837 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7838 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7839 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7840 that it's a citation.
7842 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7843 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7844 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7846 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7847 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7848 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7850 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7851 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7852 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7853 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7859 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7860 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7861 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7862 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7863 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7864 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7865 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7866 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7871 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7874 @node Article Fontisizing
7875 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7877 @cindex article emphasis
7879 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7880 @kindex W e (Summary)
7881 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7882 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7883 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7884 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7886 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7887 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7888 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7889 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7890 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7891 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7892 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7893 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7897 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7898 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7899 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7908 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7909 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7910 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7911 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7912 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7913 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7914 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7915 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7916 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7917 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7918 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7919 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7920 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7922 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7923 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7924 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7928 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7931 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7933 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7934 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7935 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7936 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7938 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7941 @node Article Hiding
7942 @subsection Article Hiding
7943 @cindex article hiding
7945 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7946 too much cruft in most articles.
7951 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7952 @findex gnus-article-hide
7953 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7954 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7955 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7958 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7959 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7960 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7964 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7965 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7966 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7967 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7970 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7971 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7972 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7976 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7977 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7978 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7979 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7980 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7981 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7982 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7983 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7987 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7988 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7989 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7990 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7995 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7996 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7997 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7998 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7999 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
8000 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
8001 articles that have signatures in them do:
8003 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
8005 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
8007 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
8008 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
8010 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8013 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
8018 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8019 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8020 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8021 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8024 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8025 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8028 @cindex stripping advertisements
8029 @cindex advertisements
8030 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8031 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8032 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8033 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8034 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8035 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8036 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8037 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8038 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8039 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8043 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8044 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8045 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8046 customizing the hiding:
8050 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8051 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8052 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8053 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8054 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8055 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8056 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8061 Starting point of the hidden text.
8063 Ending point of the hidden text.
8065 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8067 Number of lines of hidden text.
8070 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8071 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8072 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8073 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8074 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8079 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8080 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8082 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8083 following two variables:
8086 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8087 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8088 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8089 50), hide the cited text.
8091 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8092 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8093 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8098 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8099 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8100 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8101 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8102 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8103 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8107 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8108 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8109 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8111 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8112 citation customization.
8114 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8118 @node Article Washing
8119 @subsection Article Washing
8121 @cindex article washing
8123 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8124 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8126 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8127 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8130 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8131 articles by default.
8136 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8137 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8141 @kindex W l (Summary)
8142 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8143 Remove page breaks from the current article
8144 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8148 @kindex W r (Summary)
8149 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8150 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8151 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8152 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8153 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8154 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8156 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8157 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8158 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8159 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8163 @kindex W t (Summary)
8165 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8166 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8167 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8170 @kindex W v (Summary)
8171 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8172 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8173 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8176 @kindex W o (Summary)
8177 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8178 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8181 @kindex W d (Summary)
8182 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8183 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8185 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8187 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8188 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8189 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8190 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8193 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8194 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8195 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8196 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8199 @kindex W k (Summary)
8200 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8201 @cindex Outlook Express
8202 Deuglify broken Outlook (Express) articles and redisplay
8203 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8206 @kindex W w (Summary)
8207 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8208 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8210 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8214 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8215 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8216 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8219 @kindex W C (Summary)
8220 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8221 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8222 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8225 @kindex W c (Summary)
8226 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8227 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8228 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8229 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8230 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8233 @kindex W q (Summary)
8234 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8235 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8236 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8237 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8238 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8239 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8240 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8241 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8242 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8245 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8246 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8247 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8248 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8249 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8250 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8251 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8253 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8256 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8257 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8258 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8259 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8260 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8263 @kindex W u (Summary)
8264 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8265 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8266 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8267 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8268 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8271 @kindex W h (Summary)
8272 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8273 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8274 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8275 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8277 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8279 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8280 The default is to use the function specified by
8281 @code{mm-inline-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Customization, , , emacs-mime})
8282 to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
8283 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8291 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8295 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8298 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8301 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8306 @kindex W b (Summary)
8307 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8308 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8309 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8312 @kindex W B (Summary)
8313 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8314 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8315 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8318 @kindex W p (Summary)
8319 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8320 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8321 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8322 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8323 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8324 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8325 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8328 @kindex W s (Summary)
8329 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8330 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8331 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8334 @kindex W a (Summary)
8335 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8336 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8337 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8340 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8341 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8342 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8343 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8346 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8347 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8348 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8349 lines with a single empty line.
8350 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8353 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8354 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8355 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8356 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8359 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8360 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8361 Do all the three commands above
8362 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8365 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8366 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8367 Remove all blank lines
8368 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8371 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8372 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8373 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8374 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8377 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8378 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8379 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8380 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8384 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8387 @node Article Header
8388 @subsection Article Header
8390 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8395 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8396 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8397 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8400 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8401 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8402 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8403 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8406 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8407 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8408 Fold all the message headers
8409 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8413 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8414 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8415 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8420 @node Article Buttons
8421 @subsection Article Buttons
8424 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8425 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8426 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8427 button on these references.
8429 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8430 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8431 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8432 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8433 one that handles article heads:
8437 @item gnus-button-alist
8438 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8439 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8442 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8448 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8449 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8450 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a variable containing a
8451 regexp, useful variables to use include @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8454 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8455 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8456 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8459 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8460 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8461 avoid false matches.
8464 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8467 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8468 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8472 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8475 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8478 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8479 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8480 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8481 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8482 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8485 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8488 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8490 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8491 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8492 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8493 default values of the variables above.
8495 @item gnus-article-button-face
8496 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8497 Face used on buttons.
8499 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8500 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8501 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8505 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8509 @subsection Article Date
8511 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8512 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8513 when the article was sent.
8518 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8519 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8520 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8521 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8524 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8525 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8527 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8528 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8531 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8532 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8533 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8536 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8537 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8538 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8539 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8542 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8543 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8544 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8545 @findex format-time-string
8546 Display the date using a user-defined format
8547 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8548 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8549 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8550 for a list of possible format specs.
8553 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8554 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8555 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8556 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8557 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8558 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8561 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8564 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8565 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8568 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8569 into wonderful absurdities.
8571 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8574 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8577 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8578 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8582 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8583 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8584 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8585 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8586 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8587 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8588 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8592 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8593 preferred format automatically.
8596 @node Article Display
8597 @subsection Article Display
8602 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8603 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8605 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8606 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8608 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8609 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8611 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8612 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8614 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8619 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8620 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8621 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8622 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8625 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8626 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8627 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8630 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8631 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8632 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8635 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8636 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8637 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8638 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8641 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8642 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8643 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8644 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8647 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8648 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8649 Remove all images from the article buffer
8650 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8656 @node Article Signature
8657 @subsection Article Signature
8659 @cindex article signature
8661 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8662 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8663 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8664 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8665 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8666 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8667 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8668 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8669 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8672 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8673 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8674 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8675 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8676 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8677 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8678 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8679 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8682 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8685 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8686 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8687 signature when displaying articles.
8691 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8694 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8697 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8698 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8700 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8701 in question is not a signature.
8704 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8705 listed above. Here's an example:
8708 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8709 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8712 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8713 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8714 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8715 signature after all.
8718 @node Article Miscellania
8719 @subsection Article Miscellania
8723 @kindex A t (Summary)
8724 @findex gnus-article-babel
8725 Translate the article from one language to another
8726 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8732 @section MIME Commands
8733 @cindex MIME decoding
8735 @cindex viewing attachments
8737 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8738 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8744 @kindex K v (Summary)
8745 View the @sc{mime} part.
8748 @kindex K o (Summary)
8749 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8752 @kindex K c (Summary)
8753 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8756 @kindex K e (Summary)
8757 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8760 @kindex K i (Summary)
8761 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8764 @kindex K | (Summary)
8765 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8768 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8773 @kindex K b (Summary)
8774 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8775 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8779 @kindex K m (Summary)
8780 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8781 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8782 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8783 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8784 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8787 @kindex X m (Summary)
8788 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8789 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8790 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8791 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8794 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8795 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8796 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8797 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8800 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8801 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8802 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8803 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8806 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8807 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8808 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8809 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8811 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8812 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8813 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8814 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8815 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8816 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8819 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8820 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
8821 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8822 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8829 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8830 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8831 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8832 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8835 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8838 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8842 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8843 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8844 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8845 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8846 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8847 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8850 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8851 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8852 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8853 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8854 displayed. This variable overrides
8855 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8857 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8858 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8859 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8861 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8862 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8863 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8864 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8865 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8866 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8867 save all jpegs into some directory).
8869 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8872 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8873 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8875 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8876 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8877 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8878 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8879 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8882 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8883 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8884 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8886 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8887 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8888 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8889 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8891 Ready-made functions include@*
8892 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8893 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8894 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8895 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8896 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8897 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8898 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8899 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8900 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8901 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8902 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8903 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8905 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8906 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8908 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8909 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8910 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8913 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8914 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8915 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8916 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8920 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8929 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8930 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8931 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8932 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8933 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8934 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8935 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8937 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8938 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8939 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8940 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8942 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8943 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8944 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8945 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8946 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
8947 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8948 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
8949 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
8951 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8952 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8953 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8954 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8955 quoted-printable header encoding.
8957 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8958 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8959 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8963 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8966 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8967 means encode all charsets),
8969 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8970 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8971 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8978 @cindex coding system aliases
8979 @cindex preferred charset
8981 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8983 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8984 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8987 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8988 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8991 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8992 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8994 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8997 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9000 This will almost do the right thing.
9002 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9006 (codepage-setup 1251)
9007 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9011 @node Article Commands
9012 @section Article Commands
9019 @kindex A P (Summary)
9020 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9021 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9022 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9023 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9024 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9025 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9030 @node Summary Sorting
9031 @section Summary Sorting
9032 @cindex summary sorting
9034 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9035 can't really see why you'd want that.
9040 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9041 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9042 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9045 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9046 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9047 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9050 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9051 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9052 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9055 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9056 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9057 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9060 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9061 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9062 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9065 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9066 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9067 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9070 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9071 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9072 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9075 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9076 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9077 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9080 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9081 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9082 Sort using the default sorting method
9083 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9086 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9087 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9088 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9089 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9090 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9094 @node Finding the Parent
9095 @section Finding the Parent
9096 @cindex parent articles
9097 @cindex referring articles
9102 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9103 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9104 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9105 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9106 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9107 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9108 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9109 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9110 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9112 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9113 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9114 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9115 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9116 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9120 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9121 @kindex A R (Summary)
9122 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9123 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9126 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9127 @kindex A T (Summary)
9128 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9129 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9130 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9131 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9132 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9133 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9134 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9136 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9137 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9138 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9139 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9140 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9141 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9144 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9145 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9147 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9148 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9149 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9150 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9151 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9152 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9153 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9156 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9157 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9158 by giving this command a prefix.
9160 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9161 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9162 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9163 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9164 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9165 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9168 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9169 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9170 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9173 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9174 then ask Google if that fails:
9177 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9179 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type google))))
9182 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9183 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9184 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9185 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9186 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9187 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9188 support this at all.
9191 @node Alternative Approaches
9192 @section Alternative Approaches
9194 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9195 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9198 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9199 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9204 @subsection Pick and Read
9205 @cindex pick and read
9207 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9208 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9209 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9210 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9212 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9213 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9214 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9215 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9216 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9217 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9219 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9224 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9225 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9226 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9227 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9228 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9229 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9230 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9231 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9234 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9235 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9236 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9237 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9241 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9242 Unpick the thread or article
9243 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9244 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9245 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9246 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9247 the thread or article at that line.
9251 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9252 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9253 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9254 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9255 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9256 will still be visible when you are reading.
9260 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9261 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9262 which is mapped to the same function
9263 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9265 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9268 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9271 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9272 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9274 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9275 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9276 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9278 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9279 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9280 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9281 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9282 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9283 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9284 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9288 @subsection Binary Groups
9289 @cindex binary groups
9291 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9292 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9293 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9294 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9295 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9296 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9297 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9300 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9301 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9302 command, when you have turned on this mode
9303 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9305 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9306 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9310 @section Tree Display
9313 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9314 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9315 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9316 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9319 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9322 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9323 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9324 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9326 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9327 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9328 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9329 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9330 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9332 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9333 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9334 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9335 default is @code{modeline}.
9337 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9338 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9339 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9340 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9341 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9342 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9343 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9349 The name of the poster.
9351 The @code{From} header.
9353 The number of the article.
9355 The opening bracket.
9357 The closing bracket.
9362 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9364 Variables related to the display are:
9367 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9368 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9369 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9370 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9371 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9372 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9374 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9375 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9376 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9377 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9381 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9382 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9383 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9384 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9385 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9386 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9387 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9388 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9389 other windows displayed next to it.
9391 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9395 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9396 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9399 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9400 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9401 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9402 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9403 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9404 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9405 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9409 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9412 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9422 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9426 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9427 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9429 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9431 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9436 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9437 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9438 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9441 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9442 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9443 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9444 (gnus-add-configuration
9448 (summary 0.75 point)
9453 @xref{Window Layout}.
9456 @node Mail Group Commands
9457 @section Mail Group Commands
9458 @cindex mail group commands
9460 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9461 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9463 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9464 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9469 @kindex B e (Summary)
9470 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9471 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9472 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9473 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9474 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9477 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9478 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9479 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9480 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9481 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9482 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9485 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9486 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9487 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9488 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9489 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9490 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9493 @kindex B m (Summary)
9495 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9496 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9497 Move the article from one mail group to another
9498 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9499 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9502 @kindex B c (Summary)
9504 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9505 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9506 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9507 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9508 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9511 @kindex B B (Summary)
9512 @cindex crosspost mail
9513 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9514 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9515 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9516 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9517 be properly updated.
9520 @kindex B i (Summary)
9521 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9522 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9523 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9524 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9527 @kindex B I (Summary)
9528 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9529 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9530 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9531 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9534 @kindex B r (Summary)
9535 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9536 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9537 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9538 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9539 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9540 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9541 (which is the default).
9545 @kindex B w (Summary)
9547 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9548 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9549 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9550 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9551 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9552 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9553 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9556 @kindex B q (Summary)
9557 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9558 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9559 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9560 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9563 @kindex B t (Summary)
9564 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9565 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9566 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9569 @kindex B p (Summary)
9570 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9571 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9572 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9573 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9574 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9575 article from your news server (or rather, from
9576 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9577 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9578 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9579 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9580 just not have arrived yet.
9583 @kindex K E (Summary)
9584 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9585 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9586 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9587 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9588 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9592 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9593 @cindex moving articles
9594 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9595 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9596 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9597 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9598 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9599 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9600 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9603 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9604 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9605 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9606 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9610 @node Various Summary Stuff
9611 @section Various Summary Stuff
9614 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9615 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9616 * Summary Generation Commands::
9617 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9621 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9622 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9623 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9625 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9626 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9627 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9628 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9629 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9630 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9633 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9634 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9635 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9636 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9637 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9639 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9640 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9641 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9644 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9645 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9646 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9647 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9648 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9649 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9650 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9651 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9652 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9653 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9655 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9656 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9657 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9658 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9659 list of articles to be selected.
9661 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9662 the list in one particular group:
9665 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9666 (if (string= group "some.group")
9667 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9671 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9672 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9673 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9674 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9675 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9676 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9677 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9678 buffers. For example:
9681 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9682 '(message-use-followup-to
9683 (gnus-visible-headers .
9684 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9690 @node Summary Group Information
9691 @subsection Summary Group Information
9696 @kindex H f (Summary)
9697 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9698 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9699 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9700 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9701 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9702 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9703 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9704 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9705 be used for fetching the file.
9708 @kindex H d (Summary)
9709 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9710 Give a brief description of the current group
9711 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9712 rereading the description from the server.
9715 @kindex H h (Summary)
9716 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9717 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9718 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9721 @kindex H i (Summary)
9722 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9723 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9727 @node Searching for Articles
9728 @subsection Searching for Articles
9733 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9734 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9735 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9736 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9739 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9740 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9741 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9742 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9746 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9747 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9748 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9749 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9750 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9751 search backward instead.
9753 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9754 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9757 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9758 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9759 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9760 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9763 @node Summary Generation Commands
9764 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9769 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9770 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9771 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9774 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9775 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9776 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9777 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9782 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9783 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9789 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9790 @kindex A D (Summary)
9791 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9792 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9793 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9794 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9795 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9796 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9797 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9798 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9802 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9803 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9804 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9805 several documents into one biiig group
9806 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9807 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9808 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9809 command understands the process/prefix convention
9810 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9813 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9814 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9815 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9816 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9817 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9818 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9822 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9823 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9824 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9827 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9828 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9829 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9830 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9833 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9834 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9835 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9836 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9841 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9842 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9843 @cindex summary exit
9844 @cindex exiting groups
9846 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9847 group and return you to the group buffer.
9853 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9855 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9856 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9857 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9858 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9859 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9860 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9861 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9862 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9863 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9864 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9865 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9869 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9871 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9872 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9873 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9877 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9879 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9880 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9881 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9882 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9885 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9886 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9887 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9888 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9891 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9892 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9893 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9894 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9897 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9898 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9899 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9900 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9901 all articles, both read and unread.
9905 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9906 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9907 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9908 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9909 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9910 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9911 articles, both read and unread.
9914 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9915 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9916 Exit the group and go to the next group
9917 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9920 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9921 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9922 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9923 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9926 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9927 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9928 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9929 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9930 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9931 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9934 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9935 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9936 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9937 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9939 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9940 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9941 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9942 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9943 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9944 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9945 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9946 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9947 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9948 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9949 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9950 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9952 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9954 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9955 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9956 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9957 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9958 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9959 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9960 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9961 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9962 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9965 @node Crosspost Handling
9966 @section Crosspost Handling
9970 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9971 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9972 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9973 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9974 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9975 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9978 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9979 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9980 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9981 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9982 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9984 @cindex cross-posting
9987 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9988 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9989 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9990 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9991 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9992 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9993 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9994 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9995 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9996 the cross reference mechanism.
9998 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9999 @cindex overview.fmt
10000 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10001 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10002 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10003 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10004 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10005 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10008 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10009 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10010 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10015 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10018 @node Duplicate Suppression
10019 @section Duplicate Suppression
10021 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10022 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10023 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10024 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10029 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10030 is evil and not very common.
10033 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10034 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10037 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10038 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10041 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10044 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10045 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10047 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10048 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10049 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10050 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10051 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10052 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10053 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10056 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10057 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10058 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10059 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10060 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10061 saw the article in.
10064 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10065 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10066 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10068 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10069 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10070 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10071 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10072 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10073 session are suppressed.
10075 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10076 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10077 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10078 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10080 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10081 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10082 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10083 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10086 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10087 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10088 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10089 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10090 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10091 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10092 to you to figure out, I think.
10097 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10098 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10099 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10103 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
10104 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
10107 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10108 or newer is recommended.
10112 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10113 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10116 @item mm-verify-option
10117 @vindex mm-verify-option
10118 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10119 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10120 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10122 @item mm-decrypt-option
10123 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10124 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10125 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10126 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10131 @section Mailing List
10133 @kindex A M (summary)
10134 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10135 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10136 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10137 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10138 summary buffer, or say:
10141 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
10144 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10149 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10150 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10151 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10154 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10155 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10156 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10159 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10160 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10161 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10165 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10166 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10167 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10170 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10171 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10172 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10175 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10176 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10177 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10181 @node Article Buffer
10182 @chapter Article Buffer
10183 @cindex article buffer
10185 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10186 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10187 tell Gnus otherwise.
10190 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10191 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10192 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10193 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10194 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10198 @node Hiding Headers
10199 @section Hiding Headers
10200 @cindex hiding headers
10201 @cindex deleting headers
10203 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10204 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10206 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10207 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10208 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10209 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10210 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10211 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10212 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10213 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10214 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10216 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10220 @item gnus-visible-headers
10221 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10222 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10223 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10224 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10226 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10227 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10230 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10233 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10236 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10237 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10238 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10239 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10240 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10241 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10243 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10244 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10247 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10250 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10253 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10254 variable will have no effect.
10258 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10259 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10260 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10261 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10262 the headers are to be displayed.
10264 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10265 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10268 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10271 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10272 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10274 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10275 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10276 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10277 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10278 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10279 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10280 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10283 These conditions are:
10286 Remove all empty headers.
10288 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10289 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10291 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10292 @code{From} header.
10294 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10297 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10298 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10300 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10303 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10305 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10308 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10311 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10312 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10315 This is also the default value for this variable.
10319 @section Using MIME
10322 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10323 while people stand around yawning.
10325 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10326 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10328 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10329 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10330 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10332 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10333 @findex gnus-display-mime
10334 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10335 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10336 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10337 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10339 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10343 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10344 @item RET (Article)
10345 @kindex RET (Article)
10346 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10347 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10348 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10349 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10350 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10351 object is displayed inline.
10353 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10354 @item M-RET (Article)
10355 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10357 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10358 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10360 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10362 @kindex t (Article)
10363 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10364 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10366 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10368 @kindex C (Article)
10369 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10370 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10372 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10374 @kindex o (Article)
10375 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10376 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10378 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10379 @item C-o (Article)
10380 @kindex C-o (Article)
10381 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10382 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10383 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10384 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10385 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10386 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10388 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10390 @kindex c (Article)
10391 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10392 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
10394 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10396 @kindex p (Article)
10397 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10398 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10399 @file{.mailcap} file.
10401 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10403 @kindex i (Article)
10404 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10405 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10406 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10407 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10408 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10411 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10413 @kindex E (Article)
10414 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10415 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10416 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10418 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10420 @kindex e (Article)
10421 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10422 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10424 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10426 @kindex | (Article)
10427 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10429 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10431 @kindex . (Article)
10432 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10433 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10437 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10438 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10441 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10442 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10443 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10444 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10445 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10446 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10447 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10448 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10449 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10451 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10453 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10456 @node Customizing Articles
10457 @section Customizing Articles
10458 @cindex article customization
10460 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10461 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10462 called automatically when you select the articles.
10464 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10465 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10466 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10467 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10469 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10470 for sensible values.
10474 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10477 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10480 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10483 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10486 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10490 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10491 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10492 regexps in the list.
10495 A list where the first element is not a string:
10497 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10498 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10499 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10503 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10508 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10509 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10510 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10511 considered to contain just a single part.
10513 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10514 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10515 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10516 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10517 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10518 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10519 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10521 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10522 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10523 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10524 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10527 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10528 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10530 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10532 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10533 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10534 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10535 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10536 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10537 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10538 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10539 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10540 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10541 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10543 @xref{Article Washing}.
10545 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10546 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10547 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10548 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10549 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10550 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10551 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10553 @xref{Article Date}.
10555 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10556 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10557 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10561 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10563 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10565 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10566 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10567 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10571 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10575 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10576 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10577 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10578 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10579 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10580 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10581 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10582 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10584 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10586 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10587 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10588 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10590 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10592 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10593 @item gnus-treat-translate
10594 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10596 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10597 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10598 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10599 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10601 @xref{Article Header}.
10606 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10607 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10608 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10609 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10610 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10614 @node Article Keymap
10615 @section Article Keymap
10617 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10618 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10619 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10620 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10623 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10628 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10629 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10630 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10633 @kindex DEL (Article)
10634 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10635 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10638 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10639 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10640 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10641 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10642 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10645 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10646 @findex gnus-article-mail
10647 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10648 given a prefix, include the mail.
10651 @kindex s (Article)
10652 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10653 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10654 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10657 @kindex ? (Article)
10658 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10659 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10660 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10663 @kindex TAB (Article)
10664 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10665 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10666 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10669 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10670 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10671 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10674 @kindex R (Article)
10675 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10676 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10677 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10678 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10682 @kindex F (Article)
10683 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10684 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10685 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10686 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10694 @section Misc Article
10698 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10699 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10700 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10701 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10704 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10705 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10707 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10708 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10710 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10711 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10712 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10713 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10714 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10715 the contents of the article buffer.
10717 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10718 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10719 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10721 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10722 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10723 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10724 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10726 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10727 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10728 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10729 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10730 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10736 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10737 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10738 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10743 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10746 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10749 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10750 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10751 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10754 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10757 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10760 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10765 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10769 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10771 @item gnus-break-pages
10772 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10773 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10774 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10775 paging will not be done.
10777 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10778 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10779 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10784 @node Composing Messages
10785 @chapter Composing Messages
10786 @cindex composing messages
10789 @cindex sending mail
10794 @cindex using s/mime
10795 @cindex using smime
10797 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10798 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10799 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10800 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10801 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10802 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10805 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10806 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10807 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10808 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10809 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10810 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10811 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10812 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10815 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10816 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10822 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10825 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10826 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10827 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10828 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10830 @item gnus-add-to-list
10831 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10832 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10833 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10835 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10836 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10837 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus requests confirmation when replying to news.
10838 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10839 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10844 @node Posting Server
10845 @section Posting Server
10847 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10848 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10850 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10852 It can be quite complicated.
10854 @vindex gnus-post-method
10855 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10856 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10857 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10858 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10859 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10860 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10861 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10862 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10863 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10866 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10869 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10870 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10871 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10872 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10874 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10875 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10877 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10878 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10881 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10882 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10884 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
10885 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
10886 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
10887 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
10888 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
10889 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
10890 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
10891 package correctly. An example:
10894 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
10895 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
10898 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
10899 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
10900 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
10902 Other possible choises for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
10903 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
10904 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
10906 @node Mail and Post
10907 @section Mail and Post
10909 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10913 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10914 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10915 @cindex mailing lists
10917 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10918 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10919 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10920 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10921 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10922 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10923 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10924 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10925 still a pain, though.
10929 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10930 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10931 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10934 @findex ispell-message
10936 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10939 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10940 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10943 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10947 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10948 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10950 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10953 Modify to suit your needs.
10956 @node Archived Messages
10957 @section Archived Messages
10958 @cindex archived messages
10959 @cindex sent messages
10961 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10962 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10963 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10964 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10967 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
10968 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
10971 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10972 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
10973 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10976 (nnfolder "archive"
10977 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10978 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10979 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10980 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10983 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10984 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10985 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10986 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10989 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10990 '(nnfolder "archive"
10991 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10992 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10993 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10996 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10998 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10999 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11000 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11002 This variable can be used to do the following:
11007 Messages will be saved in that group.
11009 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11010 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11011 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11012 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11013 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11014 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11015 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11016 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11020 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11022 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11023 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11026 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11031 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11033 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11036 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11038 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11041 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11043 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11044 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11045 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11046 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11049 More complex stuff:
11051 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11052 '((if (message-news-p)
11057 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11058 messages in one file per month:
11061 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11062 '((if (message-news-p)
11064 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11067 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11068 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11070 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11071 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11072 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11073 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11074 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11075 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11076 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11077 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11078 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11079 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11081 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11082 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11083 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11084 this will disable archiving.
11087 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11088 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11089 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11090 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11091 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11094 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11095 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11096 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11099 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11100 but the latter is the preferred method.
11102 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11103 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11104 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11106 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11107 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11108 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11109 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11110 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11111 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11112 changed in the future.
11117 @node Posting Styles
11118 @section Posting Styles
11119 @cindex posting styles
11122 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11124 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11125 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11126 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11129 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11130 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11131 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11132 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11133 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11138 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11139 (organization "What me?"))
11141 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11142 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11143 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11146 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11147 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11148 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11149 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11150 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11151 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11152 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11153 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11155 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11156 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11157 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11158 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11159 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. If it's a function symbol, that
11160 function will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol,
11161 then the variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list
11162 will be @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil}
11163 value, then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
11165 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11166 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11167 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11168 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11169 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11170 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11171 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11172 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11173 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11174 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11177 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11178 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11179 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11180 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11181 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11182 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11183 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11184 references chars lines xref extra.
11186 @vindex message-reply-headers
11188 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11189 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11190 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11192 @findex message-mail-p
11193 @findex message-news-p
11195 So here's a new example:
11198 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11200 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11202 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11203 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11205 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11206 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11207 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11208 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11209 (signature my-news-signature))
11210 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11211 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11212 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11213 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11214 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11215 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11216 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11217 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11218 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11219 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11221 (From (save-excursion
11222 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11223 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11225 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11228 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11229 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11230 if you fill many roles.
11237 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11238 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11239 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11240 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11241 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11243 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11244 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11245 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11246 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11247 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11251 @vindex nndraft-directory
11252 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11253 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11254 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11255 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11256 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11257 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11259 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11260 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11263 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11264 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11265 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11266 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11267 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11268 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11269 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11270 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11271 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11272 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11273 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11274 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11275 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11276 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11278 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11279 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11280 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11282 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11283 @kindex D e (Draft)
11284 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11285 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11286 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11288 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11291 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11292 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11293 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11294 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11295 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11296 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11297 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11300 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11301 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11302 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11305 @node Rejected Articles
11306 @section Rejected Articles
11307 @cindex rejected articles
11309 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11310 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11311 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11312 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11314 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11315 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11316 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11317 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11318 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11320 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11321 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11322 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11324 @node Signing and encrypting
11325 @section Signing and encrypting
11327 @cindex using s/mime
11328 @cindex using smime
11330 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11331 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11332 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11333 (@pxref{Security}).
11335 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11336 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The
11337 @sc{s/mime} support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11339 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11340 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11341 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11342 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11343 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11344 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11345 automatically encrypted messages.
11347 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11348 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11349 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11354 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11355 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11357 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11360 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11361 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11363 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11366 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11367 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11369 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11372 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11373 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11375 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11378 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11379 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11381 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11384 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11385 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11387 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11390 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11391 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11392 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11396 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11398 @node Select Methods
11399 @chapter Select Methods
11400 @cindex foreign groups
11401 @cindex select methods
11403 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11404 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11405 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11406 personal mail group.
11408 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11409 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11410 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11411 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11412 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11413 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11415 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11416 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11418 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11421 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11422 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11423 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11424 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11425 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11427 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11430 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11431 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11432 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11433 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11434 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11435 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11436 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11437 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11441 @node Server Buffer
11442 @section Server Buffer
11444 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11445 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11446 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11447 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11448 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11449 back end represents a virtual server.
11451 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11452 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11453 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11454 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11456 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11457 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11458 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11459 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11460 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11461 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11462 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11464 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11465 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11468 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11469 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11470 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11471 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11472 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11473 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11474 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11477 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11478 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11481 @node Server Buffer Format
11482 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11483 @cindex server buffer format
11485 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11486 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11487 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11488 variable, with some simple extensions:
11493 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11496 The name of this server.
11499 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11502 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11505 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11506 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11507 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11508 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11518 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11521 @node Server Commands
11522 @subsection Server Commands
11523 @cindex server commands
11529 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11530 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11534 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11535 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11538 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11539 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11540 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11544 @findex gnus-server-exit
11545 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11549 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11550 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11554 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11555 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11559 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11560 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11564 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11565 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11569 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11570 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11571 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11576 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11577 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11578 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11579 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11584 @node Example Methods
11585 @subsection Example Methods
11587 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11590 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11593 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11599 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11600 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11603 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11604 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11606 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11607 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11611 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11614 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11615 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11617 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11618 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11619 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11623 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11626 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11629 Here's the method for a public spool:
11633 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11634 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11640 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11641 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11642 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11643 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11644 should probably look something like this:
11648 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11649 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11650 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11651 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11654 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11655 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11656 configuration to the example above:
11659 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11662 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11664 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11665 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11666 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11670 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11671 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11672 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11673 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11676 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11677 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11678 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11679 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11682 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11683 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11685 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11686 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11688 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11689 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11690 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11692 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11694 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11695 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11696 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11697 will contain the following:
11707 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11708 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11709 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11712 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11713 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11714 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11717 @node Server Variables
11718 @subsection Server Variables
11720 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11721 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11722 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11723 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11724 won't change the "derived" variables.
11726 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11727 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11728 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11729 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11730 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11731 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11732 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11733 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11734 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11738 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11739 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11740 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11744 @node Servers and Methods
11745 @subsection Servers and Methods
11747 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11748 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11749 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11750 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11754 @node Unavailable Servers
11755 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11757 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11758 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11759 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11760 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11761 actually the case or not.
11763 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11764 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11765 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11766 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11767 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11768 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11769 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11770 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11772 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11773 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11775 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11776 with the following commands:
11782 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11783 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11784 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11788 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11789 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11790 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11794 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11795 Mark the current server as unreachable
11796 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11799 @kindex M-o (Server)
11800 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11801 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11802 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11805 @kindex M-c (Server)
11806 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11807 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11808 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11812 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11813 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11814 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11818 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
11819 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
11825 @section Getting News
11826 @cindex reading news
11827 @cindex news back ends
11829 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11830 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11831 or it can read from a local spool.
11834 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11835 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11843 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11844 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11845 server as the, uhm, address.
11847 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11848 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11849 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11850 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11852 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11853 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11854 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11856 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11861 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11862 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11863 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11865 @cindex authentification
11866 @cindex nntp authentification
11867 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11868 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11869 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11870 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11871 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11872 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11873 present in this hook.
11875 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11876 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11877 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11878 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11879 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11880 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11881 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11882 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11883 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11884 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11885 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11886 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11890 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11893 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11895 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11896 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11897 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11898 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11899 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11900 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11901 @samp{force} is explained below.
11905 Here's an example file:
11908 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11909 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11912 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11913 have to be first, for instance.
11915 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11916 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11917 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11918 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11919 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11920 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11921 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11923 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11924 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11930 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11931 previously mentioned.
11933 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11935 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11936 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11937 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11938 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11939 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11942 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11943 '(("innd" (ding))))
11946 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11948 The default value is
11951 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11952 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11953 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11956 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11957 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11959 @item nntp-maximum-request
11960 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11961 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11962 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11963 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11964 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11965 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11966 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11968 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11969 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11970 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11971 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11972 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11973 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11974 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11975 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11976 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11977 no timeouts are done.
11979 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11980 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11981 @c @cindex PPP connections
11982 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11983 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11984 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11985 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11986 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11987 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11988 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11989 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11990 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11991 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11993 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11994 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11995 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11996 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11997 @c described above.
11999 @item nntp-server-hook
12000 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12001 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12004 @item nntp-buggy-select
12005 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12006 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12008 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12009 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12010 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12011 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12014 @item nntp-xover-commands
12015 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12018 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12019 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12023 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12024 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12025 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12026 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12027 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12028 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12029 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12030 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12031 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12032 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12033 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12035 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12036 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12037 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12039 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12040 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12041 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12042 server closes connection.
12044 @item nntp-record-commands
12045 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12046 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12047 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12048 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12049 that doesn't seem to work.
12051 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12052 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12053 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12054 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12055 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12056 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12057 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12058 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12060 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12061 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12062 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12063 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12064 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12065 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12066 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12069 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12072 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12073 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12077 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12078 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12079 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12083 @node Direct Functions
12084 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12085 @cindex direct connection functions
12087 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12088 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12089 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12090 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12093 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12094 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12095 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12098 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12099 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12100 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12101 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12102 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12103 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12104 define a server as follows:
12107 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12109 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12110 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12112 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12113 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12114 (nntp-port-number 563)
12115 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12118 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12119 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12120 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12121 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12122 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12123 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12124 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12125 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12129 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12130 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12131 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12134 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12135 session, which is not a good idea.
12139 @node Indirect Functions
12140 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12141 @cindex indirect connection functions
12143 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12144 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12145 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12146 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12147 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12148 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12151 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12152 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12153 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12154 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12155 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12157 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12160 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12161 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12162 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12163 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12165 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12166 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12167 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12168 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12169 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12170 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12171 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12172 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12175 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12176 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12177 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12178 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12180 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12183 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12184 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12185 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12188 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12189 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12190 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12191 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12193 @item nntp-via-user-password
12194 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12195 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12197 @item nntp-via-envuser
12198 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12199 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12200 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12201 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12203 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12204 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12205 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12206 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12213 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12218 @item nntp-via-user-name
12219 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12220 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12222 @item nntp-via-address
12223 @vindex nntp-via-address
12224 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12229 @node Common Variables
12230 @subsubsection Common Variables
12232 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12233 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12238 @item nntp-pre-command
12239 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12240 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12241 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12242 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12243 wrapper for instance.
12246 @vindex nntp-address
12247 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12249 @item nntp-port-number
12250 @vindex nntp-port-number
12251 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12252 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12253 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12254 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12256 @item nntp-end-of-line
12257 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12258 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12259 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12260 using a non native connection function.
12262 @item nntp-telnet-command
12263 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12264 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12265 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12266 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12268 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12269 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12270 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12277 @subsection News Spool
12281 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12282 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12283 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12286 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12287 anything else) as the address.
12289 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12290 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12291 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12292 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12296 @item nnspool-inews-program
12297 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12298 Program used to post an article.
12300 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12301 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12302 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12304 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12305 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12306 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12307 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12309 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12310 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12311 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12312 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12314 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12315 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12316 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12318 @item nnspool-active-file
12319 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12320 The path to the active file.
12322 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12323 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12324 The path to the group descriptions file.
12326 @item nnspool-history-file
12327 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12328 The path to the news history file.
12330 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12331 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12332 The path to the active date file.
12334 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12335 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12336 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12339 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12340 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12342 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12343 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12344 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12350 @section Getting Mail
12351 @cindex reading mail
12354 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12358 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12359 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12360 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12361 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12362 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12363 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12364 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12365 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12366 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12367 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12368 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12369 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12370 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12374 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12375 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12377 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12378 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12379 of a culture shock.
12381 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12382 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12384 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12385 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12386 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12387 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12389 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12391 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12392 deleted? How awful!
12394 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12395 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12396 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12397 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12400 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12401 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12402 they want to treat a message.
12404 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12405 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12406 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12407 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12408 archived somewhere else.
12410 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12411 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12412 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12413 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12414 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12416 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12417 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12418 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12420 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12421 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12424 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12425 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12426 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12427 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12428 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12430 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12431 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12432 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12433 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12434 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12435 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12439 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12440 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12442 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12443 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12444 and things will happen automatically.
12446 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12447 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12450 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12453 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12454 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12455 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12456 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12457 like any other group.
12459 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12462 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12463 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12464 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12468 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12469 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12470 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12473 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12474 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12475 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12478 @node Splitting Mail
12479 @subsection Splitting Mail
12480 @cindex splitting mail
12481 @cindex mail splitting
12483 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12484 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12485 to be split into groups.
12488 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12489 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12490 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12491 ("mail.other" "")))
12494 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12495 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12496 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12497 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12498 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12499 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12500 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12503 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12506 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12507 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12508 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12509 mail belongs in that group.
12511 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12512 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12513 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12514 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12515 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12516 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12518 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12519 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12520 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12521 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12522 thinks should carry this mail message.
12524 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12525 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12526 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12527 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12529 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12530 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12531 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12532 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12533 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12535 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12538 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12539 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12540 links. If that's the case for you, set
12541 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12542 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12544 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12545 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12546 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12547 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12548 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12549 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12552 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12553 Header lines longer than the value of
12554 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12557 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12558 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12559 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12560 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12561 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12562 can be turned off completely by binding
12563 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12564 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12566 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12567 By default, splitting is not performed on all incoming messages. If
12568 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12569 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12570 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12571 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12572 happen even in this case.
12574 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12575 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12576 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12577 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12578 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12579 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12580 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12581 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12582 month's rent money.
12586 @subsection Mail Sources
12588 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12589 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12593 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12594 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12595 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12599 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12600 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12602 @cindex mail server
12605 @cindex mail source
12607 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12608 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12613 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12616 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12617 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12618 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12621 The following mail source types are available:
12625 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12631 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12632 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12633 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12636 An example file mail source:
12639 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12642 Or using the default path:
12648 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12649 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12650 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12653 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12657 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12660 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12664 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12667 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12669 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12672 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12676 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12677 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
12678 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
12679 That is, mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in the
12680 group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12681 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12682 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus
12683 to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you
12684 want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12686 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12687 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12688 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12689 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
12695 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12699 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12703 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12704 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12705 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12706 predicate are considered.
12710 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12714 An example directory mail source:
12717 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12722 Get mail from a POP server.
12728 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12729 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12732 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12733 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12734 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12735 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12736 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12739 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12743 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12747 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12748 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12751 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12754 The valid format specifier characters are:
12758 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12759 included in this string.
12762 The name of the server.
12765 The port number of the server.
12768 The user name to use.
12771 The password to use.
12774 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12775 corresponding keywords.
12778 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12779 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12782 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12783 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12786 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12787 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12790 @item :authentication
12791 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12792 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12797 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12798 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12800 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12801 default user name, and default fetcher:
12807 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12810 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12811 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12814 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12817 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12821 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12822 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12823 contains exactly one mail.
12829 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12830 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12833 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12834 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12836 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12837 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12838 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12841 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12842 from locking problems).
12846 Two example maildir mail sources:
12849 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12850 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12854 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12859 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12860 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12861 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12862 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12865 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12866 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12872 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12873 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12876 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12877 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12880 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12884 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12888 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12889 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12890 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12891 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12893 @item :authentication
12894 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12895 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12896 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12897 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12900 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12901 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12902 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12908 The valid format specifier characters are:
12912 The name of the server.
12915 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12918 The port number of the server.
12921 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12922 corresponding keywords.
12925 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12926 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12929 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12930 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12931 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12932 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
12933 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12934 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
12937 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12938 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12939 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12940 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
12943 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
12944 after finishing the fetch.
12948 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
12951 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
12953 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
12957 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
12958 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
12959 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
12961 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
12962 required for url "4.0pre.46".
12964 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
12970 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
12971 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
12974 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
12978 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
12982 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
12983 folder after finishing the fetch.
12987 An example webmail source:
12990 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
12992 :password "secret")
12997 @item Common Keywords
12998 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13004 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13005 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13009 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13014 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13015 useful when you use local mail and news.
13020 @subsubsection Function Interface
13022 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13023 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13024 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13025 consider the following mail-source setting:
13028 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13029 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13032 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13033 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13034 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13035 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13036 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13038 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13041 @node Mail Source Customization
13042 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13044 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13045 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13049 @item mail-source-crash-box
13050 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13051 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13052 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13054 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13055 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13056 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13058 @item mail-source-directory
13059 @vindex mail-source-directory
13060 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13061 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13062 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13065 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13066 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13067 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13068 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13069 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13070 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13072 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13073 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13074 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13076 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13077 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13078 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13079 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13084 @node Fetching Mail
13085 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13087 @vindex mail-sources
13088 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13089 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13090 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13091 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13093 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13094 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13097 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13098 mail server, you'd say something like:
13103 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13104 :password "secret")))
13107 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13111 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13112 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13115 :password "secret")))
13119 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13120 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13121 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13122 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13123 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13124 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13128 @node Mail Back End Variables
13129 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13131 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13135 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13136 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13137 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13138 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13140 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13141 @item nnmail-split-hook
13142 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
13143 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13144 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13145 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13146 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13147 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13148 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13149 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13150 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13153 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13154 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13155 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13156 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13157 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13158 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13159 starting to handle the new mail) and
13160 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13161 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13162 default file modes the new mail files get:
13165 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13166 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13168 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13169 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13172 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13173 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13174 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13175 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13176 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13177 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13178 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13180 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13181 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13182 @findex delete-file
13183 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13185 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13186 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13187 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13188 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13189 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13191 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13192 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13193 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13194 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13195 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13197 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13198 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13199 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13204 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13205 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13206 @cindex mail splitting
13207 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13209 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13210 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13211 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13212 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13213 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13214 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13216 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13219 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13220 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13221 ;; from real errors.
13222 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13224 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13225 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13226 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13227 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13228 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13229 ;; Other mailing lists...
13230 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13231 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13232 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13233 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13234 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13235 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13236 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13237 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13239 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13240 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13244 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13245 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13246 the five possible split syntaxes:
13251 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13252 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13256 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13257 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13258 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13259 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13260 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13261 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13262 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13263 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13266 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13267 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13268 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13269 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13272 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13273 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13276 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13277 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13280 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13281 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13282 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13283 function should return a @var{split}.
13286 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13287 body of the messages:
13290 (defun split-on-body ()
13292 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13293 (goto-char (point-min))
13294 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13298 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13299 when the @code{:} function is run.
13302 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13303 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13304 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13308 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13312 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13313 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13314 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13315 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13316 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13318 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13319 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13320 are expanded as specified by the variable
13321 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13322 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13325 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13326 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13327 when all this splitting is performed.
13329 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13330 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13331 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13334 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13337 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13338 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13340 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13341 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13342 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13343 groupings 1 through 9.
13345 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13346 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13347 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13348 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13349 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13350 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13351 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13352 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13353 it once per thread.
13355 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13356 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13357 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13360 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13361 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13363 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13364 ;; other splits go here
13368 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13369 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13370 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13371 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13372 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13373 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13374 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13375 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13376 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13377 unless the group name matches the regexp
13378 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13379 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13380 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13381 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13382 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13383 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13384 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13385 messages goes into the new group.
13387 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13388 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13389 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13390 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13391 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13395 @node Group Mail Splitting
13396 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13397 @cindex mail splitting
13398 @cindex group mail splitting
13400 @findex gnus-group-split
13401 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13402 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13403 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13404 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13405 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13406 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13407 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13408 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13410 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13411 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13412 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13413 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13415 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13416 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13417 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13418 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13419 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13420 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13421 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13423 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13424 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13425 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13426 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13427 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13428 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13429 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13431 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13432 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13433 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13434 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13435 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13436 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13437 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13438 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13439 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13440 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13441 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13442 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13443 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13445 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13450 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13451 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13453 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13454 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13455 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13456 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13458 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13461 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13462 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13463 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13466 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13467 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13468 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13472 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13473 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13474 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13478 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13481 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13482 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13483 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13484 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13485 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13486 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13487 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13488 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13489 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13491 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13492 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13493 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13494 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13495 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13496 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13497 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13498 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13499 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13501 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13502 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13503 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13504 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13505 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13506 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13509 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13512 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13513 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13514 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13515 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13516 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13519 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13520 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13521 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13522 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13524 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13525 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13526 @cindex incorporating old mail
13527 @cindex import old mail
13529 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13530 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13531 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13534 Doing so can be quite easy.
13536 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13537 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13538 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13539 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13540 your @code{nnml} groups.
13546 Go to the group buffer.
13549 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13550 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13553 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13556 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13557 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13560 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13561 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13564 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13565 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13566 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13567 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13568 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13570 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13571 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13572 using the new mail back end.
13575 @node Expiring Mail
13576 @subsection Expiring Mail
13577 @cindex article expiry
13579 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13580 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13581 different approach to mail reading.
13583 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13584 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13585 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13586 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13587 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13588 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13591 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13592 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13593 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13594 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13595 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13596 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13597 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13598 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13600 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13601 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13602 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13603 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13604 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13605 column in the summary buffer.
13607 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13608 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13609 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13610 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13613 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13615 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13616 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13617 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13620 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13621 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13622 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13623 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13624 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13626 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13627 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13630 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13631 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13634 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13635 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13637 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13638 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13639 don't really mix very well.
13641 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13642 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13643 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13644 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13647 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13648 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13649 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13650 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13653 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13655 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13657 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13659 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13661 ((string= group "important")
13667 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13668 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13670 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13671 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13672 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13675 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13676 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13678 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13679 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13680 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13681 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13682 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13683 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13684 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13685 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13686 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13687 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13688 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13689 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13690 name or @code{delete}.
13692 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13694 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13697 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13698 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13699 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13700 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13701 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13704 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13705 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13706 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13707 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13708 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13711 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13712 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13713 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13714 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13715 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13716 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13718 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13719 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13720 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13721 easier for procmail users.
13723 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13724 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13725 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13726 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13727 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13728 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13729 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13730 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13731 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13732 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13733 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13734 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13735 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13738 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13740 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13741 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13742 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13743 auto-expire turned on.
13747 @subsection Washing Mail
13748 @cindex mail washing
13749 @cindex list server brain damage
13750 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13752 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13753 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13754 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13755 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13756 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13757 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13759 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13760 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13761 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13764 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13765 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13766 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13767 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13770 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13771 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13772 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13773 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13774 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13777 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13778 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13779 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13780 Emacs running on MS machines.
13784 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13785 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13786 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13787 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13790 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13791 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13792 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13793 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13795 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
13796 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
13797 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
13798 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
13799 into a feature by documenting it.)
13801 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13802 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13803 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13804 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13805 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13806 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13807 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13810 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13811 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13814 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13815 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13818 This can also be done non-destructively with
13819 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13821 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13822 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13823 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13825 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13826 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13828 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13829 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13830 @code{References} headers.
13834 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13835 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13836 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13840 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13841 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13842 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13849 @subsection Duplicates
13851 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13852 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13853 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13854 @cindex duplicate mails
13855 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13856 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13857 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13858 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13859 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13860 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13861 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13862 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13863 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13864 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13865 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13866 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13867 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13869 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13870 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13871 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13872 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13874 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13877 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13878 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13882 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13883 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13884 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13885 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13886 (any mail "mail.misc")
13893 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13894 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13899 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13900 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13901 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13902 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13903 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13906 @node Not Reading Mail
13907 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13909 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13910 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13911 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13913 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13914 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13915 mail, which should help.
13917 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13918 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13919 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13920 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13921 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13922 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13923 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13924 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13925 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13926 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13927 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13929 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13930 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13934 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13935 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13937 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13938 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13939 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13941 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
13942 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
13943 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
13944 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
13945 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
13946 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
13947 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
13950 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
13951 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
13952 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
13953 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
13954 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
13955 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
13959 @node Unix Mail Box
13960 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
13962 @cindex unix mail box
13964 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13965 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13966 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
13967 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
13968 which group it belongs in.
13970 Virtual server settings:
13973 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
13974 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13975 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
13978 @item nnmbox-active-file
13979 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13980 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
13981 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
13983 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
13984 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13985 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
13986 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
13991 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
13995 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13996 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13997 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
13998 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
13999 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14001 Virtual server settings:
14004 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14005 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14006 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14008 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14009 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14010 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14011 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14013 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14014 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14015 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14021 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14023 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14025 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14026 format. It should be used with some caution.
14028 @vindex nnml-directory
14029 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14030 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14031 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14032 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14034 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14037 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14038 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14039 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14040 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14041 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14042 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14043 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14044 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14046 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14047 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14048 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14049 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14051 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14053 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14054 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14055 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14056 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14057 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14058 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14059 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14060 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14063 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14064 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14065 them next time it starts.
14067 Virtual server settings:
14070 @item nnml-directory
14071 @vindex nnml-directory
14072 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14073 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14076 @item nnml-active-file
14077 @vindex nnml-active-file
14078 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14079 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14081 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14082 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14083 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14084 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14086 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14087 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14088 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14091 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14092 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14093 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14094 default is @code{nil}.
14096 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14097 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14098 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14100 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14101 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14102 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14104 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14105 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14106 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14107 default is @code{nil}.
14109 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14110 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14111 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14113 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14114 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14115 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14120 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14121 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14122 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14123 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14124 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14125 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14126 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14131 @subsubsection MH Spool
14133 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14135 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14136 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14137 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14138 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14140 Virtual server settings:
14143 @item nnmh-directory
14144 @vindex nnmh-directory
14145 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14146 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14149 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14150 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14151 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14155 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14156 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14157 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14158 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14159 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14160 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14161 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14166 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14168 @cindex mbox folders
14169 @cindex mail folders
14171 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14172 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14173 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14176 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14178 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14179 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14180 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14181 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14182 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14183 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14184 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14185 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14186 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14187 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14189 Virtual server settings:
14192 @item nnfolder-directory
14193 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14194 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14195 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14198 @item nnfolder-active-file
14199 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14200 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14202 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14203 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14204 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14205 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14207 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14208 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14209 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14212 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14213 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14214 @cindex backup files
14215 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14216 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14217 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14218 your @file{.emacs} file:
14221 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14222 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14224 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14227 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14228 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14229 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14230 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14231 extract some information from it before removing it.
14233 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14234 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14235 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14236 default is @code{nil}.
14238 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14239 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14240 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14242 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14243 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14244 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14245 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14247 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14248 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14249 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14250 default is @code{nil}.
14252 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14253 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14254 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14256 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14257 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14258 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14259 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14264 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14265 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14266 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14267 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14268 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14269 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14272 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14273 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14275 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14276 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14277 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14278 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14279 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14281 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14282 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14283 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14284 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14285 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14286 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14287 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14288 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14291 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14292 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14293 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14294 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14299 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14300 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14301 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14302 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14303 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14304 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14305 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14306 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14307 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14308 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14309 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14310 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14311 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14316 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14317 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14318 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14319 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14320 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14321 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14322 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14323 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14324 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14325 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14326 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14327 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14328 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14329 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14331 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14332 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14337 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14338 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14339 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14340 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14341 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14342 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14343 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14344 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14345 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14346 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14347 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14348 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14349 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14350 provided by the active file and overviews.
14352 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14353 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
14354 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14355 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14356 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14359 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14360 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14365 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14366 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14367 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14368 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14369 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14370 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14371 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14375 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14376 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14377 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14378 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14379 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14380 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14381 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14382 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14383 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14385 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14386 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14387 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14388 friendly mail back end all over.
14392 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14393 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14394 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14395 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14396 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14397 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14398 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14399 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14402 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14403 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14404 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14405 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14406 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14407 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14408 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14409 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14410 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14411 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14412 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14414 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14415 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14416 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14417 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14418 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14419 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14420 This will probably be changed in the future.
14422 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14423 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14424 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14425 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14426 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14429 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14430 parameters slightly different from those of other mail backends.
14432 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14433 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14434 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14435 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14436 parameter to somthing small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14437 would) to make it use less memory.
14439 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14440 with other backends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14441 depending in part on your filesystem.
14443 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14444 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived backend.
14449 @node Browsing the Web
14450 @section Browsing the Web
14452 @cindex browsing the web
14456 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14457 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14458 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14459 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14460 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14461 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14462 even know what a news group is.
14464 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14465 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14466 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14467 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14468 you mad in the end.
14470 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14473 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14474 interfaces to these sources.
14478 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14479 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14480 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14481 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14482 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14483 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14486 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14488 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14489 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14490 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14491 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14492 though, you should be ok.
14494 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14495 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14496 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14497 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14498 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14500 @node Archiving Mail
14501 @subsection Archiving Mail
14502 @cindex archiving mail
14503 @cindex backup of mail
14505 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14506 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14507 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14508 marks is fairly simple.
14510 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14511 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14514 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14515 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14516 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14517 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14518 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14519 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14520 might interfer with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14521 before you restore the data.
14523 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14524 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14525 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14526 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14527 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14528 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14529 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14530 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14531 is unnecessary in that case.
14534 @subsection Web Searches
14539 @cindex Usenet searches
14540 @cindex searching the Usenet
14542 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14543 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14544 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14545 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14546 searches without having to use a browser.
14548 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14549 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14550 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14551 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14552 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14554 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14555 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14556 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14557 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14558 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14559 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14560 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14561 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14562 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14563 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14566 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14567 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14568 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14569 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14570 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14571 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14573 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14574 to use @code{nnweb}.
14576 Virtual server variables:
14581 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14582 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14583 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14586 @vindex nnweb-search
14587 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14589 @item nnweb-max-hits
14590 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14591 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14594 @item nnweb-type-definition
14595 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14596 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14597 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14602 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14606 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14609 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14612 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14616 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14623 @subsection Slashdot
14627 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14628 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14629 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14631 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14632 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14635 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14636 '((nnslashdot "")))
14639 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14640 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14641 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14642 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14643 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14646 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14647 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14649 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14650 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14651 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14652 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14653 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14654 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14657 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14660 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14661 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14662 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14663 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14664 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14665 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14666 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14668 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14669 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14670 The login name to use when posting.
14672 @item nnslashdot-password
14673 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14674 The password to use when posting.
14676 @item nnslashdot-directory
14677 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14678 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14679 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14681 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14682 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14683 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14684 news articles and comments. The default is
14685 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14687 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14688 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14689 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14691 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14693 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14694 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14695 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14697 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14699 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14700 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14701 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14703 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14704 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14705 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14706 updated. The default is 0.
14713 @subsection Ultimate
14715 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14717 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14718 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14719 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14720 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14722 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14723 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14724 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14725 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14726 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14727 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14728 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14730 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14733 @item nnultimate-directory
14734 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14735 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14736 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14741 @subsection Web Archive
14743 @cindex Web Archive
14745 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14746 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14747 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14748 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14751 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14752 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14753 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14754 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14755 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14756 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14757 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14759 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14762 @item nnwarchive-directory
14763 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14764 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14765 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14767 @item nnwarchive-login
14768 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14769 The account name on the web server.
14771 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14772 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14773 The password for your account on the web server.
14781 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14782 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14783 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14786 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14787 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14790 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14793 @item nnrss-directory
14794 @vindex nnrss-directory
14795 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14796 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14800 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14801 the summary buffer.
14804 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14805 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14807 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14809 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14810 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14813 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14816 (require 'browse-url)
14818 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14820 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14823 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14824 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14826 (browse-url (cdr url))
14827 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14829 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14830 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14831 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14832 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14835 @node Customizing w3
14836 @subsection Customizing w3
14842 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14843 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14844 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14846 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14847 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14848 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14851 (eval-after-load "w3"
14853 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14854 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14855 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14856 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14858 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14861 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14862 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14871 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14872 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14873 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14874 specify the network address of the server.
14876 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14877 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14878 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14879 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14880 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14882 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14883 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14884 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14885 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14887 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14888 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14889 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14890 usage explained in this section.
14892 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14893 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14894 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14897 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14898 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14899 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14901 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14902 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14903 ; a UW server running on localhost
14905 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14906 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14907 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14908 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14909 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14910 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14911 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14912 (nnimap-stream network))
14913 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14915 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14916 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14917 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14920 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14925 @item nnimap-address
14926 @vindex nnimap-address
14928 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14929 server name if not specified.
14931 @item nnimap-server-port
14932 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14933 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14935 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14938 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14939 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14942 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14943 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14944 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14945 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14946 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14947 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14948 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14950 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14951 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14952 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14955 Example server specification:
14958 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14959 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14960 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14963 @item nnimap-stream
14964 @vindex nnimap-stream
14965 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14966 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14967 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
14968 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
14970 Example server specification:
14973 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14974 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14977 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14981 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
14982 @samp{imtest} program.
14984 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14986 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14987 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14990 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
14991 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
14992 library @samp{ssl.el}.
14994 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14996 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14999 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15000 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15001 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15002 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15003 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15004 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15005 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15006 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15007 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15010 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15011 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15012 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15013 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
15014 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15015 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15016 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15017 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
15018 distribution, for instance).
15020 @vindex imap-shell-program
15021 @vindex imap-shell-host
15022 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15023 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15025 @item nnimap-authenticator
15026 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15028 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15029 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15031 Example server specification:
15034 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15035 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15038 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15042 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15043 external program @code{imtest}.
15045 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15048 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15049 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15051 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15053 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15055 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
15058 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15060 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15061 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15062 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15063 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15064 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15065 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15068 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15069 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15070 running in circles yet?
15072 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15073 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15076 The possible options are:
15081 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15084 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15085 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15086 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15087 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15089 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15094 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15095 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15097 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15098 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15099 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15100 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15101 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15104 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15105 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15108 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15109 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15110 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15111 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15114 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15115 as ticked for other users.
15117 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15119 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15121 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15122 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15123 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15124 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15126 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15127 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15128 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15129 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15131 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15132 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15134 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15135 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15136 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15142 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15143 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15144 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15149 @node Splitting in IMAP
15150 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15151 @cindex splitting imap mail
15153 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15154 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15155 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15156 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15157 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15161 Here are the variables of interest:
15165 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15166 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15168 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15170 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15171 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15173 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15175 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15176 @cindex splitting, inbox
15178 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15180 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15181 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15185 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15186 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15189 No nnmail equivalent.
15191 @item nnimap-split-rule
15192 @cindex Splitting, rules
15193 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15195 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15198 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15199 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15200 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15201 Neither did I, we need examples.
15204 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15206 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15207 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15208 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15211 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15212 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15213 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15215 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15216 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15220 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15223 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15224 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15225 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15226 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15228 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15229 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15230 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15231 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15232 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15233 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15235 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15236 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15237 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15239 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15240 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15241 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15243 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15245 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15246 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15247 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15250 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15251 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15252 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15253 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15254 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15255 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15258 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15259 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15260 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15261 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15262 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15263 group/function elements.
15265 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15267 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15269 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15271 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15272 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15274 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15275 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15276 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15279 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15280 @cindex splitting, fancy
15281 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15282 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15284 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15285 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15286 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15288 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15289 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15290 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15291 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15296 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15297 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15300 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15304 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15305 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15306 @cindex editing imap acls
15307 @cindex Access Control Lists
15308 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15310 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15312 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15313 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15314 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15317 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15318 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15319 editing window with detailed instructions.
15321 Some possible uses:
15325 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15326 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15327 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15329 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15330 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15331 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15335 @node Expunging mailboxes
15336 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15340 @cindex Manual expunging
15342 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15344 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15345 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15346 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15348 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15353 @node Other Sources
15354 @section Other Sources
15356 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15357 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15361 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15362 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15363 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15364 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15365 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15369 @node Directory Groups
15370 @subsection Directory Groups
15372 @cindex directory groups
15374 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15375 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15378 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15379 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15380 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15381 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15383 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15384 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15385 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15386 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15387 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15389 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15391 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15392 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15393 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15394 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15397 @node Anything Groups
15398 @subsection Anything Groups
15401 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15402 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15403 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15406 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15407 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15408 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15409 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15410 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15411 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15412 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15413 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15414 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15415 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15418 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15419 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15420 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15421 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15423 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15424 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15425 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15426 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15428 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15429 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15430 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15431 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15432 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15433 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15434 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15435 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15440 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15441 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15442 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15443 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15445 @item nneething-exclude-files
15446 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15447 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15448 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15450 @item nneething-include-files
15451 @vindex nneething-include-files
15452 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15453 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15455 @item nneething-map-file
15456 @vindex nneething-map-file
15457 Name of the map files.
15461 @node Document Groups
15462 @subsection Document Groups
15464 @cindex documentation group
15467 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15468 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15475 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15480 The standard Unix mbox file.
15482 @cindex MMDF mail box
15484 The MMDF mail box format.
15487 Several news articles appended into a file.
15490 @cindex rnews batch files
15491 The rnews batch transport format.
15492 @cindex forwarded messages
15495 Forwarded articles.
15498 Netscape mail boxes.
15501 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15503 @item standard-digest
15504 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15507 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15509 @item lanl-gov-announce
15510 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15512 @item rfc822-forward
15513 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15516 The Outlook mail box.
15519 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15522 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15525 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15528 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15534 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15537 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15543 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15544 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15545 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15548 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15549 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15550 group. And that's it.
15552 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15553 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15554 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15555 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15556 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15557 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15558 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15559 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15560 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15561 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15563 Virtual server variables:
15566 @item nndoc-article-type
15567 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15568 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15569 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15570 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15571 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15572 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15574 @item nndoc-post-type
15575 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15576 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15577 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15582 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15586 @node Document Server Internals
15587 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15589 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15590 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15591 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15592 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15594 First, here's an example document type definition:
15598 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15599 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15602 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15603 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15604 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15605 types can be defined with very few settings:
15608 @item first-article
15609 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15610 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15613 @item article-begin
15614 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15615 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15617 @item head-begin-function
15618 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15621 @item nndoc-head-begin
15622 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15625 @item nndoc-head-end
15626 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15627 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15629 @item body-begin-function
15630 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15634 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15637 @item body-end-function
15638 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15642 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15645 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15646 regexp will be totally ignored.
15650 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15651 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15652 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15653 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15654 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15657 @item prepare-body-function
15658 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15659 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15660 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15662 @item article-transform-function
15663 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15664 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15665 body of the article.
15667 @item generate-head-function
15668 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15669 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15670 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15671 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15675 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15680 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15681 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15682 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15683 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15684 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15685 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15686 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15687 (subtype digest guess))
15690 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15691 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15692 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15693 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15694 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15696 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15697 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15698 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15699 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15700 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
15701 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15702 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15703 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15704 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15705 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15713 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15714 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15715 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15717 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15718 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15719 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15722 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15723 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15724 that interested in doing things properly.
15726 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15727 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15730 First some terminology:
15735 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15736 get news and/or mail from.
15739 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15740 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15743 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15747 @item message packets
15748 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15749 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15750 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15752 @item response packets
15753 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15754 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15755 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15765 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15766 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15767 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15768 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15771 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15774 You put the packet in your home directory.
15777 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15778 the native or secondary server.
15781 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15782 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15785 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15789 You transfer this packet to the server.
15792 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15795 You then repeat until you die.
15799 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15800 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15803 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15804 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15805 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15809 @node SOUP Commands
15810 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15812 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15816 @kindex G s b (Group)
15817 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15818 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15819 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15820 process/prefix convention.
15823 @kindex G s w (Group)
15824 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15825 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15828 @kindex G s s (Group)
15829 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15830 Send all replies from the replies packet
15831 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15834 @kindex G s p (Group)
15835 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15836 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15839 @kindex G s r (Group)
15840 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15841 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15844 @kindex O s (Summary)
15845 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15846 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15847 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15848 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15853 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
15858 @item gnus-soup-directory
15859 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
15860 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
15861 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
15863 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
15864 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
15865 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
15866 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
15868 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
15869 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
15870 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
15871 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
15873 @item gnus-soup-packer
15874 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
15875 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15876 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
15878 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
15879 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
15880 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15881 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15883 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
15884 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
15885 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
15887 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15888 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15889 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
15890 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
15896 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
15899 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
15900 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
15901 you can read them at leisure.
15903 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
15907 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
15908 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
15909 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
15910 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
15912 @item nnsoup-directory
15913 @vindex nnsoup-directory
15914 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
15915 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
15917 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
15918 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
15919 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
15920 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
15922 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
15923 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
15924 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
15925 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
15926 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
15928 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
15929 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
15930 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
15931 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
15933 @item nnsoup-active-file
15934 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
15935 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
15936 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
15937 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
15938 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
15940 @item nnsoup-packer
15941 @vindex nnsoup-packer
15942 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
15943 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
15945 @item nnsoup-unpacker
15946 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
15947 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
15948 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15950 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
15951 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
15952 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
15955 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
15956 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
15957 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
15960 @item nnsoup-always-save
15961 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
15962 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
15968 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
15970 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
15971 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
15972 more for that to happen.
15974 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
15975 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
15976 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
15979 In specific, this is what it does:
15982 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
15983 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
15986 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
15987 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
15988 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
15991 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
15992 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
15993 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
15996 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
15997 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
15998 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16000 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16006 @item nngateway-address
16007 @vindex nngateway-address
16008 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16010 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16011 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16012 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16013 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16014 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16015 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16016 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16019 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16020 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16021 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16024 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16027 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16030 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16033 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16035 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16038 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16039 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16040 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16042 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16044 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16045 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16046 @code{nngateway-address}.
16051 (setq gnus-post-method
16053 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16054 (nngateway-header-transformation
16055 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16063 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16066 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16071 @node Combined Groups
16072 @section Combined Groups
16074 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16078 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16079 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16083 @node Virtual Groups
16084 @subsection Virtual Groups
16086 @cindex virtual groups
16087 @cindex merging groups
16089 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16092 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16093 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16094 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16096 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16097 regexp to match component groups.
16099 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16100 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16101 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16102 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16103 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16104 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16105 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16106 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16108 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16109 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16112 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16115 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16116 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16118 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16119 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16120 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16121 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16124 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16127 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16128 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16129 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16131 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16132 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16133 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16134 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16135 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16137 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16138 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16139 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16141 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16142 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16143 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16144 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16145 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16146 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16147 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16148 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16149 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16150 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16151 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16153 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16154 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16155 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16156 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16157 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16158 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16159 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16161 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16162 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16164 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16165 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16169 @node Kibozed Groups
16170 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16174 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16175 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16176 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16177 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16179 @kindex G k (Group)
16180 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16183 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16184 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16185 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16186 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16188 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16189 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16190 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16192 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16193 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16194 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16195 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16196 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16197 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16198 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16199 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16201 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16202 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16203 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16204 Stranger things have happened.
16206 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16207 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16209 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16210 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16211 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16212 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16213 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16214 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16216 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16217 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16220 @node Gnus Unplugged
16221 @section Gnus Unplugged
16226 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16228 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16229 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16230 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16231 read news. Believe it or not.
16233 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16234 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16235 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16236 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16237 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16239 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16240 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16241 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16242 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16243 reading news on a machine.
16245 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16246 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16248 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16251 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16252 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16253 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16254 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16255 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16256 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16257 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16258 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16259 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16260 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16261 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16266 @subsection Agent Basics
16268 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16270 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16271 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16272 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16273 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16275 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16276 connected to the net continuously.
16278 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16279 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16281 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16286 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16287 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16288 already fetched while in this mode.
16291 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16292 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16293 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16294 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16295 Source Specifiers}).
16298 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16299 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16300 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16301 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16302 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16305 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16306 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16307 then you read the news offline.
16310 And then you go to step 2.
16313 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16319 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16320 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16321 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16322 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16323 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16324 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16325 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16326 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16329 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16336 @node Agent Categories
16337 @subsection Agent Categories
16339 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16340 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16341 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16342 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16343 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16344 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16345 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16347 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16348 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16349 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16350 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16351 managing categories.
16354 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16355 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16356 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16360 @node Category Syntax
16361 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16363 A category consists of two things.
16367 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16368 are eligible for downloading; and
16371 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16372 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16373 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16376 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16377 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16378 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16379 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16381 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16382 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16383 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16385 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16386 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16387 operators sprinkled in between.
16389 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16391 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16392 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16398 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16399 short (for some value of ``short'').
16401 Here's a more complex predicate:
16410 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16411 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16414 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16415 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16416 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16418 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16419 you want to do, you can write your own.
16423 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16424 lines; default 100.
16427 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16428 lines; default 200.
16431 True iff the article has a download score less than
16432 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16435 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16436 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16439 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16440 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16441 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16450 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16451 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16452 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16455 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16456 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16457 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16458 something along the lines of the following:
16461 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16462 "Say whether an article is old."
16463 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16464 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16467 with the predicate then defined as:
16470 (not my-article-old-p)
16473 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16474 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16478 (require 'gnus-agent)
16479 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16480 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16481 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16484 and simply specify your predicate as:
16490 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16491 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16492 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16493 just don't give a damn.
16495 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16496 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16497 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16498 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16499 parameters like so:
16502 (agent-predicate . short)
16505 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16506 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16507 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16509 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16512 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16515 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16516 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16517 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16520 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16521 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16522 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16523 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16524 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16525 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16527 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16528 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16529 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16530 if it's to be specific to that group.
16532 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16539 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16540 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16546 Category specification
16550 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16556 Group Parameter specification
16559 (agent-score ("from"
16560 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16565 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16571 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16578 Category specification
16581 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16587 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16591 Group Parameter specification
16594 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16597 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16602 Use @code{normal} score files
16604 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16605 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16606 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16607 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16609 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16610 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16611 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16612 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16616 Category Specification
16623 Group Parameter specification
16626 (agent-score . file)
16631 @node Category Buffer
16632 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16634 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16635 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16636 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16638 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16642 @kindex q (Category)
16643 @findex gnus-category-exit
16644 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16647 @kindex k (Category)
16648 @findex gnus-category-kill
16649 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16652 @kindex c (Category)
16653 @findex gnus-category-copy
16654 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16657 @kindex a (Category)
16658 @findex gnus-category-add
16659 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16662 @kindex p (Category)
16663 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16664 Edit the predicate of the current category
16665 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16668 @kindex g (Category)
16669 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16670 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16671 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16674 @kindex s (Category)
16675 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16676 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16677 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16680 @kindex l (Category)
16681 @findex gnus-category-list
16682 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16686 @node Category Variables
16687 @subsubsection Category Variables
16690 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16691 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16692 Hook run in category buffers.
16694 @item gnus-category-line-format
16695 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16696 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16697 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16701 The name of the category.
16704 The number of groups in the category.
16707 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16708 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16709 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16711 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16712 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16713 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16715 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16716 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16717 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16719 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16720 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16721 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16724 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16725 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16726 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16732 @node Agent Commands
16733 @subsection Agent Commands
16735 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16736 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16737 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16741 * Group Agent Commands::
16742 * Summary Agent Commands::
16743 * Server Agent Commands::
16746 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
16747 following incantation:
16749 @cindex gnus-agent-batch
16751 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch
16756 @node Group Agent Commands
16757 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16761 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16762 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16763 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16764 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16767 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16768 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16769 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16772 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16773 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16774 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16775 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16778 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16779 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16780 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16781 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16784 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16785 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16786 Add the current group to an Agent category
16787 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16788 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16791 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16792 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16793 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16794 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16795 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16798 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16799 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16800 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16806 @node Summary Agent Commands
16807 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16811 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16812 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16813 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16816 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16817 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16818 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16819 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16822 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16823 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16824 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16827 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16828 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16829 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16832 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16833 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16834 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16835 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16840 @node Server Agent Commands
16841 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16845 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16846 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16847 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16848 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16851 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16852 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16853 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16854 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
16859 @node Agent as Cache
16860 @subsection Agent as Cache
16862 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
16863 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
16864 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
16865 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
16866 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
16867 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
16868 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
16869 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
16870 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
16872 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
16873 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
16876 @subsection Agent Expiry
16878 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
16879 @findex gnus-agent-expire
16880 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
16881 @cindex Agent expiry
16882 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
16885 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
16886 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
16887 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
16888 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
16889 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
16890 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
16892 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
16893 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
16894 expiry in different groups.
16897 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
16903 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
16904 method---it must always match all groups.
16906 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
16907 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
16908 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
16909 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
16910 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
16912 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
16913 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
16914 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
16915 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
16917 @node Agent and IMAP
16918 @subsection Agent and IMAP
16920 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
16921 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
16922 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
16923 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
16925 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
16926 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
16927 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
16928 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
16930 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
16931 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
16932 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
16933 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
16935 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16936 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
16937 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
16938 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
16939 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
16940 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
16942 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
16943 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
16944 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
16945 in the group buffer.
16947 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
16948 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
16953 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
16956 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
16960 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
16961 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
16962 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
16963 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
16964 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
16965 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
16966 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
16967 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
16970 @node Outgoing Messages
16971 @subsection Outgoing Messages
16973 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
16974 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
16975 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
16977 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
16978 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
16979 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
16980 messages in the draft group.
16984 @node Agent Variables
16985 @subsection Agent Variables
16988 @item gnus-agent-directory
16989 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
16990 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
16991 @file{~/News/agent/}.
16993 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
16994 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
16995 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
16996 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
16997 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17000 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17001 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17002 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17004 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17005 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17006 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17008 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17009 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17010 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17012 @item gnus-agent-cache
17013 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17014 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17015 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17016 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17018 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17019 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17020 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17021 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17022 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17023 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17024 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17030 @node Example Setup
17031 @subsection Example Setup
17033 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17034 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17035 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17038 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17039 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17040 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17042 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17043 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17044 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17046 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17047 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17049 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17050 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17051 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17054 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17055 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17058 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17059 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17060 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17061 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17062 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17065 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17066 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17067 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17068 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17069 back all the killed groups.)
17071 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17072 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17073 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17076 @node Batching Agents
17077 @subsection Batching Agents
17079 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17080 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17081 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17085 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
17089 @node Agent Caveats
17090 @subsection Agent Caveats
17092 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17093 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17097 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17101 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17103 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17107 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17108 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
17109 locally stored articles.
17116 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17117 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17118 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17121 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17122 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17123 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17124 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17125 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17127 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17128 before generating the summary buffer.
17130 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17131 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17132 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17134 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17135 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17136 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17137 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17140 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17141 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17142 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17143 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17144 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17145 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17146 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17147 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17148 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17149 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17150 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17151 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17152 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17153 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17154 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17155 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17156 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17160 @node Summary Score Commands
17161 @section Summary Score Commands
17162 @cindex score commands
17164 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17165 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17166 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17167 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17168 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17170 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17171 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17172 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17173 score file the current one.
17175 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17180 @kindex V s (Summary)
17181 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17182 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17185 @kindex V S (Summary)
17186 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17187 Display the score of the current article
17188 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17191 @kindex V t (Summary)
17192 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17193 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17194 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17197 @kindex V w (Summary)
17198 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17199 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17202 @kindex V R (Summary)
17203 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17204 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17205 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17206 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17207 effect you're having.
17210 @kindex V c (Summary)
17211 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17212 Make a different score file the current
17213 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17216 @kindex V e (Summary)
17217 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17218 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17219 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17223 @kindex V f (Summary)
17224 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17225 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17226 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17229 @kindex V F (Summary)
17230 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17231 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17232 after editing score files.
17235 @kindex V C (Summary)
17236 @findex gnus-score-customize
17237 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17238 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17242 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17247 @kindex V m (Summary)
17248 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17249 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17250 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17253 @kindex V x (Summary)
17254 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17255 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17256 expunge all articles below this score
17257 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17260 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17261 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17264 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17265 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17269 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17270 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17272 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17273 keys are available:
17277 Score on the author name.
17280 Score on the subject line.
17283 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17286 Score on the @code{References} line.
17292 Score on the number of lines.
17295 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17298 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17299 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17302 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17303 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17304 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17313 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17319 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17320 what headers you are scoring on.
17332 Substring matching.
17335 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17364 Greater than number.
17369 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17370 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17371 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17376 Temporary score entry.
17379 Permanent score entry.
17382 Immediately scoring.
17386 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17387 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17388 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17392 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17393 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17394 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17395 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17397 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17398 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17399 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17400 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17401 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17403 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17404 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17405 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17406 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17407 current score file.
17409 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17410 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17411 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17414 @node Group Score Commands
17415 @section Group Score Commands
17416 @cindex group score commands
17418 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17423 @kindex W f (Group)
17424 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17425 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17426 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17427 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17431 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17433 @findex gnus-batch-score
17434 @cindex batch scoring
17436 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17440 @node Score Variables
17441 @section Score Variables
17442 @cindex score variables
17446 @item gnus-use-scoring
17447 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17448 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17449 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17451 @item gnus-kill-killed
17452 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17453 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17454 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17455 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17456 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17457 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17458 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17460 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17461 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17462 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17463 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17464 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17466 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17467 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17468 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17469 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17471 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17472 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17473 @cindex score cache
17474 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17475 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17476 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
17477 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17478 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17479 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17482 @item gnus-save-score
17483 @vindex gnus-save-score
17484 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17485 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17486 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17488 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17489 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17490 across group visits.
17492 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17493 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17494 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17495 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17496 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17497 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17498 manually entered data.
17500 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17501 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17502 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17504 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17505 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17506 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17507 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17508 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17509 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17511 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17512 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17513 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17514 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17516 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17517 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17518 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17519 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17521 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17522 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17523 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17524 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17526 Predefined functions available are:
17529 @item gnus-score-find-single
17530 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17531 Only apply the group's own score file.
17533 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17534 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17535 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17536 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17537 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17538 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17539 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17540 then a regexp match is done.
17542 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17543 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17545 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17546 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17547 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17548 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17550 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17551 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17552 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17553 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17554 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17558 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17559 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17560 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17561 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17562 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17563 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17564 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17567 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17568 overall score file, you could use the value
17570 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17571 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17574 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17575 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17576 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17577 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17578 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17580 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17581 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17582 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17583 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17584 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17585 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17586 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17587 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17589 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17590 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17591 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17593 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17594 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17595 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17596 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17597 threading---according to the current value of
17598 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17599 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17600 simplified in this manner.
17605 @node Score File Format
17606 @section Score File Format
17607 @cindex score file format
17609 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17610 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17611 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17613 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17617 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17619 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17621 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17623 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17628 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17632 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17633 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17634 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17635 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17639 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17640 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17642 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17643 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17644 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17646 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17651 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17652 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17653 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17654 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17655 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17656 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17657 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17658 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17659 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17660 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17661 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17662 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17663 to articles that matches these score entries.
17665 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17666 score entry has one to four elements.
17670 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17671 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17675 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17676 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17677 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17678 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17679 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17680 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17683 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17684 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17685 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17686 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17687 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17690 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17691 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17692 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17693 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17696 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17697 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17698 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17699 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17700 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17701 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17702 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17703 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17704 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17705 instead, if you feel like.
17708 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17709 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17710 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17711 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17712 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17713 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17716 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17720 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17721 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17723 These predicates are true if
17726 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17729 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17730 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17737 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17738 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17739 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17740 it's not. I think.)
17742 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17743 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17744 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17745 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17748 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17749 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17750 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17751 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17752 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17753 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17754 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17758 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17759 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17760 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17761 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17762 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17763 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17764 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17765 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17768 @item Head, Body, All
17769 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17773 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17774 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17775 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17776 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17777 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17778 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17779 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17783 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17784 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17785 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17786 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17787 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17788 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17789 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17790 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17791 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17792 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17793 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17797 @cindex Score File Atoms
17799 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17800 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17803 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17804 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17806 @item mark-and-expunge
17807 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17808 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17811 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17812 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17813 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17814 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17815 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17818 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17819 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17822 @item exclude-files
17823 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17824 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17828 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17829 ignored when handling global score files.
17832 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17833 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17834 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17835 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17838 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17839 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17840 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17841 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17843 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17847 (mark-and-expunge -100)
17850 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
17851 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
17852 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
17853 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
17854 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
17856 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
17857 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
17858 scoring rules exist.
17861 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
17862 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
17863 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
17864 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
17865 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
17866 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
17867 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17868 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
17869 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
17870 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
17871 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
17875 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
17876 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
17877 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
17878 file for a number of groups.
17881 @cindex local variables
17882 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
17883 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
17884 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
17885 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
17886 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
17890 @node Score File Editing
17891 @section Score File Editing
17893 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
17894 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
17895 with a mode for that.
17897 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
17898 additional commands:
17903 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
17904 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
17905 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
17906 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
17909 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
17910 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
17911 Insert the current date in numerical format
17912 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
17913 you were wondering.
17916 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
17917 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
17918 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
17919 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
17920 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
17925 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
17927 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
17928 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
17930 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
17931 e} to begin editing score files.
17934 @node Adaptive Scoring
17935 @section Adaptive Scoring
17936 @cindex adaptive scoring
17938 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
17939 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
17940 stupidity, to be precise.
17942 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
17943 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
17944 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
17945 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
17946 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17947 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
17948 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
17949 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
17950 variable to @code{(word line)}.
17952 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17953 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
17954 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
17955 might look something like this:
17958 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17959 '((gnus-unread-mark)
17960 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
17961 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
17962 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
17963 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
17964 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
17965 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
17966 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
17967 (gnus-ancient-mark)
17968 (gnus-low-score-mark)
17969 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
17972 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
17973 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
17974 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
17975 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
17976 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
17977 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
17980 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
17981 will be applied to each article.
17983 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
17984 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
17985 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
17986 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
17988 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
17989 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
17990 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
17991 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
17993 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
17994 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
17995 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
17996 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
17998 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
17999 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18000 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18001 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18002 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18003 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18005 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
18006 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
18007 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
18008 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
18009 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
18010 aspirins afterwards.)
18012 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18013 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18014 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18016 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18017 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18018 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18020 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18021 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18022 let you use different rules in different groups.
18024 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18025 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18026 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18029 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18030 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18031 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18032 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18033 the length of the match is less than
18034 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18035 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18038 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18039 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18040 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18041 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18042 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18045 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18046 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18047 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18048 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18049 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18052 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18053 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18054 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18055 score with 30 points.
18057 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18058 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18059 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18060 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18061 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18063 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18064 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18065 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18066 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18067 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
18069 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18070 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18071 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18072 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18074 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18075 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18076 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18077 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18079 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18080 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18081 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18082 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18083 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18085 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18086 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18087 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18089 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18090 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18091 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18092 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18095 @node Home Score File
18096 @section Home Score File
18098 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18099 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18100 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18101 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18103 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18104 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18105 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18107 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18108 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18113 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18117 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18118 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18122 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18126 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18127 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18130 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18131 the home score file.
18134 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18137 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18142 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18145 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18146 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18149 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18150 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18152 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18154 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18155 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18158 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18159 Other functions include
18162 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18163 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18164 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18165 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18169 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18170 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18171 their own home score files:
18174 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18175 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18176 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18177 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18178 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18181 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18182 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18183 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18184 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18185 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18187 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18188 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18189 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18190 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18191 precedence over this variable.
18194 @node Followups To Yourself
18195 @section Followups To Yourself
18197 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18198 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18199 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18200 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18201 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18202 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18206 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18207 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18208 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18211 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18212 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18213 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18217 @vindex message-sent-hook
18218 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18219 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18221 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18225 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18226 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18230 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18231 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18234 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18235 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18240 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18244 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18245 is system-dependent.
18248 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18249 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18250 @cindex scoring on other headers
18252 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18253 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18254 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18255 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18256 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18258 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18259 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18260 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18261 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18262 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18264 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18267 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18268 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18271 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18272 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18273 time if you have much mail.
18275 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18276 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18282 @section Scoring Tips
18283 @cindex scoring tips
18289 @cindex scoring crossposts
18290 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18291 the @code{Xref} header.
18293 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18296 @item Multiple crossposts
18297 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18298 more than, say, 3 groups:
18301 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18305 @item Matching on the body
18306 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18307 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18308 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18309 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18310 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18311 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18312 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18315 @item Marking as read
18316 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18317 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18318 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18322 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18324 @item Negated character classes
18325 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18326 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18327 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18331 @node Reverse Scoring
18332 @section Reverse Scoring
18333 @cindex reverse scoring
18335 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18336 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18337 like this in your score file:
18341 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18346 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18347 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18350 @node Global Score Files
18351 @section Global Score Files
18352 @cindex global score files
18354 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18355 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18356 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18358 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18359 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18360 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18362 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18363 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18364 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18365 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18366 files are applicable to which group.
18368 To use the score file
18369 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18370 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18374 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18375 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18376 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18379 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18381 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18382 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18383 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18384 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18386 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18387 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18389 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18390 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18391 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18392 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18393 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18394 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18396 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18402 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18404 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18406 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18408 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18409 lowered out of existence.
18411 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18412 articles completely.
18415 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18416 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18417 old articles for a long time.
18420 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18421 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18422 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18423 holding our breath yet?
18427 @section Kill Files
18430 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18431 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18432 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18434 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18435 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18436 files into score files.
18438 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18439 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18440 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18441 that isn't a very good idea.
18443 Normal kill files look like this:
18446 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18447 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18451 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18452 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18454 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18455 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18458 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18463 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18464 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18465 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18468 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18469 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18470 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18473 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18478 @kindex M-k (Group)
18479 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18480 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18483 @kindex M-K (Group)
18484 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18485 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18488 Kill file variables:
18491 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18492 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18493 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18494 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18495 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18496 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18497 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18499 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18500 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18501 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18502 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18505 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18506 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18507 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18508 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18509 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18510 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18511 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18512 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18513 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18515 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18516 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18517 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18522 @node Converting Kill Files
18523 @section Converting Kill Files
18525 @cindex converting kill files
18527 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18528 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18529 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18532 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18533 You can fetch it from
18534 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18536 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18537 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18538 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18546 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18547 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18548 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18549 news articles generated every day.
18551 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18552 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18553 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18554 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18555 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18556 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18557 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18558 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18561 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18562 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18565 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18566 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18567 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18568 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18572 @node Using GroupLens
18573 @subsection Using GroupLens
18575 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18577 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18578 better bit in town at the moment.
18580 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18584 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18585 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18586 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18587 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18589 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18590 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18591 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18592 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18594 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18595 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18596 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18600 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18601 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18602 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18603 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18604 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18605 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18608 @node Rating Articles
18609 @subsection Rating Articles
18611 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18612 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18613 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18614 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18617 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18622 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18623 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18624 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18627 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18628 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18629 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18630 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18631 threads in rec.humor.
18635 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18636 the score of the article you're reading.
18641 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18642 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18643 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18646 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18647 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18648 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18652 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18653 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18656 @node Displaying Predictions
18657 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18659 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18660 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18661 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18662 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18663 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18665 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18666 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18667 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18668 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18669 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18670 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18671 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18672 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18673 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18674 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18675 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18676 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18677 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18679 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18680 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18681 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18682 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18684 The following are valid values for that variable.
18687 @item prediction-spot
18688 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18691 @item confidence-interval
18692 A numeric confidence interval.
18694 @item prediction-bar
18695 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18697 @item confidence-bar
18698 Numerical confidence.
18700 @item confidence-spot
18701 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18703 @item prediction-num
18704 Plain-old numeric value.
18706 @item confidence-plus-minus
18707 Prediction +/- confidence.
18712 @node GroupLens Variables
18713 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18717 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18718 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18719 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18720 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18723 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18724 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18727 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18728 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18730 @item grouplens-score-offset
18731 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18732 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18735 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18736 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18737 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18742 @node Advanced Scoring
18743 @section Advanced Scoring
18745 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18746 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18747 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18748 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18749 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18751 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18755 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18756 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18757 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18761 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18762 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18764 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18765 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18766 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18767 non-@code{nil} value.
18769 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18770 operator, and various match operators.
18777 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18778 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18779 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18784 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18785 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18786 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18791 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18792 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18796 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18797 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18798 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18799 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18800 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18801 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18802 the ancestry you want to go.
18804 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18805 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18806 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18807 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18808 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18811 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18812 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18814 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18815 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18818 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18819 when he's talking about Gnus:
18823 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18824 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18830 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18834 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18841 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18842 really don't want to read what he's written:
18846 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18847 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
18851 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
18852 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
18853 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
18860 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
18861 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
18862 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
18863 ("body" "white.*socks"))
18867 The possibilities are endless.
18870 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
18871 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
18873 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
18874 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
18875 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
18876 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
18877 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
18878 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
18879 @samp{subject}) first.
18881 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
18882 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
18893 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
18894 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
18900 ("subject" "Gnus")))
18907 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
18908 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
18913 @section Score Decays
18914 @cindex score decays
18917 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
18918 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
18919 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
18920 use them in any sensible way.
18922 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
18923 @findex gnus-decay-score
18924 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
18925 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
18926 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
18927 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
18928 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
18929 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
18930 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
18931 definition of that function:
18934 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
18936 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
18937 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
18940 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
18942 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
18944 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
18947 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
18948 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
18949 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
18950 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
18954 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
18957 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
18960 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
18964 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
18965 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
18966 the new score, which should be an integer.
18968 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
18969 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
18974 @include message.texi
18975 @chapter Emacs MIME
18976 @include emacs-mime.texi
18978 @include sieve.texi
18986 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
18987 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
18988 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
18989 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
18990 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
18991 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
18992 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
18993 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
18994 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
18995 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
18996 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
18997 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
18998 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
18999 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19000 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19001 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19002 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19003 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19004 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19008 @node Process/Prefix
19009 @section Process/Prefix
19010 @cindex process/prefix convention
19012 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19013 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19015 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19016 command to be performed on.
19020 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19021 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19022 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19023 with the current one.
19025 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19026 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19027 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19029 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19030 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19033 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19034 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19036 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19039 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19040 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19041 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19042 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19044 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19045 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19046 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19047 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19048 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19049 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19050 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19051 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19053 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19054 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19055 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19056 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19057 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
19061 @section Interactive
19062 @cindex interaction
19066 @item gnus-novice-user
19067 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19068 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19069 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19070 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19071 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19074 @item gnus-expert-user
19075 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19076 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19077 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19078 matter how strange.
19080 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19081 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19082 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19083 is @code{t} by default.
19085 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19086 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19087 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19092 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19093 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19094 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19096 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19097 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19098 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19099 rule of 900 to the current article.
19101 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19102 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19103 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19104 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19105 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19106 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19107 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19109 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19110 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19111 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19112 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19113 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19114 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19115 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19116 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19117 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19119 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19120 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19121 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19123 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19127 @node Formatting Variables
19128 @section Formatting Variables
19129 @cindex formatting variables
19131 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19132 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19133 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19134 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19135 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19138 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19139 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19140 lots of percentages everywhere.
19143 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19144 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19145 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19146 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19147 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19148 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19149 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19150 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19153 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19154 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19155 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19156 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19157 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19158 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19159 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19160 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19162 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19163 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19165 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19166 @findex gnus-update-format
19167 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19168 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19169 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19170 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19174 @node Formatting Basics
19175 @subsection Formatting Basics
19177 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19178 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19179 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19181 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19182 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19183 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19184 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19185 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19188 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19189 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19190 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19191 less than 4 characters wide.
19193 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19194 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19197 @node Mode Line Formatting
19198 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19200 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19201 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19202 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19203 with the following two differences:
19208 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19211 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19212 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19213 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19214 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19215 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19216 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19217 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19222 @node Advanced Formatting
19223 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19225 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19226 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19227 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19228 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19230 These are the valid modifiers:
19235 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19239 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19244 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19247 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19252 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19255 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19258 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19261 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19267 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19272 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19273 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19274 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19275 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19276 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19277 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19278 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19280 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19281 last operation, padding.
19283 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
19284 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
19285 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
19286 @xref{Compilation}.
19289 @node User-Defined Specs
19290 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19292 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19293 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19294 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19295 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19296 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19297 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19298 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19299 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19300 should protect against that.
19302 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19303 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19305 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19306 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19307 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19308 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19312 @node Formatting Fonts
19313 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19315 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19316 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19317 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19318 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19321 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19322 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19323 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19324 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19325 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19326 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19328 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
19329 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
19330 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
19331 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
19332 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
19333 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
19334 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
19335 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
19337 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19340 ;; Create three face types.
19341 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19342 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19344 ;; We want the article count to be in
19345 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19346 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19347 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19349 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19350 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19352 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19353 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19354 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19357 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19358 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19360 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19361 mode-line variables.
19363 @node Positioning Point
19364 @subsection Positioning Point
19366 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19367 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19368 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19370 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19372 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19373 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19374 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19376 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19377 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
19378 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19383 @subsection Tabulation
19385 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19386 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19387 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19388 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19390 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19391 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19393 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19394 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19395 This is the soft tabulator.
19397 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19398 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19399 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19402 @node Wide Characters
19403 @subsection Wide Characters
19405 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19406 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19407 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19409 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19410 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19411 these coutries, that's not true.
19413 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19414 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19415 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19416 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
19420 @node Window Layout
19421 @section Window Layout
19422 @cindex window layout
19424 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19426 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19427 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19428 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19429 @code{t} by default.
19431 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19432 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19434 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19435 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19436 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19439 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19440 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19441 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19445 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19446 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19447 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19448 possible names is listed below.
19450 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19451 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19454 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19458 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19459 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19460 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19461 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19462 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19463 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19464 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19465 size spec per split.
19467 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19468 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19469 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19470 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19471 present) gets focus.
19473 Here's a more complicated example:
19476 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19477 (summary 0.25 point)
19478 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19482 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19483 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19484 occupy, not a percentage.
19486 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19487 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19488 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19489 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19490 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19493 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19496 (article (horizontal 1.0
19501 (summary 0.25 point)
19506 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19507 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19509 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19510 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19511 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19512 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19513 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19515 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19516 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19517 lines from the splits.
19519 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19523 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19524 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19525 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19526 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19527 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19528 size = number | frame-params
19529 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19532 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19533 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19534 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19535 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19537 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19538 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19539 @cindex window height
19540 @cindex window width
19541 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19542 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19543 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19544 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19545 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19546 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19548 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19549 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19550 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19551 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19553 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19554 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19555 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19556 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19557 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19558 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19559 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19560 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19561 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19562 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19563 configuration list.
19566 (gnus-configure-frame
19570 (article 0.3 point))
19578 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19579 @code{frame} split:
19582 (gnus-configure-frame
19585 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19587 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19588 (user-position . t)
19589 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19594 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19595 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19596 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19597 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19598 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19599 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19600 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19601 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19603 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19604 be found in its default value.
19606 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19607 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19608 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19612 (message (horizontal 1.0
19613 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19615 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19620 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19621 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19622 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19627 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19628 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19629 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19630 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19631 (name . "Message"))
19632 (message 1.0 point))))
19635 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19636 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19637 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19638 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19639 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19642 (gnus-add-configuration
19643 '(article (vertical 1.0
19645 (summary .25 point)
19649 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19650 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19651 Gnus has been loaded.
19653 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19654 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19655 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19656 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19657 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19659 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19660 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19661 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19664 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19668 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19669 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19684 (gnus-add-configuration
19687 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19689 (summary 0.16 point)
19692 (gnus-add-configuration
19695 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19696 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19702 @node Faces and Fonts
19703 @section Faces and Fonts
19708 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19709 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19710 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19715 @section Compilation
19716 @cindex compilation
19717 @cindex byte-compilation
19719 @findex gnus-compile
19721 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19722 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19723 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
19724 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19725 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19726 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19729 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19730 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19731 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19732 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
19733 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
19734 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
19735 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
19739 @section Mode Lines
19742 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19743 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19744 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19745 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19746 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19747 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19748 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19751 @cindex display-time
19753 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19754 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19755 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19756 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19757 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19758 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19759 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19760 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19763 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19765 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19766 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19768 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19769 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19770 (length display-time-string)))))
19773 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19774 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19775 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19776 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19777 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19780 @node Highlighting and Menus
19781 @section Highlighting and Menus
19783 @cindex highlighting
19786 @vindex gnus-visual
19787 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19788 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19789 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19792 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19793 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19796 @item group-highlight
19797 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19798 @item summary-highlight
19799 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19800 @item article-highlight
19801 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19803 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19805 Create menus in the group buffer.
19807 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19809 Create menus in the article buffer.
19811 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19813 Create menus in the server buffer.
19815 Create menus in the score buffers.
19817 Create menus in all buffers.
19820 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19821 buffers, you could say something like:
19824 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19827 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19830 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19833 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19834 in all Gnus buffers.
19836 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19839 @item gnus-mouse-face
19840 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19841 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19842 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
19846 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
19850 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
19851 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
19852 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
19854 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
19855 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
19856 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
19858 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
19859 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
19860 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
19862 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
19863 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
19864 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
19866 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
19867 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
19868 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
19870 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
19871 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
19872 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
19883 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
19884 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
19885 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
19886 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
19887 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
19891 @vindex gnus-carpal
19892 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
19893 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
19894 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
19899 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19900 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19901 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
19903 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
19904 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
19905 Face used on buttons.
19907 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
19908 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
19909 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
19911 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19912 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19913 Buttons in the group buffer.
19915 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19916 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19917 Buttons in the summary buffer.
19919 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19920 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19921 Buttons in the server buffer.
19923 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19924 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19925 Buttons in the browse buffer.
19928 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
19929 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
19930 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
19938 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
19939 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
19940 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
19941 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
19942 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
19944 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
19945 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
19946 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
19948 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
19949 been idle for thirty minutes:
19952 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
19955 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
19959 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
19962 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
19963 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
19964 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19966 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
19967 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
19968 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
19969 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19971 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
19972 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
19973 @var{idle} minutes.
19975 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
19976 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
19979 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
19980 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
19981 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
19983 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
19984 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
19985 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
19986 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
19988 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
19989 your @file{.gnus} file:
19991 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
19993 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
19996 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
19997 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
19998 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
19999 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20000 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20001 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20002 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20003 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20004 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20005 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20006 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
20008 @findex gnus-demon-init
20009 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20010 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20011 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20012 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20013 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20015 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20016 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20017 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20026 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20027 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20029 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20030 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20031 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20032 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20035 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20036 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20037 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20038 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20040 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20041 this will make spam disappear.
20043 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20046 @item gnus-use-nocem
20047 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20048 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20051 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20052 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20053 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20054 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20055 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20057 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20058 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20059 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20060 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20061 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20062 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20064 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20065 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20067 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20068 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20069 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20070 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20071 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20072 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20073 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20074 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20075 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20076 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20078 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20079 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20082 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20085 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20086 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20089 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20092 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20095 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20096 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20098 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20099 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20100 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20101 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20103 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20104 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20107 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20109 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20117 This might be dangerous, though.
20119 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20120 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20121 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20122 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20124 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20125 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20126 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20127 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20128 might then see old spam.
20130 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20131 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20132 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20133 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20134 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20137 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20138 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20139 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20140 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20144 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20145 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20146 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20147 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20154 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20155 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20156 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20158 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20159 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20160 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20161 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20162 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20163 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20164 @code{undo} function.
20166 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20167 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20168 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20169 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20170 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20171 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20172 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20173 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20174 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20175 never be totally undoable.
20177 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20178 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20180 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20181 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20182 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20183 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20187 @node Predicate Specifiers
20188 @section Predicate Specifiers
20189 @cindex predicate specifiers
20191 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20192 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20193 to type all that much.
20195 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20200 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20201 gnus-article-unread-p)
20204 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20205 functions all take one parameter.
20207 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20208 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20209 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20210 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20215 @section Moderation
20218 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20219 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20220 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20223 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20227 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20230 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20232 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20237 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20238 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20239 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20242 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20243 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20246 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20247 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20251 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20254 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20255 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20259 @node Image Enhancements
20260 @section Image Enhancements
20262 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20263 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20266 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20267 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20268 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20269 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20270 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20283 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20284 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20285 over your shoulder as you read news.
20288 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20289 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20290 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20291 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20292 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20297 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20299 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20308 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20309 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20310 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20311 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20312 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20313 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20314 @code{GIF} formats.
20317 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20318 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20319 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20320 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20321 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20323 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20324 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20325 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20326 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20327 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20328 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20330 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20331 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20334 @node Picon Requirements
20335 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20337 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20338 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20339 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20340 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20342 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20343 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20344 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20345 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20346 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20347 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20350 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20352 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20353 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20356 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20357 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20360 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20361 containing the Picons databases.
20363 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20366 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20367 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20372 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20380 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20381 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20382 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20383 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20384 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20389 @item gnus-picons-database
20390 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20391 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20392 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20393 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20394 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20395 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20397 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20398 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20399 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20400 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20401 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20402 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20403 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20405 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20406 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20407 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20408 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20409 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20410 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20411 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20412 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20414 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20415 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20416 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20421 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20422 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20424 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20425 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20428 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20430 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20431 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20432 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20433 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20435 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20436 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20437 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20438 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20444 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20445 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20453 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20454 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20455 don't need to worry about.
20459 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20460 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20461 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20462 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20464 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20465 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20466 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20467 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20469 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20470 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20471 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20472 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20473 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20475 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20476 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20477 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20478 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20479 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20480 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20481 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20482 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20484 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20485 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20486 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20487 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20488 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20490 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20491 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20492 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20493 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20494 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20495 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20496 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20498 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20499 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20500 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20501 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20503 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20504 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20505 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20506 Defaults to @code{t}.
20508 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20509 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20510 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20511 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20513 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20514 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20515 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20517 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20518 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20519 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20520 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20522 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20523 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20525 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20526 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20527 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20528 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20529 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20530 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20531 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20532 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20543 @subsection Smileys
20548 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20553 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20554 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20556 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20557 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20560 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20563 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20564 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20565 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20566 text and maps that to file names.
20568 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20569 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20570 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20571 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20572 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20573 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20575 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20576 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20578 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20579 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20580 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20582 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20583 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20587 @item smiley-data-directory
20588 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20589 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20591 @item smiley-flesh-color
20592 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20593 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20595 @item smiley-features-color
20596 @vindex smiley-features-color
20597 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20599 @item smiley-tongue-color
20600 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20601 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20603 @item smiley-circle-color
20604 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20605 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20607 @item smiley-mouse-face
20608 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20609 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20618 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20619 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20620 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20624 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20625 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20626 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20627 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20635 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20636 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20637 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20638 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20640 The variable that controls this is the
20641 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20642 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20643 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20644 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20645 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20647 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20648 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20649 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20650 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20653 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20654 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20655 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20656 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20657 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20658 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20659 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20660 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20662 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20665 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20666 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20668 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20669 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20670 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20671 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20672 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20673 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20675 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a file as the parameter, and then
20676 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20677 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20679 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20680 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20683 (setq message-required-news-headers
20684 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20685 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20688 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20691 (setq message-required-news-headers
20692 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20693 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20694 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20695 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20700 @subsection Toolbar
20710 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20711 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20712 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20713 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20714 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20716 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20717 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20718 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20720 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20721 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20722 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20724 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20725 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20726 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20732 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20735 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20736 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20737 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20738 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20739 unusual directory structure.
20741 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20742 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20743 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20744 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20746 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20747 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20748 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20749 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20750 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20751 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20753 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20754 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20755 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20769 @node Fuzzy Matching
20770 @section Fuzzy Matching
20771 @cindex fuzzy matching
20773 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20774 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20776 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20777 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20778 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20780 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20781 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20782 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20783 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20784 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20787 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20788 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20792 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20794 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20795 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20796 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20797 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20798 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20799 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
20800 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
20801 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
20804 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
20805 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
20806 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
20807 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
20808 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
20809 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
20814 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
20815 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
20816 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
20819 @node Anti-Spam Basics
20820 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
20824 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20826 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
20827 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
20829 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
20830 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
20831 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
20832 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
20833 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
20834 part of the mail address.)
20837 (setq message-default-news-headers
20838 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
20841 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
20842 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20847 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
20848 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
20849 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
20855 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
20856 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
20857 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
20858 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
20860 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
20861 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
20862 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
20863 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
20864 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
20865 your fancy split rule in this way:
20870 (to "larsi" "misc")
20874 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
20875 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
20876 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
20877 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
20878 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
20880 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
20881 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
20882 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
20883 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
20884 cosmic balance somewhat.
20886 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
20887 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
20888 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
20889 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
20894 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
20895 @cindex SpamAssassin
20896 @cindex Vipul's Razor
20899 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
20900 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
20901 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
20902 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
20903 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
20904 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
20905 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
20907 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
20908 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
20909 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
20910 Specifiers}) follows.
20914 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
20917 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
20920 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
20921 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
20922 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
20925 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
20929 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20932 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
20933 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
20937 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
20938 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
20939 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
20940 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
20943 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
20945 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
20947 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
20948 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
20950 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
20952 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
20953 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
20957 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
20958 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
20959 spam. And here is the nifty function:
20962 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
20963 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
20965 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
20966 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
20967 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
20971 @subsection Hashcash
20974 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
20975 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
20976 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
20977 since it is not part of the internet standards, but it may be useful
20978 in smaller communities.
20980 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
20981 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
20982 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
20983 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
20984 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
20985 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
20986 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
20987 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
20988 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
20989 one of them separately.
20992 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
20993 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
20994 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
20995 header. For more details, and for the external application
20996 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
20997 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
20998 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21000 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21004 (require 'hashcash)
21005 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21008 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21009 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21010 development contrib directory.
21012 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21016 @item hashcash-default-payment
21017 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21018 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21019 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21020 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21022 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21023 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21024 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21025 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
21026 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
21027 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
21028 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
21029 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21033 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21037 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21038 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21039 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21040 a useful contribution, however.
21042 @node Various Various
21043 @section Various Various
21049 @item gnus-home-directory
21050 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
21051 defaults to @file{~/}.
21053 @item gnus-directory
21054 @vindex gnus-directory
21055 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
21056 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
21057 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
21059 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
21060 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
21061 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
21062 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
21064 @item gnus-default-directory
21065 @vindex gnus-default-directory
21066 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
21067 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
21068 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
21069 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
21070 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
21071 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
21074 @vindex gnus-verbose
21075 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
21076 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
21077 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
21078 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
21079 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
21081 @item gnus-verbose-backends
21082 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
21083 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
21084 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
21086 @item nnheader-max-head-length
21087 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
21088 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
21089 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
21090 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
21091 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
21092 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
21093 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
21094 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
21095 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
21097 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
21098 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
21099 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
21100 read when doing the operation described above.
21102 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21103 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21105 @cindex invalid characters in file names
21106 @cindex characters in file names
21107 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
21108 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
21109 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
21112 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21116 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
21117 Windows (phooey) systems.
21119 @item gnus-hidden-properties
21120 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
21121 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
21122 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
21123 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
21125 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
21126 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
21127 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
21128 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
21129 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
21131 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
21132 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
21133 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
21135 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21136 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21138 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
21139 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
21140 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
21141 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
21144 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
21152 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
21153 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
21155 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
21157 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
21163 Not because of victories @*
21166 but for the common sunshine,@*
21168 the largess of the spring.
21172 but for the day's work done@*
21173 as well as I was able;@*
21174 not for a seat upon the dais@*
21175 but at the common table.@*
21180 @chapter Appendices
21183 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
21184 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
21185 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
21186 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
21187 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
21188 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
21189 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
21190 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
21191 * Frequently Asked Questions::
21198 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
21200 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
21201 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
21202 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
21203 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
21204 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}.
21211 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
21212 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
21214 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
21215 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
21216 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
21217 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
21218 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
21220 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
21221 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
21222 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
21223 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
21224 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
21225 appropriate name, don't you think?)
21227 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
21228 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
21229 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
21230 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
21233 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
21234 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
21235 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
21236 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
21237 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
21238 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
21239 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
21240 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
21241 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
21245 @node Gnus Versions
21246 @subsection Gnus Versions
21248 @cindex September Gnus
21250 @cindex Quassia Gnus
21251 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
21255 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
21256 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
21257 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
21259 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
21260 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
21262 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
21263 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
21265 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
21266 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
21268 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
21269 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
21272 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
21274 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
21275 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
21276 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
21277 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
21278 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
21279 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
21282 @node Other Gnus Versions
21283 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
21286 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
21287 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
21288 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
21289 @sc{mime} capabilities.
21291 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
21292 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
21293 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
21294 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
21301 What's the point of Gnus?
21303 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
21304 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
21305 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
21306 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
21307 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
21308 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
21309 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
21310 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
21311 keep track of millions of people who post?
21313 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
21314 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
21315 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
21316 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
21317 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
21318 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
21319 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
21320 every one of you to explore and invent.
21322 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
21323 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
21326 @node Compatibility
21327 @subsection Compatibility
21329 @cindex compatibility
21330 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
21331 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
21332 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
21337 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
21341 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
21344 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
21347 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
21348 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
21349 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
21350 important variables have their values copied into their global
21351 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
21352 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
21354 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
21355 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
21356 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
21357 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
21358 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
21362 @cindex highlighting
21363 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
21364 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
21365 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
21366 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
21367 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
21368 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
21371 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
21372 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
21373 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
21374 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
21376 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
21377 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
21378 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
21379 to stop doing it the old way.
21381 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
21383 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21385 @cindex reporting bugs
21387 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
21388 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
21389 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
21391 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
21392 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
21393 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
21394 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
21399 @subsection Conformity
21401 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
21402 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
21410 There are no known breaches of this standard.
21414 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
21416 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
21417 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
21418 We do have some breaches to this one.
21424 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
21425 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
21426 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
21427 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
21428 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
21433 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
21434 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
21435 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
21436 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
21438 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
21440 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
21442 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
21443 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
21445 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
21448 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
21449 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
21450 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
21451 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
21452 decoding (verification and decryption).
21454 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
21455 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
21456 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
21457 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
21459 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
21460 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
21462 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
21463 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
21464 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
21465 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
21466 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
21467 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
21468 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
21472 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
21473 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
21478 @subsection Emacsen
21484 Gnus should work on :
21492 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
21496 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
21497 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
21500 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
21501 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
21502 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
21506 @node Gnus Development
21507 @subsection Gnus Development
21509 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
21510 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
21511 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
21512 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
21513 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
21514 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
21515 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
21516 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
21518 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
21519 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
21520 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
21521 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
21522 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
21525 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
21526 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
21527 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
21528 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
21529 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
21531 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
21532 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
21533 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
21534 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
21535 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
21536 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
21537 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
21538 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
21539 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
21540 can't be assumed to do so.
21545 @subsection Contributors
21546 @cindex contributors
21548 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
21549 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
21550 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
21551 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
21552 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
21553 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
21554 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
21555 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
21556 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
21557 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
21559 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
21565 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
21568 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
21569 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
21570 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
21571 functionality and stuff.
21574 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
21575 well as numerous other things).
21578 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
21581 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
21584 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
21587 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
21590 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
21591 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
21594 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
21597 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
21598 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21601 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
21604 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
21607 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
21610 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
21613 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
21614 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
21617 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
21620 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
21623 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
21626 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
21630 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
21633 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
21636 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
21639 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
21640 well as autoconf support.
21644 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
21645 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
21647 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
21656 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
21660 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
21670 Alexei V. Barantsev,
21685 Massimo Campostrini,
21690 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
21691 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
21695 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
21698 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
21704 Michael Welsh Duggan,
21709 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
21713 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
21721 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
21723 Michelangelo Grigni,
21727 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
21729 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
21731 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
21738 François Felix Ingrand,
21739 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
21740 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
21742 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
21753 Peter Skov Knudsen,
21754 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
21756 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
21757 Thor Kristoffersen,
21760 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
21778 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
21779 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
21786 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
21791 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
21795 John McClary Prevost,
21801 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
21806 Christian von Roques,
21809 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
21816 Philippe Schnoebelen,
21818 Randal L. Schwartz,
21832 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
21837 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
21853 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
21858 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
21859 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
21860 (550kB and counting).
21862 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
21865 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
21866 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
21870 @subsection New Features
21871 @cindex new features
21874 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
21875 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
21876 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
21877 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
21878 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
21881 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
21882 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
21883 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
21886 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
21888 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
21893 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
21894 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
21897 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
21898 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
21901 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
21904 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
21905 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
21906 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
21909 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
21910 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
21911 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
21912 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21915 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
21916 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21919 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
21920 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
21921 (@pxref{The Active File}).
21924 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
21925 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
21928 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
21929 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
21930 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21933 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
21934 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
21935 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
21938 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
21939 the @file{.emacs} file.
21942 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
21943 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
21946 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
21947 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
21950 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
21951 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21954 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
21955 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
21958 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
21959 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21962 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
21965 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
21966 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
21969 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
21970 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
21973 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
21974 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
21977 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
21980 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
21981 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21984 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
21988 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
21992 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
21993 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
21996 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
22002 @node September Gnus
22003 @subsubsection September Gnus
22007 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
22011 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
22016 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
22017 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
22021 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
22022 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
22026 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
22030 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
22031 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
22034 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
22038 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22041 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
22044 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
22047 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
22051 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
22052 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
22055 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
22059 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
22063 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
22067 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
22071 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
22074 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
22075 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
22078 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
22082 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
22083 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
22086 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
22089 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
22090 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
22091 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
22094 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
22098 The Gnus cache is much faster.
22101 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
22105 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
22106 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
22109 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
22110 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
22113 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
22114 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22117 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
22118 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
22119 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
22122 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
22123 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
22126 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
22129 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22132 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
22135 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
22138 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
22139 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
22142 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
22146 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
22149 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
22154 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
22157 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
22161 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22164 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
22168 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
22171 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
22174 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
22175 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
22178 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
22179 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
22183 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
22184 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
22187 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
22191 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
22192 buffer to allow easier treatment.
22195 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
22198 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
22202 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
22206 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
22207 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
22210 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
22214 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
22215 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22218 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
22219 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
22222 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
22226 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
22229 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
22232 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
22238 @subsubsection Red Gnus
22240 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
22244 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
22251 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
22254 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
22255 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
22258 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
22259 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
22263 Article washing status can be displayed in the
22264 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
22267 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
22270 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
22271 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
22274 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
22278 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
22279 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
22283 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
22284 Server Internals}).
22287 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
22291 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
22294 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
22295 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
22298 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
22299 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
22300 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
22303 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
22304 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
22307 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
22308 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
22311 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
22315 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
22316 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22319 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
22320 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
22323 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
22327 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
22330 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
22334 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
22335 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22338 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
22339 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
22342 A new command for reading collections of documents
22343 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
22344 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
22347 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
22351 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
22352 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
22355 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
22356 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
22357 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
22360 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
22361 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
22365 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
22369 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
22373 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
22378 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
22382 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
22386 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
22387 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
22390 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
22396 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
22398 New features in Gnus 5.6:
22403 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
22404 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
22405 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
22408 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
22409 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
22410 group, which is created automatically.
22413 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
22417 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
22420 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
22421 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
22424 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
22428 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
22431 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
22432 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
22435 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
22438 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
22439 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
22442 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
22443 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
22446 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
22447 control over simplification.
22450 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
22453 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
22457 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
22460 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
22463 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
22464 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
22465 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
22468 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
22469 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
22472 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
22476 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
22477 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
22480 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
22481 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
22484 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
22488 A history of where mails have been split is available.
22491 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
22494 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
22495 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
22498 A new function for citing in Message has been
22499 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
22502 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
22505 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
22509 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
22510 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
22513 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
22514 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
22517 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
22520 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
22524 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
22525 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
22527 New features in Gnus 5.8:
22532 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
22533 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
22535 If you used procmail like in
22538 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
22539 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
22540 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
22541 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
22544 this now has changed to
22548 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
22552 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
22553 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
22556 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
22557 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
22560 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
22561 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
22564 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
22565 called to position point.
22568 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
22569 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
22572 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
22573 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
22576 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
22577 subtly different manner.
22580 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
22581 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
22582 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
22585 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
22593 @section The Manual
22597 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
22598 either @code{texi2dvi}
22600 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
22601 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
22603 to get what you hold in your hands now.
22605 The following conventions have been used:
22610 This is a @samp{string}
22613 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
22616 This is a @file{file}
22619 This is a @code{symbol}
22623 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
22627 (setq flargnoze "yes")
22630 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
22633 (setq flumphel 'yes)
22636 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
22637 ever get them confused.
22641 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
22642 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
22643 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
22644 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
22645 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
22646 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
22647 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
22653 @node On Writing Manuals
22654 @section On Writing Manuals
22656 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
22657 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
22658 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
22659 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
22660 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
22661 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
22664 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
22665 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
22666 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
22669 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
22670 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
22675 @section Terminology
22677 @cindex terminology
22682 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
22683 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
22684 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
22685 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
22686 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
22690 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
22691 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
22692 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
22693 not posting, and replying is not following up.
22697 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
22701 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
22706 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of back ends, both news and mail
22707 back ends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
22708 is all done by the back ends.
22712 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
22713 default, way of getting news.
22717 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
22718 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
22723 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
22724 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
22728 A message that has been posted as news.
22731 @cindex mail message
22732 A message that has been mailed.
22736 A mail message or news article
22740 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
22745 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
22750 A line from the head of an article.
22754 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
22755 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
22759 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
22760 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
22761 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
22762 normal @sc{head} format.
22766 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
22767 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
22768 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
22769 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
22770 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
22771 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
22773 @item killed groups
22774 @cindex killed groups
22775 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
22776 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
22778 @item zombie groups
22779 @cindex zombie groups
22780 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
22783 @cindex active file
22784 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
22785 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
22786 is rather large, as you might surmise.
22789 @cindex bogus groups
22790 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
22791 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
22792 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
22795 @cindex activating groups
22796 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
22797 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
22798 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
22802 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
22804 @item select method
22805 @cindex select method
22806 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
22809 @item virtual server
22810 @cindex virtual server
22811 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
22812 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
22813 whole is a virtual server.
22817 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
22818 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
22821 @item ephemeral groups
22822 @cindex ephemeral groups
22823 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
22824 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
22825 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
22828 @cindex solid groups
22829 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
22830 group buffer are solid groups.
22832 @item sparse articles
22833 @cindex sparse articles
22834 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
22835 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
22839 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
22840 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
22844 @cindex thread root
22845 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
22846 articles in the thread.
22850 An article that has responses.
22854 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
22858 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
22859 specified by RFC 1153.
22865 @node Customization
22866 @section Customization
22867 @cindex general customization
22869 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
22870 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
22871 for some quite common situations.
22874 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
22875 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
22876 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
22877 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
22881 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
22882 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
22884 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
22885 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
22886 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
22890 @item gnus-read-active-file
22891 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
22892 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
22893 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22894 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
22895 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
22897 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
22898 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
22899 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
22900 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
22904 @node Slow Terminal Connection
22905 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
22907 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
22908 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
22909 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
22913 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
22914 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
22915 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
22916 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
22917 horizontal and vertical recentering.
22919 @item gnus-visible-headers
22920 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
22921 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
22922 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
22923 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
22925 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
22927 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
22928 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
22929 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
22932 @item gnus-use-full-window
22933 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
22934 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
22935 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
22936 want to read them anyway.
22938 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22939 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
22943 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
22944 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
22945 lines, which might save some time.
22949 @node Little Disk Space
22950 @subsection Little Disk Space
22953 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
22954 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
22958 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
22959 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
22960 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22961 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22964 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
22965 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
22966 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22967 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22970 @item gnus-save-killed-list
22971 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
22972 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
22973 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
22974 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
22980 @subsection Slow Machine
22981 @cindex slow machine
22983 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
22984 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
22986 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22987 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
22989 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
22990 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
22991 summary buffer faster.
22995 @node Troubleshooting
22996 @section Troubleshooting
22997 @cindex troubleshooting
22999 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
23007 Make sure your computer is switched on.
23010 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
23011 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
23015 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
23016 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
23017 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
23018 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
23021 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
23025 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
23026 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
23027 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
23028 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
23029 something like that.
23032 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
23035 @cindex reporting bugs
23037 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23039 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
23040 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
23041 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
23042 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
23044 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
23045 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
23046 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
23047 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
23050 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
23051 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
23052 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
23053 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
23054 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
23055 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
23057 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
23058 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
23059 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
23063 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
23064 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
23066 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
23067 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
23069 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
23070 @cindex ding mailing list
23071 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
23072 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
23076 @node Gnus Reference Guide
23077 @section Gnus Reference Guide
23079 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
23080 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
23081 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
23082 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
23085 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
23086 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
23087 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
23088 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
23089 and general methods of operation.
23092 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
23093 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
23094 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
23095 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
23096 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
23097 * Group Info:: The group info format.
23098 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
23099 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
23100 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
23104 @node Gnus Utility Functions
23105 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
23106 @cindex Gnus utility functions
23107 @cindex utility functions
23109 @cindex internal variables
23111 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
23112 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
23113 Below is a list of the most common ones.
23117 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
23118 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
23119 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
23121 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
23122 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
23123 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
23125 @item gnus-group-real-name
23126 @findex gnus-group-real-name
23127 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
23130 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
23131 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
23132 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
23133 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
23135 @item gnus-get-info
23136 @findex gnus-get-info
23137 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
23139 @item gnus-group-unread
23140 @findex gnus-group-unread
23141 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
23145 @findex gnus-active
23146 The active entry for @var{group}.
23148 @item gnus-set-active
23149 @findex gnus-set-active
23150 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
23152 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23153 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23154 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
23157 @item gnus-continuum-version
23158 @findex gnus-continuum-version
23159 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
23160 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
23163 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
23164 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
23165 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
23167 @item gnus-news-group-p
23168 @findex gnus-news-group-p
23169 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
23171 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
23172 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
23173 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
23175 @item gnus-server-to-method
23176 @findex gnus-server-to-method
23177 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
23179 @item gnus-server-equal
23180 @findex gnus-server-equal
23181 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
23183 @item gnus-group-native-p
23184 @findex gnus-group-native-p
23185 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
23187 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
23188 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
23189 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
23191 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
23192 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
23193 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
23195 @item group-group-find-parameter
23196 @findex group-group-find-parameter
23197 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
23198 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
23200 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
23201 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
23202 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
23204 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
23205 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
23206 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
23208 @item gnus-check-backend-function
23209 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
23210 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
23211 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
23214 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
23218 @item gnus-read-method
23219 @findex gnus-read-method
23220 Prompts the user for a select method.
23225 @node Back End Interface
23226 @subsection Back End Interface
23228 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
23229 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
23230 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
23231 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
23232 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
23233 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
23235 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
23236 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
23237 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
23238 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
23239 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
23240 been opened, the function should fail.
23242 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
23243 name. Take this example:
23247 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
23248 (nntp-port-number 4324))
23251 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
23252 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
23254 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
23255 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
23256 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
23258 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
23259 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
23260 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
23262 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
23263 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
23264 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
23265 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
23266 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
23267 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
23270 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
23271 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
23272 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
23273 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
23276 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
23277 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
23278 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
23279 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
23280 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
23281 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
23282 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
23283 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
23284 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
23285 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
23287 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
23288 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
23289 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
23290 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
23291 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
23292 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
23293 of numbers as long as possible.
23295 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
23298 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
23301 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
23302 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
23303 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
23304 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
23305 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
23306 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
23310 @node Required Back End Functions
23311 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
23315 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
23317 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
23318 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
23319 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
23320 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
23322 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
23323 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
23324 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
23325 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
23327 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
23328 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
23329 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
23330 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
23331 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
23332 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
23333 number, do maximum fetches.
23335 Here's an example HEAD:
23338 221 1056 Article retrieved.
23339 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
23340 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
23341 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
23342 Subject: Re: Something very droll
23343 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
23344 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
23346 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
23347 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
23348 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
23352 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
23353 these in the data buffer.
23355 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
23359 head = error / valid-head
23360 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
23361 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
23362 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
23363 header = <text> eol
23366 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
23367 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
23371 nov-buffer = *nov-line
23372 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
23373 field = <text except TAB>
23376 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
23380 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
23382 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
23383 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
23385 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
23386 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
23387 server. In fact, it should do so.
23389 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
23390 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
23393 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
23395 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
23396 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
23399 There should be no data returned.
23402 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
23404 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
23405 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
23406 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
23407 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
23409 There should be no data returned.
23412 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
23414 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
23415 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
23416 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
23417 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
23419 There should be no data returned.
23422 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
23424 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
23426 There should be no data returned.
23429 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
23431 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
23432 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
23433 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
23434 it would be nice if that were possible.
23436 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
23437 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
23438 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
23439 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
23440 into its article buffer.
23442 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
23443 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
23444 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
23445 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
23446 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
23447 on successful article retrieval.
23450 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
23452 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
23453 making @var{group} the current group.
23455 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
23458 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
23461 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
23464 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
23465 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
23466 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
23467 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
23468 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
23469 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
23470 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
23471 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
23472 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
23476 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
23477 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
23478 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
23482 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23484 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
23485 a no-op on most back ends.
23487 There should be no data returned.
23490 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
23492 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
23495 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
23498 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
23499 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
23502 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
23503 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
23504 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
23505 and the highest as 0.
23508 active-file = *active-line
23509 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
23511 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
23514 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
23515 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
23516 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
23519 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
23521 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
23522 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
23523 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
23524 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
23525 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
23526 clear if the posting could not be completed.
23528 There should be no result data from this function.
23533 @node Optional Back End Functions
23534 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
23538 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
23540 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
23541 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
23542 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
23544 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
23545 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
23546 former is in the same format as the data from
23547 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
23548 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
23551 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
23555 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
23557 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
23558 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
23559 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
23560 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
23561 should return the (altered) group info.
23563 There should be no result data from this function.
23566 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
23568 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
23569 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
23570 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
23571 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
23572 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
23573 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
23574 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
23575 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
23577 There should be no result data from this function.
23580 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
23582 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
23583 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
23584 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
23585 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
23586 propagate the mark information to the server.
23588 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
23591 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
23594 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
23595 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
23596 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
23597 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
23598 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
23599 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
23600 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
23601 possible, not limit itself to these.
23603 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
23604 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
23605 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
23606 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
23608 An example action list:
23611 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
23612 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
23613 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
23616 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
23617 mark on (currently not used for anything).
23619 There should be no result data from this function.
23621 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
23623 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
23624 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
23625 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
23626 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
23627 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
23629 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
23630 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
23631 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
23634 There should be no result data from this function.
23637 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
23639 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
23640 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
23641 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
23642 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
23643 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
23644 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
23645 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
23647 There should be no result data from this function.
23650 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
23652 The result data from this function should be a description of
23656 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
23658 description = <text>
23661 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
23663 The result data from this function should be the description of all
23664 groups available on the server.
23667 description-buffer = *description-line
23671 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
23673 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
23674 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
23675 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
23676 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
23677 in the active buffer format.
23679 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
23680 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
23681 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
23682 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
23683 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
23684 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
23685 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
23688 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23690 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
23692 There should be no return data.
23695 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
23697 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
23698 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
23699 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
23700 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
23701 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
23704 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
23707 There should be no result data returned.
23710 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
23713 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
23714 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
23716 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
23717 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
23718 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
23719 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
23720 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
23721 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
23723 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
23724 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
23727 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23728 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23730 There should be no data returned.
23733 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
23735 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
23736 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
23737 this function in short order.
23739 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23740 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23742 There should be no data returned.
23745 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
23747 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
23748 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
23750 There should be no data returned.
23753 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
23755 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
23756 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
23757 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
23759 There should be no data returned.
23762 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
23764 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
23765 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
23767 There should be no data returned.
23772 @node Error Messaging
23773 @subsubsection Error Messaging
23775 @findex nnheader-report
23776 @findex nnheader-get-report
23777 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
23778 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
23779 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
23780 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
23781 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
23782 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
23785 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
23787 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
23790 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
23791 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
23792 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
23793 takes one argument---the server symbol.
23795 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
23796 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
23797 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
23800 @node Writing New Back Ends
23801 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
23803 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
23804 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
23805 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
23806 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
23807 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
23810 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
23811 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
23812 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
23814 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
23815 package called @code{nnoo}.
23817 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
23818 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
23824 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
23825 parameters. For instance:
23828 (nnoo-declare nndir
23832 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
23833 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
23836 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
23837 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
23838 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
23840 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
23841 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
23842 a function in those back ends.
23845 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23846 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23847 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23850 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
23851 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
23852 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
23854 @item nnoo-define-basics
23855 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
23859 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23863 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
23864 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
23865 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
23867 @item nnoo-map-functions
23868 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
23869 functions from the parent back ends.
23872 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23873 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23874 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
23877 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
23878 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
23879 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
23880 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
23883 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
23884 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
23885 haven't already been defined.
23891 nnmh-request-newgroups)
23895 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
23896 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
23897 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
23902 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
23905 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
23906 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
23910 (require 'nnheader)
23914 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
23916 (nnoo-declare nndir
23919 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23920 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23921 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23923 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
23924 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
23927 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
23929 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
23930 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
23931 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
23933 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
23934 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
23936 ;;; Interface functions.
23938 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23940 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
23941 (setq nndir-directory
23942 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
23944 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
23945 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
23946 (push `(nndir-current-group
23947 ,(file-name-nondirectory
23948 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23950 (push `(nndir-top-directory
23951 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23953 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
23955 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23956 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23957 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23958 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
23959 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
23963 nnmh-status-message
23965 nnmh-request-newgroups))
23971 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23972 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23974 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
23975 @findex gnus-declare-backend
23976 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
23977 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
23978 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
23980 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
23981 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
23986 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
23989 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
23991 The abilities can be:
23995 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
23997 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
23999 This back end supports both mail and news.
24001 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
24004 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
24005 articles and groups.
24007 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
24008 true for almost all back ends.
24009 @item prompt-address
24010 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
24011 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
24012 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
24016 @node Mail-like Back Ends
24017 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
24019 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
24020 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
24021 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
24022 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
24025 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
24026 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
24027 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
24030 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
24031 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
24034 This function takes four parameters.
24038 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
24041 @item exit-function
24042 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
24044 @item temp-directory
24045 Where the temporary files should be stored.
24048 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
24049 performed for one group only.
24052 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
24053 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
24054 find the article number assigned to this article.
24056 The function also uses the following variables:
24057 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
24058 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
24059 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
24060 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
24064 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
24065 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
24069 @node Score File Syntax
24070 @subsection Score File Syntax
24072 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
24073 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
24074 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
24076 Here's a typical score file:
24080 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
24087 BNF definition of a score file:
24090 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
24091 element = rule / atom
24092 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
24093 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
24094 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
24095 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
24097 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
24098 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
24099 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
24100 date-header = "date"
24101 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24102 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24103 score = "nil" / <integer>
24104 date = "nil" / <natural number>
24105 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
24106 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
24107 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
24108 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
24109 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24110 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24111 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
24112 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24113 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
24114 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
24115 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
24116 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
24117 exclude-files / read-only / touched
24118 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
24119 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
24120 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
24121 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
24122 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
24123 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
24124 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
24125 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
24126 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
24127 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
24128 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
24129 eval = "eval" space <form>
24130 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
24133 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
24136 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
24137 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
24138 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
24139 one looong line, then that's ok.
24141 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
24142 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24146 @subsection Headers
24148 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
24149 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
24150 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
24151 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
24153 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
24154 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
24155 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
24156 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
24157 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
24158 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
24159 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
24161 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
24162 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
24163 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
24164 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
24165 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
24167 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
24168 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
24174 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
24175 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
24177 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
24178 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
24179 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
24180 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
24182 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
24186 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
24189 is transformed into
24192 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
24195 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
24196 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
24199 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
24202 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
24203 is slightly tricky:
24206 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
24212 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
24215 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
24221 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
24228 and is equal to the previous range.
24230 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
24231 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
24232 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
24236 range = simple-range / normal-range
24237 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
24238 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
24239 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
24240 number *[ " " contents ]
24243 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
24244 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
24245 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
24246 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
24247 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
24252 @subsection Group Info
24254 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
24255 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
24256 describes the group.
24258 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
24259 second is a more complex one:
24262 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
24264 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
24265 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
24267 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
24270 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
24271 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
24272 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
24273 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
24274 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
24275 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
24276 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
24277 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
24278 this section is about.
24280 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
24281 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
24282 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
24284 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
24287 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
24288 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
24289 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24290 group = quote <string> quote
24291 ralevel = rank / level
24292 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
24293 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
24294 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
24296 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
24297 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
24298 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
24299 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
24302 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
24303 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
24306 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
24307 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
24310 @item gnus-info-group
24311 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
24312 @findex gnus-info-group
24313 @findex gnus-info-set-group
24314 Get/set the group name.
24316 @item gnus-info-rank
24317 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
24318 @findex gnus-info-rank
24319 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
24320 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
24322 @item gnus-info-level
24323 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
24324 @findex gnus-info-level
24325 @findex gnus-info-set-level
24326 Get/set the group level.
24328 @item gnus-info-score
24329 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
24330 @findex gnus-info-score
24331 @findex gnus-info-set-score
24332 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
24334 @item gnus-info-read
24335 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
24336 @findex gnus-info-read
24337 @findex gnus-info-set-read
24338 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
24340 @item gnus-info-marks
24341 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
24342 @findex gnus-info-marks
24343 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
24344 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
24346 @item gnus-info-method
24347 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
24348 @findex gnus-info-method
24349 @findex gnus-info-set-method
24350 Get/set the group select method.
24352 @item gnus-info-params
24353 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
24354 @findex gnus-info-params
24355 @findex gnus-info-set-params
24356 Get/set the group parameters.
24359 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
24360 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
24362 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
24363 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
24364 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
24365 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
24368 @node Extended Interactive
24369 @subsection Extended Interactive
24370 @cindex interactive
24371 @findex gnus-interactive
24373 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
24374 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
24375 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
24378 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
24379 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
24384 The best thing to do would have been to implement
24385 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
24386 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
24387 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
24388 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
24389 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
24390 @code{interactive}.
24392 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
24397 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
24398 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
24402 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
24403 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
24404 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
24407 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
24411 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
24415 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
24421 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
24422 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
24426 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
24427 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
24428 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
24430 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
24431 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
24432 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
24433 Gnus, that's very useful.
24435 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
24436 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
24437 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
24438 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
24439 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
24440 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
24441 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
24442 following function:
24445 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
24449 (,function ,@@args))
24453 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
24454 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
24455 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
24458 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
24459 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
24460 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
24462 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
24463 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
24464 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
24467 @node Various File Formats
24468 @subsection Various File Formats
24471 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
24472 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
24476 @node Active File Format
24477 @subsubsection Active File Format
24479 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
24480 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
24483 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
24486 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
24487 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
24488 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
24489 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
24490 no.general 1000 900 y
24493 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
24496 active = *group-line
24497 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
24498 group = <non-white-space string>
24500 high-number = <non-negative integer>
24501 low-number = <positive integer>
24502 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
24505 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
24506 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
24509 @node Newsgroups File Format
24510 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
24512 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
24513 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
24514 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
24517 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
24518 Here's the definition:
24522 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
24523 group = <non-white-space string>
24525 description = <string>
24530 @node Emacs for Heathens
24531 @section Emacs for Heathens
24533 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
24534 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
24535 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
24536 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
24537 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
24538 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
24539 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
24543 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
24544 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
24549 @subsection Keystrokes
24553 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
24556 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
24559 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
24560 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
24561 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
24562 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
24563 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
24564 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
24566 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
24567 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
24568 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
24569 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
24570 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
24571 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
24572 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
24574 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
24575 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
24576 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
24577 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
24578 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
24579 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
24580 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
24582 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
24583 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
24584 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
24585 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
24586 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
24592 @subsection Emacs Lisp
24594 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
24595 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
24596 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
24597 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
24599 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
24600 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
24601 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
24602 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
24603 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
24604 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
24605 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
24608 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
24609 write the following:
24612 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
24615 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
24616 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
24617 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
24620 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
24621 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
24622 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
24623 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
24624 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
24626 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
24627 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
24628 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
24632 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
24636 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
24639 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
24640 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
24643 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
24646 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
24647 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
24650 @include gnus-faq.texi
24670 @c Local Variables:
24672 @c coding: iso-8859-1
24674 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
24675 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
24676 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
24677 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
24678 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref