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334 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
339 @setchapternewpage odd
346 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
348 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
354 @top The Gnus Newsreader
358 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
359 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
360 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
363 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.3.
374 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
375 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
377 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
378 being accused of plagiarism:
380 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
381 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
382 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
383 can even read news with it!
385 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
386 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
387 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
388 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
389 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
395 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
396 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
397 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
398 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
399 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
400 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
401 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
402 * Various:: General purpose settings.
403 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
404 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
405 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
406 * Key Index:: Key Index.
408 Other related manuals
410 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
411 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
412 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
413 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
414 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
417 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
421 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
422 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
423 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
424 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
425 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
426 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
427 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
428 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
429 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
430 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
431 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
435 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
436 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
437 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
441 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
442 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
443 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
444 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
445 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
446 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
447 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
448 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
449 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
450 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
451 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
452 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
453 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
454 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
455 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
456 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
457 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
461 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
462 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
463 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
467 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
468 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
469 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
470 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
471 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
475 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
476 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
477 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
478 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
479 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
483 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
484 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
485 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
486 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
487 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
488 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
489 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
490 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
491 * Threading:: How threads are made.
492 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
493 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
494 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
495 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
496 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
497 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
498 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
499 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
500 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
501 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
502 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
503 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
504 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
505 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
506 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
507 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
508 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
509 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
510 or reselecting the current group.
511 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
512 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
513 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
514 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
516 Summary Buffer Format
518 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
519 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
520 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
521 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
525 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
526 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
528 Reply, Followup and Post
530 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
531 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
532 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
533 * Canceling and Superseding::
537 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
538 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
539 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
540 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
541 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
542 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
546 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
547 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
549 Customizing Threading
551 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
552 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
553 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
554 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
558 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
559 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
560 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
561 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
562 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
563 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
567 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
568 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
569 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
573 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
574 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
575 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
576 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
577 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
578 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
579 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
580 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
581 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
582 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
583 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
585 Alternative Approaches
587 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
588 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
590 Various Summary Stuff
592 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
593 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
594 * Summary Generation Commands::
595 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
599 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
600 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
601 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
602 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
603 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
607 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
608 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
609 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
610 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
611 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
612 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
613 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
614 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
615 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
619 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
620 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
621 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
622 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
623 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
624 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
625 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
626 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
627 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
631 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
632 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
633 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
634 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
635 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
636 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
637 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
641 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
642 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
646 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
647 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
648 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
649 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
653 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
654 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
655 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
656 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
657 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
658 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
659 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
660 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
661 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
662 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
663 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
664 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
665 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
669 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
670 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
671 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
673 Choosing a Mail Back End
675 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
676 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
677 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
678 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
679 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
680 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
681 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
686 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
687 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
688 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
689 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
690 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
691 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
695 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
696 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
697 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
698 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
699 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
700 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
704 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
705 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
706 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
707 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
708 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
712 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
716 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
717 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
718 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
722 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
723 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
727 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
728 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
729 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
733 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
734 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
735 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
737 The Gnus Diary Library
739 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
740 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
741 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
742 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
746 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
747 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
748 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
749 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
750 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
751 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
752 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
753 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
754 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
755 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
756 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
757 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
758 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
759 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
763 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
764 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
765 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
769 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
770 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
771 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
775 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
776 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
777 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
778 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
779 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
780 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
781 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
782 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
783 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
784 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
785 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
786 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
787 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
788 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
789 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
790 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
794 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
795 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
796 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
800 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
801 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
802 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
803 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
804 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
805 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
806 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
807 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
808 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
809 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
810 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
811 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
812 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
813 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
814 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
815 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
816 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
817 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
818 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
819 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
823 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
824 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
825 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
826 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
827 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
828 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
829 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
830 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
834 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
835 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
836 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
837 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
838 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
842 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
843 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
844 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
845 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
846 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
847 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
849 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
851 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
852 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
853 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
854 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
855 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
857 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
858 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
860 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
862 * SpamAssassin back end::
863 * ifile spam filtering::
864 * spam-stat spam filtering::
866 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
868 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
870 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
871 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
872 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
876 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
877 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
878 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
879 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
880 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
881 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
882 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
883 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
884 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
888 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
889 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
890 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
891 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
892 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
893 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
894 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
895 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
896 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
900 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
901 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
902 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
903 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
904 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
905 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
906 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
910 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
911 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
912 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
913 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
917 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
918 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
919 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
920 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
921 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
922 * Group Info:: The group info format.
923 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
924 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
925 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
929 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
930 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
931 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
932 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
933 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
934 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
938 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
939 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
943 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
944 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
950 @chapter Starting Gnus
955 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
956 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
959 @findex gnus-other-frame
960 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
961 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
962 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
964 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
965 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
966 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
968 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
969 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
972 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
973 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
974 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
975 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
976 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
977 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
978 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
979 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
980 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
981 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
985 @node Finding the News
986 @section Finding the News
989 @vindex gnus-select-method
991 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
992 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
993 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
994 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
997 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
998 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1001 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1004 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1007 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1010 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1011 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1012 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1013 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1015 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1017 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1018 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1019 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1020 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1021 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1022 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1023 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1025 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1026 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1027 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1028 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1030 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1031 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1032 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1033 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1034 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1035 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1036 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1037 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1038 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1041 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1043 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1044 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1045 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1046 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1047 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1048 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1050 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1052 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1053 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1054 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1055 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1056 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1057 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1060 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1061 you would typically set this variable to
1064 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1067 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1068 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1069 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1070 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1073 @node The First Time
1074 @section The First Time
1075 @cindex first time usage
1077 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1078 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1080 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1081 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1082 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1083 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1086 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1087 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1088 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1090 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1091 help you with most common problems.
1093 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1094 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1098 @node The Server is Down
1099 @section The Server is Down
1100 @cindex server errors
1102 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1103 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1104 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1106 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1107 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1108 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1109 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1110 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1111 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1112 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1114 @findex gnus-no-server
1115 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1117 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1118 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1119 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1120 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1121 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1122 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1123 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1127 @section Slave Gnusae
1130 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1131 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1132 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1133 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1135 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1136 @file{.newsrc} file.
1138 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1139 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1140 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1141 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1142 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1143 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1144 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1147 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1148 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1149 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1150 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1151 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1152 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1153 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1154 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1156 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1157 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1159 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1160 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1161 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1162 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1163 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1170 @cindex subscription
1172 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1173 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1174 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1175 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1176 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1177 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1178 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1179 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1180 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1183 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1184 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1185 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1189 @node Checking New Groups
1190 @subsection Checking New Groups
1192 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1193 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1194 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1195 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1196 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1197 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1198 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1199 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1200 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1201 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1203 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1204 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1205 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1206 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1207 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1208 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1209 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1210 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1211 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1212 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1213 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1215 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1216 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1217 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1218 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1219 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1220 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1223 @node Subscription Methods
1224 @subsection Subscription Methods
1226 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1227 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1228 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1230 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1231 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1233 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1239 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1240 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1241 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1243 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1244 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1245 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1246 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1248 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1249 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1250 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1252 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1253 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1254 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1255 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1256 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1257 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1258 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1259 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1260 up. Or something like that.
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1264 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1265 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1266 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1268 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1269 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1270 Kill all new groups.
1272 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1273 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1274 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1275 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1276 topic parameter that looks like
1282 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1285 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1290 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1291 A closely related variable is
1292 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1293 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1294 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1295 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1298 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1299 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1300 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1301 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1304 @node Filtering New Groups
1305 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1307 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1308 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1309 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1312 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1315 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1316 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1317 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1318 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1319 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1320 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1321 subscribing these groups.
1322 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1323 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1325 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1326 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1327 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1328 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1329 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1330 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1331 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1332 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1334 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1335 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1336 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1337 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1338 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1339 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1340 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1341 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1342 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1343 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1346 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1347 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1350 @node Changing Servers
1351 @section Changing Servers
1352 @cindex changing servers
1354 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1355 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1356 very flaky and you want to use another.
1358 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1359 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1363 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1364 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1365 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1366 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1369 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1370 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1371 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1372 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1374 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1375 @findex gnus-change-server
1376 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1377 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1378 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1379 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1380 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1382 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1383 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1384 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1385 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1386 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1388 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1389 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1390 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1391 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1392 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1393 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1395 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1396 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1397 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1398 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1400 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1401 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1402 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1403 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1404 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1405 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1406 cache for all groups).
1410 @section Startup Files
1411 @cindex startup files
1416 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1417 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1418 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1421 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1422 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1423 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1424 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1425 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1426 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1427 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1429 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1430 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1431 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1432 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1433 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1434 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1436 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1437 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1438 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1439 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1440 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1441 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1442 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1443 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1444 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1445 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1446 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1449 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1450 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1451 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1452 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1453 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1454 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1455 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1456 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1457 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1458 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1459 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1460 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1462 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1463 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1464 @vindex version-control
1465 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1466 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1467 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1468 If you want version control for this file, set
1469 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1470 @code{version-control} variable.
1472 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1473 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1474 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1475 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1476 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1477 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1478 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1479 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1480 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1481 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1484 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1485 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1487 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1488 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1491 @vindex gnus-init-file
1492 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1493 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1494 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1495 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1496 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1497 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1498 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1499 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1500 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1501 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1502 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1503 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1504 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1509 @cindex dribble file
1512 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1513 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1514 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1515 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1516 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1519 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1520 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1523 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1524 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1525 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1527 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1528 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1529 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1530 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1531 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1532 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1534 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1535 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1536 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1539 @node The Active File
1540 @section The Active File
1542 @cindex ignored groups
1544 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1545 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1546 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1548 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1549 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1550 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1551 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1552 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1553 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1554 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1557 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1558 @c if you set it to anything else.
1560 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1562 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1563 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1564 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1566 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1567 you actually subscribe to.
1569 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1570 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1571 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1572 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1574 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1575 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1576 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1577 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1578 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1579 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1581 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1582 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1583 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1586 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1587 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1588 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1589 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1590 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1591 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1593 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1594 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1596 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1597 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1599 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1600 secondary select methods.
1603 @node Startup Variables
1604 @section Startup Variables
1608 @item gnus-load-hook
1609 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1610 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1611 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1612 times you start Gnus.
1614 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1615 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1616 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1618 @item gnus-startup-hook
1619 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1620 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1622 @item gnus-started-hook
1623 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1624 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1627 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1628 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1629 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1630 generating the group buffer.
1632 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1633 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1634 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1635 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1636 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1637 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1638 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1639 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1641 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1642 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1643 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1644 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1645 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1646 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1648 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1649 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1650 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1652 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1653 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1654 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1656 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1657 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1658 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1659 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1665 @chapter Group Buffer
1666 @cindex group buffer
1668 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1670 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1671 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1672 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1673 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1674 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1675 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1676 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1677 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1678 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1679 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1680 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1681 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1682 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1683 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1684 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1685 @c human rights at 9...
1688 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1689 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1690 long as Gnus is active.
1694 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1695 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1696 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1697 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1698 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1699 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1700 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1701 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1707 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1708 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1709 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1710 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1711 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1712 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1713 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1714 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1715 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1716 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1717 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1718 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1719 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1720 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1721 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1722 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1723 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1727 @node Group Buffer Format
1728 @section Group Buffer Format
1731 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1732 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1733 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1737 @node Group Line Specification
1738 @subsection Group Line Specification
1739 @cindex group buffer format
1741 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1742 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1744 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1747 25: news.announce.newusers
1748 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1753 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1754 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1755 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1756 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1758 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1759 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1760 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1761 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1762 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1763 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1765 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1767 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1768 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1769 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1770 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1771 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1773 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1774 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1775 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1777 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1782 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1785 Whether the group is subscribed.
1788 Level of subscribedness.
1791 Number of unread articles.
1794 Number of dormant articles.
1797 Number of ticked articles.
1800 Number of read articles.
1803 Number of unseen articles.
1806 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1807 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1809 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1810 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1811 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1812 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1813 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1814 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1815 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1816 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1819 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1822 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1831 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1832 comment element in the group parameters.
1835 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1836 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1837 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1841 @samp{m} if moderated.
1844 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1850 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1856 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1860 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1863 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1864 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1865 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1866 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1867 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1870 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1872 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1876 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1879 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1883 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1884 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1885 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1886 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1889 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1890 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1891 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1892 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1893 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1894 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1899 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1900 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1901 group, or a bogus native group.
1904 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1905 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1906 @cindex group mode line
1908 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1909 The mode line can be changed by setting
1910 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1911 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1915 The native news server.
1917 The native select method.
1921 @node Group Highlighting
1922 @subsection Group Highlighting
1923 @cindex highlighting
1924 @cindex group highlighting
1926 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1927 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1928 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1929 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1930 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1932 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1936 (cond (window-system
1937 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1938 (defface my-group-face-1
1939 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1940 (defface my-group-face-2
1941 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1942 "Second group face")
1943 (defface my-group-face-3
1944 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1945 (defface my-group-face-4
1946 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1947 (defface my-group-face-5
1948 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1950 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1951 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1952 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1953 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1954 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1955 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1958 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1960 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1967 The number of unread articles in the group.
1971 Whether the group is a mail group.
1973 The level of the group.
1975 The score of the group.
1977 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1979 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1980 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1982 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1983 topic being inserted.
1986 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1987 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1988 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1990 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1991 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1992 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1993 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1994 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1997 @node Group Maneuvering
1998 @section Group Maneuvering
1999 @cindex group movement
2001 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2002 expected, hopefully.
2008 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2009 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2010 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2016 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2017 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2018 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2022 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2023 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2027 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2028 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2032 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2033 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2034 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2038 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2039 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2040 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2043 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2049 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2050 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2051 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2056 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2057 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2058 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2062 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2063 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2064 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2067 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2068 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2069 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2070 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2074 @node Selecting a Group
2075 @section Selecting a Group
2076 @cindex group selection
2081 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2082 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2083 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2084 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2085 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2086 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2087 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2088 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2089 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2090 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2092 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2093 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2094 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2096 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2097 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2102 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2103 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2104 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2105 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2106 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2110 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2111 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2112 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2113 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2114 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2115 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2116 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2117 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2118 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2119 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2122 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2123 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2124 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2125 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2126 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2129 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2130 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2131 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2132 doing any processing of its contents
2133 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2134 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2135 manner will have no permanent effects.
2139 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2140 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2141 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2142 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2143 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2144 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2145 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2146 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2147 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2148 most recently will be fetched.
2150 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2151 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2152 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2155 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2156 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2157 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2158 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2159 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2160 Which article this is is controlled by the
2161 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2167 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2170 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2173 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2175 @item unseen-or-unread
2176 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2177 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2181 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2185 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2186 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2188 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2189 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2190 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2191 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2195 @node Subscription Commands
2196 @section Subscription Commands
2197 @cindex subscription
2205 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2206 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2207 Toggle subscription to the current group
2208 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2214 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2215 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2216 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2217 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2223 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2224 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2225 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2231 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2232 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2235 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2236 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2237 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2238 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2239 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2245 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2246 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2250 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2251 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2254 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2255 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2256 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2257 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2258 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2259 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2260 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2261 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2262 @file{.newsrc} file.
2266 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2276 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2277 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2278 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2279 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2280 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2281 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2286 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2287 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2288 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2292 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2293 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2294 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2296 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2297 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2298 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2299 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2300 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2301 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2308 @section Group Levels
2312 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2313 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2314 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2315 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2316 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2318 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2324 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2325 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2326 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2327 prompted for a level.
2330 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2331 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2332 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2333 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2334 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2335 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2336 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2337 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2338 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2339 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2340 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2341 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2342 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2343 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2344 reasons of efficiency.
2346 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2347 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2349 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2350 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2351 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2352 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2353 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2354 groups are hidden, in a way.
2356 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2357 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2358 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2359 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2360 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2361 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2363 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2364 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2365 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2366 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2367 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2368 list of killed groups.)
2370 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2371 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2372 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2374 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2375 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2376 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2377 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2378 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2379 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2380 relevant valid ranges.
2382 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2383 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2384 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2385 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2386 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2387 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2390 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2391 one with the best level.
2393 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2394 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2395 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2398 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2399 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2400 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2401 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2404 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2405 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2406 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2407 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2409 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2410 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2411 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2412 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2413 to 5. The default is 6.
2417 @section Group Score
2422 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2423 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2424 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2427 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2428 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2429 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2430 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2431 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2432 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2433 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2434 least significant part.))
2436 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2437 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2438 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2439 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2440 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2441 action after each summary exit, you can add
2442 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2443 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2444 slow things down somewhat.
2447 @node Marking Groups
2448 @section Marking Groups
2449 @cindex marking groups
2451 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2452 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2453 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2454 bidding on those groups.
2456 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2457 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2458 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2466 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2467 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2473 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2474 Remove the mark from the current group
2475 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2479 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2480 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2484 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2485 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2489 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2490 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2494 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2495 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2496 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2499 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2501 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2502 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2503 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2504 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2505 the command to be executed.
2508 @node Foreign Groups
2509 @section Foreign Groups
2510 @cindex foreign groups
2512 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2513 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2514 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2515 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2522 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2523 @cindex making groups
2524 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2525 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2526 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2530 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2531 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2532 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2536 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2537 @cindex renaming groups
2538 Rename the current group to something else
2539 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2540 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2546 @findex gnus-group-customize
2547 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2551 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2552 @cindex renaming groups
2553 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2554 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2558 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2559 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2560 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2564 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2565 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2566 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2570 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2572 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2573 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2578 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2579 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2583 @cindex (ding) archive
2584 @cindex archive group
2585 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2586 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2587 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2588 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2589 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2590 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2591 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2595 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2597 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2598 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2599 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2600 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2604 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2606 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2607 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2608 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2612 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2613 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2615 Make a group based on some file or other
2616 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2617 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2618 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2619 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2620 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2621 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2622 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2623 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2624 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2628 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2629 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2630 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2631 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2635 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2639 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2640 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2641 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2642 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2643 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2644 @xref{Web Searches}.
2646 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2647 to a particular group by using a match string like
2648 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2652 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2653 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2654 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2658 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2659 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2660 This function will delete the current group
2661 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2662 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2663 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2664 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2665 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2669 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2670 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2671 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2675 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2676 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2677 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2680 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2683 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2684 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2685 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2686 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2687 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2688 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2692 @node Group Parameters
2693 @section Group Parameters
2694 @cindex group parameters
2696 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2697 Here's an example group parameter list:
2700 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2704 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2705 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2706 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2707 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2709 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2710 is an alist of regexps and values.
2712 The following group parameters can be used:
2717 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2720 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2723 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2724 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2725 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2726 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2727 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2729 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2730 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2731 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2732 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2733 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2734 list address instead.
2736 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2740 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2743 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2746 It is totally ignored
2747 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2748 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2750 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2751 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2752 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2753 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2754 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2756 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2757 @cindex mail list groups
2758 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2759 entering summary buffer.
2761 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2766 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2767 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2768 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2769 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2770 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2771 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2772 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2773 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2776 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2777 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2780 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2781 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2785 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2786 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2787 of whether it has any unread articles.
2789 @item broken-reply-to
2790 @cindex broken-reply-to
2791 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2792 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2793 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2794 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2795 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2796 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2800 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2801 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2805 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2806 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2807 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2812 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2813 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2814 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2815 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2816 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2817 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2818 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2820 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2821 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2822 doesn't accept articles.
2826 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2827 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2828 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2830 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2833 @cindex total-expire
2834 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2835 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2836 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2837 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2840 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2844 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2845 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2846 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2847 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2848 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2849 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2850 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2853 @cindex expiry-target
2854 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2855 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2858 @cindex score file group parameter
2859 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2860 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2861 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2864 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2865 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2866 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2867 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2870 @cindex admin-address
2871 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2872 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2873 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2874 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2878 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2879 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2883 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2886 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2887 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2890 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2894 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2896 Here are some examples:
2900 Display only unread articles.
2903 Display everything except expirable articles.
2905 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2906 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2910 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2911 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2912 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2913 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2914 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2918 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2919 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2920 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2924 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2925 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2926 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2930 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2931 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2932 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2934 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2936 @item ignored-charsets
2937 @cindex ignored-charset
2938 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2939 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2940 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2942 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2945 @cindex posting-style
2946 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2947 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2948 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2949 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2950 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2952 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2953 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2954 like this in the group parameters:
2959 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2960 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2965 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2966 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2970 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2971 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2972 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2973 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2974 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2978 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2979 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2980 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2981 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2983 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2984 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2985 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2986 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2989 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
2990 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
2994 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
2995 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
2996 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
2997 like the following is generated:
3000 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3001 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3005 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3006 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3008 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3009 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3011 @item (agent parameters)
3012 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3013 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3014 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3015 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3016 minimize the configuration effort.
3018 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3019 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3020 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3021 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3022 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3023 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3024 @code{eval}ed there.
3026 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3027 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3028 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3029 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3030 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3031 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3032 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3033 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3036 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3039 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3040 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3041 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3044 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3047 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3048 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3049 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3050 into the group parameters for the group.
3052 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3053 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3054 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3055 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3058 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3059 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3060 following is added to a group parameter
3063 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3064 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3067 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3072 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3073 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3074 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3075 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3076 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3078 @vindex gnus-parameters
3079 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3080 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3084 (setq gnus-parameters
3086 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3087 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3088 (gnus-summary-line-format
3089 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3093 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3097 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3101 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3104 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3105 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3107 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3108 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3109 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3110 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3111 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3112 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3113 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3114 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3115 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3116 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3117 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3118 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3120 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3121 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3122 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3123 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3124 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3125 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3126 weekly news RSS feed
3127 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3133 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3134 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3135 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3136 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3137 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3139 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3140 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3141 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3142 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3143 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3144 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3148 @node Listing Groups
3149 @section Listing Groups
3150 @cindex group listing
3152 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3160 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3161 List all groups that have unread articles
3162 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3163 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3164 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3165 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3172 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3173 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3174 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3175 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3176 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3177 unsubscribed groups).
3181 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3182 List all unread groups on a specific level
3183 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3184 with no unread articles.
3188 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3189 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3190 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3191 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3196 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3197 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3201 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3202 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3203 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3207 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3208 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3212 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3213 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3214 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3215 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3216 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3217 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3218 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3219 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3223 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3224 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3225 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3229 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3230 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3231 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3235 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3236 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3240 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3241 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3245 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3246 List groups limited within the current selection
3247 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3251 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3252 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3256 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3257 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3261 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3262 @cindex visible group parameter
3263 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3264 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3265 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3266 get the same effect.
3268 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3269 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3270 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3271 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3272 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3275 @node Sorting Groups
3276 @section Sorting Groups
3277 @cindex sorting groups
3279 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3280 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3281 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3282 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3283 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3284 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3289 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3290 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3291 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3293 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3294 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3295 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3297 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3298 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3299 Sort by group level.
3301 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3302 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3303 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3305 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3306 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3307 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3308 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3310 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3311 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3312 Sort by number of unread articles.
3314 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3315 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3316 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3318 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3319 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3320 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3325 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3326 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3330 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3331 some sorting criteria:
3335 @kindex G S a (Group)
3336 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3337 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3338 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3341 @kindex G S u (Group)
3342 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3343 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3344 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3347 @kindex G S l (Group)
3348 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3349 Sort the group buffer by group level
3350 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3353 @kindex G S v (Group)
3354 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3355 Sort the group buffer by group score
3356 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3359 @kindex G S r (Group)
3360 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3361 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3362 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3365 @kindex G S m (Group)
3366 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3367 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3368 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3371 @kindex G S n (Group)
3372 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3373 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3374 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3378 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3379 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3381 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3382 commands will sort in reverse order.
3384 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3388 @kindex G P a (Group)
3389 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3390 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3391 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3394 @kindex G P u (Group)
3395 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3396 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3397 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3400 @kindex G P l (Group)
3401 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3402 Sort the groups by group level
3403 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3406 @kindex G P v (Group)
3407 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3408 Sort the groups by group score
3409 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3412 @kindex G P r (Group)
3413 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3414 Sort the groups by group rank
3415 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3418 @kindex G P m (Group)
3419 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3420 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3421 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3424 @kindex G P n (Group)
3425 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3426 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3427 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3430 @kindex G P s (Group)
3431 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3432 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3436 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3440 @node Group Maintenance
3441 @section Group Maintenance
3442 @cindex bogus groups
3447 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3448 Find bogus groups and delete them
3449 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3453 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3454 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3455 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3456 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3457 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3461 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3462 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3463 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3464 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3465 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3466 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3469 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3470 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3471 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3472 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3477 @node Browse Foreign Server
3478 @section Browse Foreign Server
3479 @cindex foreign servers
3480 @cindex browsing servers
3485 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3486 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3487 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3488 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3491 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3492 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3493 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3494 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3496 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3501 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3502 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3506 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3507 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3510 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3511 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3512 Enter the current group and display the first article
3513 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3516 @kindex RET (Browse)
3517 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3518 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3522 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3523 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3524 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3530 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3531 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3535 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3536 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3540 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3541 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3542 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3547 @section Exiting Gnus
3548 @cindex exiting Gnus
3550 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3555 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3556 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3557 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3558 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3562 @findex gnus-group-exit
3563 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3564 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3568 @findex gnus-group-quit
3569 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3570 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3573 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3574 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3575 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3576 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3577 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3578 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3584 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3585 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3586 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3592 @section Group Topics
3595 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3596 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3597 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3598 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3599 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3600 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3604 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3605 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3616 2: alt.religion.emacs
3619 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3621 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3622 13: comp.sources.unix
3625 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3627 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3628 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3629 is a toggling command.)
3631 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3632 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3633 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3634 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3637 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3638 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3639 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3642 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3646 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3647 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3648 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3649 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3650 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3654 @node Topic Commands
3655 @subsection Topic Commands
3656 @cindex topic commands
3658 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3659 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3660 definitions slightly.
3662 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3663 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3664 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3665 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3666 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3667 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3669 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3676 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3677 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3678 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3682 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3684 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3685 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3686 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3687 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3690 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3691 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3692 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3693 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3697 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3698 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3699 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3700 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3706 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3707 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3708 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3712 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3713 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3714 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3717 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3718 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3719 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3720 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3721 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3723 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3724 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3728 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3729 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3736 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3738 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3739 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3740 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3741 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3742 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3743 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3747 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3753 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3754 Move the current group to some other topic
3755 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3756 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3760 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3761 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3765 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3766 Copy the current group to some other topic
3767 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3768 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3772 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3773 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3774 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3778 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3779 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3780 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3784 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3785 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3786 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3787 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3788 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3789 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3790 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3793 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3794 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3798 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3799 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3800 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3804 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3805 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3806 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3810 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3811 Toggle hiding empty topics
3812 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3816 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3817 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3818 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3819 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3822 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3823 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3824 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3825 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3826 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3829 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3830 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3831 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3832 expiry process (if any)
3833 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3837 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3838 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3841 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3842 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3843 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3847 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3848 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3849 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3852 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3853 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3854 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3857 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3858 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3859 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3863 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3864 @cindex group parameters
3865 @cindex topic parameters
3867 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3868 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3873 @node Topic Variables
3874 @subsection Topic Variables
3875 @cindex topic variables
3877 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3878 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3880 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3881 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3882 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3895 Number of groups in the topic.
3897 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3899 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3902 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3903 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3904 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3907 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3908 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3910 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3911 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3912 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3916 @subsection Topic Sorting
3917 @cindex topic sorting
3919 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3925 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3926 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3927 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3928 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3931 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3932 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3933 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3934 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3937 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3938 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3939 Sort the current topic by group level
3940 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3943 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3944 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3945 Sort the current topic by group score
3946 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3949 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3950 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3951 Sort the current topic by group rank
3952 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3955 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3956 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3957 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3958 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3961 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3962 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3963 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3964 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3967 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3968 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3969 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3970 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3971 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3975 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3976 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3980 @node Topic Topology
3981 @subsection Topic Topology
3982 @cindex topic topology
3985 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3992 2: alt.religion.emacs
3995 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3997 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3998 13: comp.sources.unix
4002 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4003 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4004 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4009 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4010 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4014 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4015 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4016 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4017 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4018 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4019 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4021 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4022 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4023 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4026 @node Topic Parameters
4027 @subsection Topic Parameters
4028 @cindex topic parameters
4030 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4031 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4032 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4033 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4034 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4036 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4041 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4042 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4043 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4046 @item subscribe-level
4047 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4048 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4049 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4053 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4054 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4055 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4056 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4063 2: alt.religion.emacs
4067 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4069 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4070 13: comp.sources.unix
4075 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4076 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4077 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4078 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4079 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4080 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4082 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4083 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4084 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4085 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4086 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4088 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4089 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4090 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4091 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4092 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4093 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4094 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4095 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4098 @node Misc Group Stuff
4099 @section Misc Group Stuff
4102 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4103 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4104 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4105 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4106 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4113 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4114 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4115 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4119 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4120 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4121 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4122 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4123 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4124 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4125 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4129 @findex gnus-group-mail
4130 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4131 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4132 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4133 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4137 @findex gnus-group-news
4138 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4139 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4140 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4142 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4143 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4144 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4145 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4146 for this to work though.
4150 Variables for the group buffer:
4154 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4155 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4156 is called after the group buffer has been
4159 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4160 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4161 is called after the group buffer is
4162 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4165 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4166 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4167 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4168 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4170 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4171 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4172 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4173 whether they are empty or not.
4175 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4176 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4177 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4178 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4182 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4183 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4186 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4187 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4188 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4189 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4190 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4191 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4192 default is @code{nil}.
4196 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4197 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4202 @node Scanning New Messages
4203 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4204 @cindex new messages
4205 @cindex scanning new news
4211 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4212 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4213 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4214 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4215 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4216 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4221 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4222 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4223 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4224 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4225 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4226 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4227 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4229 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4230 @cindex activating groups
4232 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4233 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4238 @findex gnus-group-restart
4239 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4240 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4241 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4245 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4246 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4248 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4249 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4253 @node Group Information
4254 @subsection Group Information
4255 @cindex group information
4256 @cindex information on groups
4263 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4264 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4267 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4268 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4269 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4270 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4271 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4272 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4273 used for fetching the file.
4275 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4276 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4280 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4281 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4283 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4284 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4287 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4288 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4289 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4293 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4294 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4295 @cindex control message
4296 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4297 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4298 group if given a prefix argument.
4300 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4301 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4302 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4303 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4305 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4306 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4307 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4311 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4313 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4314 @cindex describing groups
4315 @cindex group description
4316 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4317 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4318 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4322 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4323 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4324 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4331 @findex gnus-version
4332 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4336 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4337 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4340 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4343 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4344 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4348 @node Group Timestamp
4349 @subsection Group Timestamp
4351 @cindex group timestamps
4353 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4354 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4355 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4358 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4361 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4363 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4364 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4367 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4368 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4371 This will result in lines looking like:
4374 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4375 0: custom 19961002T012713
4378 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4379 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4383 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4384 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4387 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4388 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4392 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4393 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4394 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4395 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4397 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4403 @subsection File Commands
4404 @cindex file commands
4410 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4411 @vindex gnus-init-file
4412 @cindex reading init file
4413 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4414 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4418 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4419 @cindex saving .newsrc
4420 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4421 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4422 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4425 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4426 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4427 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4432 @node Sieve Commands
4433 @subsection Sieve Commands
4434 @cindex group sieve commands
4436 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4437 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4438 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4439 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4440 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4442 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4443 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4444 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4445 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4446 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4447 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4448 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4449 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4450 regenerate the Sieve script.
4452 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4453 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4454 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4455 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4456 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4457 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4458 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4459 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4460 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4461 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4464 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4465 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4470 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4476 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4477 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4478 @cindex generating sieve script
4479 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4480 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4484 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4485 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4486 @cindex updating sieve script
4487 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4488 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4489 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4494 @node Summary Buffer
4495 @chapter Summary Buffer
4496 @cindex summary buffer
4498 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4499 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4501 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4502 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4504 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4507 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4508 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4509 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4510 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4511 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4512 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4513 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4514 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4515 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4516 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4517 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4518 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4519 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4520 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4521 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4522 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4523 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4524 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4525 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4526 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4527 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4528 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4529 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4530 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4531 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4532 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4533 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4534 or reselecting the current group.
4535 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4536 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4537 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4538 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4542 @node Summary Buffer Format
4543 @section Summary Buffer Format
4544 @cindex summary buffer format
4548 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4549 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4550 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4556 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4557 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4558 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4559 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4562 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4563 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4564 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4565 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4566 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4567 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4568 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4569 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4570 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4571 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4572 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4575 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4576 'mail-extract-address-components)
4579 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4580 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4581 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4582 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4585 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4586 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4588 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4589 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4590 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4591 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4592 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4594 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4595 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4596 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4597 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4598 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4599 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4601 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4603 The following format specification characters and extended format
4604 specification(s) are understood:
4610 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4611 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4613 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4614 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4615 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4617 Full @code{From} header.
4619 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4621 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4624 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4625 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4626 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4627 may be more thorough.
4629 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4632 Number of lines in the article.
4634 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4635 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4637 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4638 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4640 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4642 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4643 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4656 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4657 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4658 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4659 line-drawing glyphs.
4661 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4662 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4663 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4664 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4666 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4667 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4668 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4669 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4671 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4672 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4673 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4674 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4676 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4677 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4678 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4680 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4681 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4682 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4684 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4685 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4686 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4688 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4689 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4690 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4695 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4696 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4698 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4699 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4701 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4702 for adopted articles.
4704 One space for each thread level.
4706 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4708 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4711 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4712 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4713 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4716 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4718 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4719 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4720 default level. If the difference between
4721 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4722 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4730 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4732 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4738 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4739 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4741 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4742 article has any children.
4748 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4749 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4751 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4752 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4753 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4754 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4755 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4756 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4759 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4760 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4761 There can only be one such area.
4763 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4764 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4765 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4766 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4767 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4768 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4770 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4771 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4773 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4776 @node To From Newsgroups
4777 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4781 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4782 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4783 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4784 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4785 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4789 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4790 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4791 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4795 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4796 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4799 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4800 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4803 @findex gnus-extra-header
4804 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4805 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4806 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4809 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4813 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4814 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4815 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4816 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4817 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4818 headers are used instead.
4820 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
4821 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
4822 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
4823 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
4824 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
4825 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
4829 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4830 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4831 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4832 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4833 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4834 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4837 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4838 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4839 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4840 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4842 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4846 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4848 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4849 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4850 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4851 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4855 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4858 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4859 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4862 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4863 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4864 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4870 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4871 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4874 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4875 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4877 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4878 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4879 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4880 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4882 Here are the elements you can play with:
4888 Unprefixed group name.
4890 Current article number.
4892 Current article score.
4896 Number of unread articles in this group.
4898 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4901 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4902 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4903 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4904 and no unselected ones.
4906 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4907 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4909 Subject of the current article.
4911 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4913 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4915 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4917 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4919 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4921 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4925 @node Summary Highlighting
4926 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4930 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4931 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4932 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4933 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4934 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4936 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4937 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4938 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4939 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4941 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4942 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4943 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4944 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4946 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4947 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4948 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4949 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4950 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4951 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4954 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4955 ((> score default) . bold))
4957 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4958 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4962 @node Summary Maneuvering
4963 @section Summary Maneuvering
4964 @cindex summary movement
4966 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4967 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4969 None of these commands select articles.
4974 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4975 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4976 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4977 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4978 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4982 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4983 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4984 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4985 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4986 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4989 @kindex G g (Summary)
4990 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4991 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4992 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4995 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4996 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4997 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4998 to the group buffer.
5000 Variables related to summary movement:
5004 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5005 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5006 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5007 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5008 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5009 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5010 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5011 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5012 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5013 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5014 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5015 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5016 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5017 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5019 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5020 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5021 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5022 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5023 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5024 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5025 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5027 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5029 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5030 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5031 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5032 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5033 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5035 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5036 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5037 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5038 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5039 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5040 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5041 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5042 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5045 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5046 the given number of lines from the top.
5051 @node Choosing Articles
5052 @section Choosing Articles
5053 @cindex selecting articles
5056 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5057 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5061 @node Choosing Commands
5062 @subsection Choosing Commands
5064 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5065 and they all select and display an article.
5067 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5068 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5072 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5073 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5074 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5075 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5077 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5078 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5079 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5084 @kindex G n (Summary)
5085 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5086 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5087 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5092 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5093 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5094 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5099 @kindex G N (Summary)
5100 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5101 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5106 @kindex G P (Summary)
5107 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5108 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5111 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5112 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5113 Go to the next article with the same subject
5114 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5117 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5118 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5119 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5120 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5124 @kindex G f (Summary)
5126 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5127 Go to the first unread article
5128 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5132 @kindex G b (Summary)
5134 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5135 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5136 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5137 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5142 @kindex G l (Summary)
5143 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5144 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5147 @kindex G o (Summary)
5148 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5150 @cindex article history
5151 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5152 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5153 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5154 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5155 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5156 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5161 @kindex G j (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5163 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5164 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5169 @node Choosing Variables
5170 @subsection Choosing Variables
5172 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5175 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5176 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5177 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5178 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5179 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5180 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5182 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5183 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5184 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5185 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5186 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5189 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5190 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5191 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5192 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5193 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5194 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5195 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5196 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5197 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5198 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5199 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5200 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5201 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5202 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5207 @node Paging the Article
5208 @section Scrolling the Article
5209 @cindex article scrolling
5214 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5216 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5217 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5218 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5220 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5221 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5222 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5223 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5224 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5225 what is considered uninteresting with
5226 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5227 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5230 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5231 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5232 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5235 @kindex RET (Summary)
5236 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5237 Scroll the current article one line forward
5238 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5241 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5242 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5243 Scroll the current article one line backward
5244 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5248 @kindex A g (Summary)
5250 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5251 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5252 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5253 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5254 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5255 the way it came from the server.
5257 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5258 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5259 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5262 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5267 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5272 @kindex A < (Summary)
5273 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5274 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5275 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5280 @kindex A > (Summary)
5281 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5282 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5286 @kindex A s (Summary)
5288 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5289 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5290 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5294 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5295 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5300 @node Reply Followup and Post
5301 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5304 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5305 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5306 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5307 * Canceling and Superseding::
5311 @node Summary Mail Commands
5312 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5314 @cindex composing mail
5316 Commands for composing a mail message:
5322 @kindex S r (Summary)
5324 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5325 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5326 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5327 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5328 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5333 @kindex S R (Summary)
5334 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5335 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5336 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5337 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5338 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5341 @kindex S w (Summary)
5342 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5343 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5344 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5345 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5346 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5347 present, that's used instead.
5350 @kindex S W (Summary)
5351 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5352 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5353 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5354 the process/prefix convention.
5357 @kindex S v (Summary)
5358 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5359 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5360 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5361 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5362 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5363 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5366 @kindex S V (Summary)
5367 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5368 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5369 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5370 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5373 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5374 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5375 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5376 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5377 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5378 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5379 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5380 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5383 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5384 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5385 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5386 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5387 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5391 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5392 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5393 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5394 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5395 Forward the current article to some other person
5396 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5397 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5398 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5399 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5400 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5401 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5402 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5403 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5404 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5410 @kindex S m (Summary)
5411 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5412 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5413 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5414 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5415 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5420 @kindex S i (Summary)
5421 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5422 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5423 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5424 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5426 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5427 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5428 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5429 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5430 for this to work though.
5433 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5434 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5435 @cindex bouncing mail
5436 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5437 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5438 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5439 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5440 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5441 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5442 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5443 very well fail, though.
5446 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5447 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5448 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5449 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5450 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5451 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5452 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5453 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5454 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5455 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5457 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5458 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5459 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5460 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5461 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5463 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5464 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5467 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5468 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5470 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5471 if it were a new message before resending.
5474 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5475 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5476 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5477 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5478 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5481 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5482 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5483 @cindex crossposting
5484 @cindex excessive crossposting
5485 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5486 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5488 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5489 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5490 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5491 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5492 command understands the process/prefix convention
5493 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5497 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5498 Manual}, for more information.
5501 @node Summary Post Commands
5502 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5504 @cindex composing news
5506 Commands for posting a news article:
5512 @kindex S p (Summary)
5513 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5514 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5515 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5516 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5517 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5522 @kindex S f (Summary)
5523 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5524 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5525 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5529 @kindex S F (Summary)
5531 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5532 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5533 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5534 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5535 process/prefix convention.
5538 @kindex S n (Summary)
5539 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5540 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5541 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5544 @kindex S N (Summary)
5545 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5546 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5547 message through mail and include the original message
5548 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5549 the process/prefix convention.
5552 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5553 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5554 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5555 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5556 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5557 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5558 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5559 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5560 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5561 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5562 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5563 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5564 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5567 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5568 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5570 @cindex making digests
5571 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5572 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5573 process/prefix convention.
5576 @kindex S u (Summary)
5577 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5578 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5579 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5580 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5583 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5584 Manual}, for more information.
5587 @node Summary Message Commands
5588 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5592 @kindex S y (Summary)
5593 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5594 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5595 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5596 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5597 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5602 @node Canceling and Superseding
5603 @subsection Canceling Articles
5604 @cindex canceling articles
5605 @cindex superseding articles
5607 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5608 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5610 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5612 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5614 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5615 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5616 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5617 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5618 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5619 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5621 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5622 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5625 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5626 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5627 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5629 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5630 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5631 message, Message Manual}).
5633 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5634 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5635 your original article.
5637 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5639 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5640 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5641 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5644 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5645 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5646 have posted almost the same article twice.
5648 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5649 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5650 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5651 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5652 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5653 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5654 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5655 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5656 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5657 canceled/superseded.
5659 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5661 @node Delayed Articles
5662 @section Delayed Articles
5663 @cindex delayed sending
5664 @cindex send delayed
5666 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5667 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5668 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5669 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5672 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5675 @findex gnus-delay-article
5676 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5677 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5678 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5679 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5683 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5684 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5685 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5686 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5689 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5690 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5691 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5694 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5695 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5696 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5697 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5698 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5699 that means a time tomorrow.
5702 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5703 couple of variables:
5706 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5707 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5708 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5709 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5711 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5712 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5713 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5714 formats described above.
5716 @item gnus-delay-group
5717 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5718 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5719 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5720 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5722 @item gnus-delay-header
5723 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5724 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5725 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5726 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5729 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5730 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5731 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5732 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5733 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5735 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5736 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5737 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5738 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5739 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5740 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5741 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5744 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5745 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5746 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5747 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5748 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5749 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5750 argument is ignored.
5752 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5753 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5754 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5758 @node Marking Articles
5759 @section Marking Articles
5760 @cindex article marking
5761 @cindex article ticking
5764 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5766 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5767 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5768 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5770 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5773 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5777 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5778 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5779 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5780 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5781 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5782 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5786 @node Unread Articles
5787 @subsection Unread Articles
5789 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5794 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5795 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5797 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5798 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5799 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5800 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5801 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5802 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5803 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5806 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5807 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5809 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5810 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5811 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5812 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5816 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5817 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5819 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5824 @subsection Read Articles
5825 @cindex expirable mark
5827 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5832 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5833 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5834 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5837 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5838 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5841 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5842 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5843 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5846 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5847 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5850 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5851 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5854 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5855 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5858 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5859 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5862 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5863 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5866 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5867 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5870 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5871 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5875 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5876 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5877 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5881 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5882 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5884 One more special mark, though:
5888 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5889 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5891 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5892 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5893 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5894 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5900 @subsection Other Marks
5901 @cindex process mark
5904 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5910 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5911 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5912 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5913 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5914 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5917 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5918 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5919 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5920 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5923 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5924 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5925 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5928 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5929 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5930 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5933 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5934 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5935 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5936 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5939 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5940 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5941 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5942 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5943 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5944 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5947 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5948 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5949 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5950 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5953 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5954 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5955 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5956 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5957 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5961 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5962 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5963 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5964 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5965 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5966 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5969 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5970 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5971 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5972 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5973 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5974 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5978 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5979 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5980 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5981 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5982 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5985 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5986 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5987 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5988 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5989 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5990 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5994 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5995 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5996 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5998 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5999 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6000 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6004 @subsection Setting Marks
6005 @cindex setting marks
6007 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6012 @kindex M c (Summary)
6013 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6014 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6015 @cindex mark as unread
6016 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6017 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6023 @kindex M t (Summary)
6024 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6025 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6026 @xref{Article Caching}.
6031 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6032 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6033 Mark the current article as dormant
6034 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6038 @kindex M d (Summary)
6040 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6041 Mark the current article as read
6042 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6046 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6047 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6048 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6053 @kindex M k (Summary)
6054 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6055 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6056 and then select the next unread article
6057 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6061 @kindex M K (Summary)
6062 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6063 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6064 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6065 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6068 @kindex M C (Summary)
6069 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6070 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6071 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6074 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6075 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6076 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6077 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6080 @kindex M H (Summary)
6081 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6082 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6083 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6086 @kindex M h (Summary)
6087 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6088 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6089 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6092 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6093 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6094 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6095 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6098 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6099 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6100 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6101 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6105 @kindex M e (Summary)
6107 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6108 Mark the current article as expirable
6109 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6112 @kindex M b (Summary)
6113 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6114 Set a bookmark in the current article
6115 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6118 @kindex M B (Summary)
6119 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6120 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6121 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6124 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6125 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6126 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6127 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6130 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6131 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6132 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6133 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6136 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6137 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6138 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6139 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6140 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6143 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6144 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6145 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6146 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6147 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6148 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6149 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6150 The default is @code{t}.
6153 @node Generic Marking Commands
6154 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6156 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6157 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6158 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6159 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6160 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6163 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6164 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6167 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6168 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6169 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6170 to list in this manual.
6172 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6173 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6174 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6175 article, you could say something like:
6179 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6180 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6181 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6189 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6190 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6194 @node Setting Process Marks
6195 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6196 @cindex setting process marks
6198 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6199 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6200 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6201 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6202 commands into the cache. For more information,
6203 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6210 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6211 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6212 Mark the current article with the process mark
6213 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6214 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6218 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6219 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6220 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6221 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6224 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6225 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6226 Remove the process mark from all articles
6227 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6230 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6231 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6232 Invert the list of process marked articles
6233 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6236 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6237 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6238 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6239 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6242 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6243 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6244 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6245 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6248 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6249 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6250 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6253 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6254 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6255 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6258 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6259 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6260 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6261 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6264 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6265 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6266 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6267 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6270 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6271 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6272 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6273 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6276 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6277 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6278 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6281 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6282 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6283 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6284 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6287 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6288 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6289 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6292 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6293 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6294 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6295 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6298 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6299 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6300 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6301 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6304 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6305 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6306 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6307 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6310 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6311 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6312 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6313 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6317 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6318 set process marks based on article body contents.
6325 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6326 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6327 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6330 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6331 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6332 additional articles.
6338 @kindex / / (Summary)
6339 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6340 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6341 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6345 @kindex / a (Summary)
6346 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6347 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6348 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6352 @kindex / R (Summary)
6353 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6354 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6355 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6359 @kindex / x (Summary)
6360 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6361 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6362 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6363 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6368 @kindex / u (Summary)
6370 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6371 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6372 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6373 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6374 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6377 @kindex / m (Summary)
6378 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6379 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6380 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6383 @kindex / t (Summary)
6384 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6385 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6386 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6387 articles younger than that number of days.
6390 @kindex / n (Summary)
6391 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6392 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6393 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6394 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6397 @kindex / w (Summary)
6398 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6399 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6400 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6404 @kindex / . (Summary)
6405 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6406 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6407 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6410 @kindex / v (Summary)
6411 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6412 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6413 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6416 @kindex / p (Summary)
6417 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6418 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6419 group parameter predicate
6420 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6421 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6424 @kindex / r (Summary)
6425 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6426 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6427 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6432 @kindex M S (Summary)
6433 @kindex / E (Summary)
6434 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6435 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6436 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6439 @kindex / D (Summary)
6440 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6441 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6442 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6445 @kindex / * (Summary)
6446 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6447 Include all cached articles in the limit
6448 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6451 @kindex / d (Summary)
6452 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6453 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6454 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6457 @kindex / M (Summary)
6458 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6459 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6462 @kindex / T (Summary)
6463 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6464 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6467 @kindex / c (Summary)
6468 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6469 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6470 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6473 @kindex / C (Summary)
6474 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6475 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6476 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6477 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6480 @kindex / N (Summary)
6481 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6482 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6483 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6486 @kindex / o (Summary)
6487 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6488 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6489 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6497 @cindex article threading
6499 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6500 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6501 hierarchical fashion.
6503 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6504 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6505 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6506 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6507 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6508 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6509 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6511 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6515 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6518 A tree-like article structure.
6521 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6524 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6525 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6526 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6527 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6528 called loose threads.
6530 @item thread gathering
6531 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6533 @item sparse threads
6534 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6535 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6541 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6542 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6546 @node Customizing Threading
6547 @subsection Customizing Threading
6548 @cindex customizing threading
6551 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6552 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6553 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6554 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6559 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6562 @cindex loose threads
6565 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6566 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6567 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6568 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6569 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6570 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6572 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6573 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6574 There are four possible values:
6578 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6579 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6580 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6581 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6582 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6587 @cindex adopting articles
6592 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6593 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6594 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6595 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6598 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6599 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6600 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6601 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6602 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6603 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6604 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6605 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6606 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6607 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6610 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6611 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6612 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6616 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6617 display them after one another.
6620 Don't gather loose threads.
6623 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6624 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6625 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6626 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6627 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6628 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6629 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6630 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6631 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6632 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6633 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6635 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6636 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6637 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6640 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6641 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6642 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6643 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6644 simplification is used.
6646 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6647 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6648 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6649 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6651 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6653 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6659 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6660 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6661 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6662 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6667 (mapconcat 'identity
6668 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6670 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6673 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6676 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6677 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6678 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6679 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6680 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6681 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6683 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6686 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6687 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6688 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6690 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6691 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6694 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6695 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6696 Remove excessive whitespace.
6698 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6699 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6700 Remove all whitespace.
6703 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6706 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6707 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6708 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6709 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6710 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6711 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6712 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6713 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6715 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6716 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6717 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6718 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6719 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6720 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6721 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6722 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6723 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6727 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6728 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6729 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6730 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6732 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6733 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6734 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6737 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6741 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6742 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6748 @node Filling In Threads
6749 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6752 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6753 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6754 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6755 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6756 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6757 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6758 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6759 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6760 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6761 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6762 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6763 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6766 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6767 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6768 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6770 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6771 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6772 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6775 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6776 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6777 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6778 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6779 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6780 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6781 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6782 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6783 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6784 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6785 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6786 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6787 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6788 @code{nil} by default.
6790 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6791 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6792 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6793 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6794 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6795 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6796 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6798 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6799 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6800 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6805 @node More Threading
6806 @subsubsection More Threading
6809 @item gnus-show-threads
6810 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6811 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6812 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6813 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6814 slower and more awkward.
6816 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6817 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6818 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6821 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6822 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6823 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6828 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6829 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6830 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6833 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6834 unread, but you get my drift.)
6837 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6838 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6839 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6840 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6841 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6842 threads are expunged.
6844 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6845 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6846 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6849 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6850 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6851 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6852 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6853 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6854 result in a new thread.
6856 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6857 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6858 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6861 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6862 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6863 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6864 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6865 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6866 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6867 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6868 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6869 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6870 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6871 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6876 @node Low-Level Threading
6877 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6881 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6882 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6883 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6885 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6886 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6887 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6888 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6889 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6890 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6891 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6892 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6893 meaningful. Here's one example:
6896 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6898 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6899 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6901 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6903 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6910 @node Thread Commands
6911 @subsection Thread Commands
6912 @cindex thread commands
6918 @kindex T k (Summary)
6919 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6920 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6921 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6922 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6923 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6928 @kindex T l (Summary)
6929 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6930 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6931 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6932 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6935 @kindex T i (Summary)
6936 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6937 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6938 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6941 @kindex T # (Summary)
6942 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6943 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6944 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6947 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6948 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6949 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6950 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6953 @kindex T T (Summary)
6954 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6955 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6958 @kindex T s (Summary)
6959 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6960 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6961 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6964 @kindex T h (Summary)
6965 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6966 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6969 @kindex T S (Summary)
6970 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6971 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6974 @kindex T H (Summary)
6975 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6976 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6979 @kindex T t (Summary)
6980 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6981 Re-thread the current article's thread
6982 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6983 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6986 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6987 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6988 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6989 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6993 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6994 understand the numeric prefix.
6999 @kindex T n (Summary)
7001 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7003 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7004 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7005 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7008 @kindex T p (Summary)
7010 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7012 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7013 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7014 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7017 @kindex T d (Summary)
7018 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7019 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7022 @kindex T u (Summary)
7023 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7024 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7027 @kindex T o (Summary)
7028 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7029 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7032 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7033 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7034 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7035 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7036 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7037 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7038 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7039 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7040 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7041 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7042 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7043 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7047 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7048 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7050 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7051 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7052 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse
7053 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7054 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7055 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7056 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7057 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7058 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7059 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7060 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7061 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7062 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7063 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7064 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7065 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7067 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7068 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7069 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7070 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7071 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse},
7072 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7073 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7074 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7075 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7076 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7078 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7079 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7080 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7082 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7083 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7084 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7085 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7086 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7087 ascending article order.
7089 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7090 by number, you could do something like:
7093 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7094 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7095 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7096 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7099 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7100 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7101 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7102 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7103 which the articles arrived.
7105 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7109 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7110 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7111 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7114 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7115 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7116 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7117 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7120 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7121 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7122 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7123 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7124 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7125 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7126 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7127 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7128 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7129 variable. It is very similar to the
7130 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7131 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7132 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7133 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7134 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7135 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7136 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7138 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7142 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7143 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7144 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7147 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7148 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7151 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7152 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7153 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7154 @cindex article pre-fetch
7157 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7158 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7159 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7160 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7161 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7163 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7164 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7166 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7167 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7168 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7169 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7170 connection is blocked.
7172 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7173 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7174 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7175 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7177 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7178 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7179 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7180 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7183 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7186 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7187 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7188 happen automatically.
7190 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7191 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7192 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7193 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7194 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7195 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7196 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7198 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7199 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7200 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7201 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7202 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7203 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7204 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7205 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7206 article data structure as the only parameter.
7208 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7209 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7212 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7213 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7214 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7215 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7218 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7221 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7222 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7223 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7225 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7226 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7227 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7228 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7232 Remove articles when they are read.
7235 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7238 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7240 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7241 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7242 @c from the next group.
7245 @node Article Caching
7246 @section Article Caching
7247 @cindex article caching
7250 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7251 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7252 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7253 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7254 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7256 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7258 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7259 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7260 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7261 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7262 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7263 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7264 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7265 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7267 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7268 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7269 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7270 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7271 as dormant, and don't worry.
7273 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7275 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7276 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7277 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7278 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7279 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7280 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7281 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7282 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7283 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7284 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7286 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7287 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7288 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7289 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7290 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7291 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7292 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7293 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7294 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7295 not then be downloaded by this command.
7297 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7298 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7299 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7300 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7301 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7302 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7304 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7305 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7306 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7307 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7308 variables, the group is not cached.
7310 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7311 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7312 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7313 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7314 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7315 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7316 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7317 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7318 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7321 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7322 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7323 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7324 where, isn't that cool?
7326 @node Persistent Articles
7327 @section Persistent Articles
7328 @cindex persistent articles
7330 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7331 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7332 useful in my opinion.
7334 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7335 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7336 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7337 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7338 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7339 the expiry going on at the news server.
7341 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7342 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7343 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7349 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7350 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7353 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7354 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7355 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7356 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7360 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7362 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7363 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7364 interested in persistent articles:
7367 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7371 @node Article Backlog
7372 @section Article Backlog
7374 @cindex article backlog
7376 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7377 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7378 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7379 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7380 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7381 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7382 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7383 increase memory usage some.
7385 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7386 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7387 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7388 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7389 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7390 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7391 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7393 The default value is 20.
7396 @node Saving Articles
7397 @section Saving Articles
7398 @cindex saving articles
7400 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7401 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7402 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7403 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7404 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7406 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7407 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7408 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7410 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7411 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7412 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7414 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7415 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7416 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7417 deleted before saving.
7423 @kindex O o (Summary)
7425 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7426 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7427 Save the current article using the default article saver
7428 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7431 @kindex O m (Summary)
7432 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7433 Save the current article in mail format
7434 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7437 @kindex O r (Summary)
7438 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7439 Save the current article in Rmail format
7440 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7443 @kindex O f (Summary)
7444 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7445 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7446 Save the current article in plain file format
7447 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7450 @kindex O F (Summary)
7451 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7452 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7453 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7456 @kindex O b (Summary)
7457 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7458 Save the current article body in plain file format
7459 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7462 @kindex O h (Summary)
7463 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7464 Save the current article in mh folder format
7465 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7468 @kindex O v (Summary)
7469 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7470 Save the current article in a VM folder
7471 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7475 @kindex O p (Summary)
7477 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7478 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7479 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7480 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7481 complete headers in the piped output.
7484 @kindex O P (Summary)
7485 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7486 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7487 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7488 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7489 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7490 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7491 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7495 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7496 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7497 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7498 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7499 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7500 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7501 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7502 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7503 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7504 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7505 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7506 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7510 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7511 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7512 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7513 functions below, or you can create your own.
7517 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7518 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7519 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7520 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7521 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7522 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7523 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7525 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7526 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7527 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7528 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7529 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7530 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7532 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7533 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7534 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7535 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7536 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7537 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7538 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7540 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7541 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7542 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7543 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7544 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7545 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7547 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7548 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7549 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7550 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7551 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7553 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7554 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7555 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7556 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7557 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7560 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7561 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7562 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7563 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7564 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7566 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7567 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7568 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7569 reader to use this setting.
7572 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7573 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7574 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7575 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7578 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7579 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7580 available functions that generate names:
7584 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7585 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7586 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7588 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7589 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7590 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7592 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7593 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7594 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7596 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7597 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7598 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7600 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7601 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7602 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7605 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7606 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7607 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7608 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7609 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7613 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7614 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7615 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7616 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7619 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7620 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7621 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7622 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7623 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7624 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7625 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7626 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7627 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7629 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7630 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7631 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7632 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7634 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7635 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7636 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7639 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7640 lots of mail groups called things like
7641 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7642 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7643 following will do just that:
7646 (defun my-save-name (group)
7647 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7648 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7650 (setq gnus-split-methods
7651 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7656 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7657 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7658 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7659 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7660 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7661 all the files in the top level directory
7662 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7663 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7664 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7665 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7667 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7668 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7669 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7670 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7671 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7674 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7678 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7679 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7680 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7683 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7684 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7685 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7686 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7689 @node Decoding Articles
7690 @section Decoding Articles
7691 @cindex decoding articles
7693 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7694 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7697 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7698 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7699 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7700 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7701 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7702 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7706 @cindex article series
7707 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7708 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7709 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7710 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7711 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7713 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7714 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7715 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7717 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7718 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7719 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7721 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7722 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7723 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7726 @node Uuencoded Articles
7727 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7729 @cindex uuencoded articles
7734 @kindex X u (Summary)
7735 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7736 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7737 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7740 @kindex X U (Summary)
7741 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7742 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7743 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7746 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7747 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7748 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7751 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7752 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7753 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7754 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7758 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7759 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7760 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7761 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7762 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7764 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7765 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7766 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7767 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7770 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7771 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7772 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7773 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7774 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7775 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7779 @node Shell Archives
7780 @subsection Shell Archives
7782 @cindex shell archives
7783 @cindex shared articles
7785 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7786 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7787 some commands to deal with these:
7792 @kindex X s (Summary)
7793 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7794 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7797 @kindex X S (Summary)
7798 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7799 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7802 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7803 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7804 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7807 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7808 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7809 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7810 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7814 @node PostScript Files
7815 @subsection PostScript Files
7821 @kindex X p (Summary)
7822 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7823 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7826 @kindex X P (Summary)
7827 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7828 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7829 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7832 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7833 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7834 View the current PostScript series
7835 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7838 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7839 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7840 View and save the current PostScript series
7841 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7846 @subsection Other Files
7850 @kindex X o (Summary)
7851 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7852 Save the current series
7853 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7856 @kindex X b (Summary)
7857 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7858 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7859 doesn't really work yet.
7863 @node Decoding Variables
7864 @subsection Decoding Variables
7866 Adjective, not verb.
7869 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7870 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7871 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7875 @node Rule Variables
7876 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7877 @cindex rule variables
7879 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7880 variables are of the form
7883 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7890 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7891 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7893 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7894 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7897 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7898 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7901 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7902 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7903 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7904 user and default view rules.
7906 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7907 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7908 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7913 @node Other Decode Variables
7914 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7917 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7919 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7920 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7921 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7922 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7923 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7927 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7928 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7931 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7932 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7933 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7936 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7937 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7938 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7939 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7940 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7943 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7944 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7945 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7947 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7948 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7949 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7950 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7951 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7954 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7955 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7956 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7958 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7959 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7960 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7961 looking for files to display.
7963 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7964 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7965 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7968 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7969 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7970 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7973 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7974 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7975 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7978 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7979 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7980 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7983 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7984 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7985 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7986 decoded articles as unread.
7988 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7989 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7990 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7991 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7993 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7994 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7995 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7997 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7998 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8000 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8001 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8002 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8003 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8005 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8006 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8007 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8008 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8009 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8010 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8011 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8012 simply dropped them.
8017 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8018 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8022 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8023 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8024 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8025 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8026 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8027 for you when you post the article.
8029 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8030 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8031 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8032 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8034 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8035 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8036 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8037 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8038 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8039 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8040 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8042 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8043 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8044 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8045 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8046 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8047 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8048 Default is @code{t}.
8054 @subsection Viewing Files
8055 @cindex viewing files
8056 @cindex pseudo-articles
8058 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8059 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8060 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8061 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8062 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8063 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8064 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8066 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8067 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8068 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8069 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8071 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8072 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8073 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8075 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8076 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8077 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8078 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8079 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8081 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8082 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8083 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8084 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8085 a list of parameters to that command.
8087 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8088 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8089 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8091 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8092 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8093 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8096 @node Article Treatment
8097 @section Article Treatment
8099 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8100 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8101 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8102 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8103 these articles easier.
8106 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8107 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8108 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8109 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8110 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8111 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8112 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8113 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8114 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8115 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8116 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8120 @node Article Highlighting
8121 @subsection Article Highlighting
8122 @cindex highlighting
8124 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8125 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8130 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8131 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8132 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8133 Do much highlighting of the current article
8134 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8135 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8138 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8139 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8140 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8141 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8142 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8143 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8144 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8145 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8146 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8147 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8148 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8149 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8152 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8153 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8154 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8156 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8159 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8161 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8162 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8163 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8165 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8166 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8167 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8169 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8170 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8171 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8172 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8173 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8174 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8176 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8177 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8178 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8180 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8181 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8182 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8184 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8185 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8186 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8187 that it's a citation.
8189 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8190 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8191 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8193 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8194 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8195 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8197 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8198 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8199 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8200 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8202 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8203 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8204 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8205 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8206 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8213 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8214 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8215 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8216 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8217 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8218 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8219 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8220 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8225 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8228 @node Article Fontisizing
8229 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8231 @cindex article emphasis
8233 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8234 @kindex W e (Summary)
8235 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8236 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8237 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8238 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8240 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8241 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8242 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8243 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8244 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8245 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8246 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8247 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8251 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8252 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8253 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8262 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8263 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8264 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8265 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8266 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8267 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8268 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8269 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8270 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8271 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8272 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8273 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8274 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8276 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8277 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8278 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8282 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8285 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8287 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8288 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8289 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8290 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8292 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8295 @node Article Hiding
8296 @subsection Article Hiding
8297 @cindex article hiding
8299 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8300 too much cruft in most articles.
8305 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8306 @findex gnus-article-hide
8307 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8308 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8309 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8312 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8313 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8314 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8318 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8319 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8320 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8321 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8324 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8325 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8326 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8330 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8331 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8332 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8333 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8334 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8335 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8336 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8337 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8341 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8342 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8343 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8344 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8349 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8350 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8351 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8352 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8355 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8356 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8357 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8358 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8361 @cindex stripping advertisements
8362 @cindex advertisements
8363 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8364 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8365 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8366 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8367 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8368 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8369 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8370 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8371 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8372 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8375 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8376 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8377 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8381 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8382 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8383 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8384 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8385 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8386 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8387 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8388 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8389 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8390 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8391 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8394 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8395 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8401 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8402 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8403 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8404 customizing the hiding:
8408 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8409 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8410 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8411 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8412 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8413 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8414 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8419 Starting point of the hidden text.
8421 Ending point of the hidden text.
8423 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8425 Number of lines of hidden text.
8428 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8429 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8430 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8431 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8432 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8437 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8438 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8440 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8441 following two variables:
8444 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8445 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8446 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8447 50), hide the cited text.
8449 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8450 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8451 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8456 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8457 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8458 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8459 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8460 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8461 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8465 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8466 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8467 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8469 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8470 citation customization.
8472 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8476 @node Article Washing
8477 @subsection Article Washing
8479 @cindex article washing
8481 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8482 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8484 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8485 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8488 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8489 articles by default.
8494 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8495 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8499 Force redisplaying of the current article
8500 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8501 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8502 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8503 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8506 @kindex W l (Summary)
8507 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8508 Remove page breaks from the current article
8509 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8513 @kindex W r (Summary)
8514 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8515 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8516 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8517 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8518 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8519 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8521 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8522 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8523 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8524 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8527 @kindex W m (Summary)
8528 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8529 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8532 @kindex W i (Summary)
8533 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8534 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8535 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8536 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8537 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8538 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8543 @kindex W t (Summary)
8545 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8546 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8547 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8550 @kindex W v (Summary)
8551 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8552 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8553 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8556 @kindex W o (Summary)
8557 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8558 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8561 @kindex W d (Summary)
8562 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8563 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8565 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8567 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8568 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8569 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8570 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8573 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8574 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8575 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8576 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8579 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8580 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8581 @cindex Outlook Express
8582 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8583 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8584 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8587 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8588 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8589 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8590 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8591 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8592 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8593 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8594 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8595 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8596 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8599 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8600 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8601 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8602 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8605 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8606 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8607 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8608 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8611 @kindex W w (Summary)
8612 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8613 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8615 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8619 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8620 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8621 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8624 @kindex W C (Summary)
8625 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8626 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8627 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8630 @kindex W c (Summary)
8631 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8632 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8633 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8634 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8635 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8638 @kindex W q (Summary)
8639 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8640 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8641 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8642 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8643 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8644 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8645 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8646 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8647 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8650 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8651 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8652 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8653 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8654 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8655 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8656 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8657 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8660 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8661 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8662 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8663 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8664 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8667 @kindex W A (Summary)
8668 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8669 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8670 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8671 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8672 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8675 @kindex W u (Summary)
8676 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8677 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8678 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8679 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8680 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8683 @kindex W h (Summary)
8684 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8685 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8686 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8687 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8689 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
8690 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
8691 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
8693 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8694 The default is to use the function specified by
8695 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8696 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8697 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8698 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8706 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8708 @item w3m-standalone
8709 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
8712 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8715 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8718 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8723 @kindex W b (Summary)
8724 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8725 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8726 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8729 @kindex W B (Summary)
8730 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8731 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8732 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8735 @kindex W p (Summary)
8736 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8737 Verify a signed control message
8738 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8739 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8740 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8741 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8742 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8743 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8746 @kindex W s (Summary)
8747 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8748 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8749 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8750 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8753 @kindex W a (Summary)
8754 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8755 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8756 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8759 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8760 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8761 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8762 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8765 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8766 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8767 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8768 lines with a single empty line.
8769 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8772 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8773 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8774 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8775 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8778 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8779 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8780 Do all the three commands above
8781 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8784 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8785 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8786 Remove all blank lines
8787 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8790 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8791 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8792 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8793 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8796 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8797 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8798 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8799 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8803 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8806 @node Article Header
8807 @subsection Article Header
8809 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8814 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8815 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8816 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8819 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8820 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8821 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8822 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8825 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8826 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8827 Fold all the message headers
8828 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8831 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8832 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8833 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8834 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8839 @node Article Buttons
8840 @subsection Article Buttons
8843 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8844 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8845 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8846 button on these references.
8848 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8849 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8850 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8851 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8852 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8856 @item gnus-button-alist
8857 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8858 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8861 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8867 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8868 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8869 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8870 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8871 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8874 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8875 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8876 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8879 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8880 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8881 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8882 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8883 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8885 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8888 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8891 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8892 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8896 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8899 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8902 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8903 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8904 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8905 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8906 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8909 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8912 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8915 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8918 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8919 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8921 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8923 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8924 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8925 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8926 default values of the variables above.
8928 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8930 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8931 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8932 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8933 argument with a string naming the man page.
8935 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8937 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8938 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8939 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8941 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8942 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8943 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8944 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8945 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8946 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8947 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8948 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8949 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8950 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8951 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8952 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8954 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8955 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8956 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8957 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8958 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8961 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8962 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8963 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8964 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8966 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8968 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8969 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8970 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8971 argument, the string naming the URL.
8974 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8975 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8976 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8980 @item gnus-article-button-face
8981 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8982 Face used on buttons.
8984 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8985 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8986 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8990 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8993 @node Article Button Levels
8994 @subsection Article button levels
8995 @cindex button levels
8996 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8997 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8998 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8999 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9000 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9001 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9002 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9003 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9006 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9007 (setq gnus-parameters
9008 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9009 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9010 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9015 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9016 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9017 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9018 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9019 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9020 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9022 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9023 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9024 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9025 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9026 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9027 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9028 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9029 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9030 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9031 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9032 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9033 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9034 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9036 @item gnus-button-man-level
9037 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9038 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9039 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9041 @item gnus-button-message-level
9042 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9043 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9044 Related variables and functions include
9045 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9046 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9047 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9048 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9050 @item gnus-button-tex-level
9051 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
9052 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
9053 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
9054 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
9055 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
9056 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
9062 @subsection Article Date
9064 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9065 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9066 when the article was sent.
9071 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9072 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9073 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9074 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9077 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9078 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9080 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9081 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9084 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9085 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9086 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9089 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9090 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9091 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9092 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9095 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9096 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9097 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9098 @findex format-time-string
9099 Display the date using a user-defined format
9100 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9101 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9102 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9103 for a list of possible format specs.
9106 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9107 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9108 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9109 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9110 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9111 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9114 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9117 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9118 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9119 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9122 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9123 into wonderful absurdities.
9125 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9128 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9131 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9132 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9136 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9137 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9138 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9139 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9140 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9141 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9142 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9146 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9147 preferred format automatically.
9150 @node Article Display
9151 @subsection Article Display
9156 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9157 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9159 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9160 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9162 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9163 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9165 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9166 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9168 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9169 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9171 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9176 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9177 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9178 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9179 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9182 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9183 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9184 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9185 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9188 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9189 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9190 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9193 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9194 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9195 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9198 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9199 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9200 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9201 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9204 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9205 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9206 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9207 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9210 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9211 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9212 Remove all images from the article buffer
9213 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9219 @node Article Signature
9220 @subsection Article Signature
9222 @cindex article signature
9224 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9225 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9226 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9227 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9228 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9229 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9230 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9231 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9232 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9235 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9236 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9237 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9238 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9239 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9240 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9241 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9242 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9245 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9248 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9249 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9250 signature when displaying articles.
9254 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9257 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9260 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9261 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9263 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9264 in question is not a signature.
9267 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9268 listed above. Here's an example:
9271 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9272 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9275 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9276 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9277 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9278 signature after all.
9281 @node Article Miscellanea
9282 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9286 @kindex A t (Summary)
9287 @findex gnus-article-babel
9288 Translate the article from one language to another
9289 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9295 @section MIME Commands
9296 @cindex MIME decoding
9298 @cindex viewing attachments
9300 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9301 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9307 @kindex K v (Summary)
9308 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9311 @kindex K o (Summary)
9312 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9315 @kindex K O (Summary)
9316 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9317 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9318 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9321 @kindex K r (Summary)
9322 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9325 @kindex K d (Summary)
9326 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9330 @kindex K c (Summary)
9331 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9334 @kindex K e (Summary)
9335 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9338 @kindex K i (Summary)
9339 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9342 @kindex K | (Summary)
9343 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9346 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9351 @kindex K b (Summary)
9352 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9353 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9357 @kindex K m (Summary)
9358 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9359 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9360 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9361 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9362 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9365 @kindex X m (Summary)
9366 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9367 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9368 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9369 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9372 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9373 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9374 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9375 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9378 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9379 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9380 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9381 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9384 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9385 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9386 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9387 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9389 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9390 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9391 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9392 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9393 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9394 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9397 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9398 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9399 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9400 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9407 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9408 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9409 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9410 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9413 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9416 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9420 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9421 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9422 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9423 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9424 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9425 default is @code{nil}.
9427 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9428 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9429 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9430 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9431 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9432 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9433 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9435 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9436 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9437 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9438 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9439 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9440 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9441 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9442 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9444 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9445 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9446 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9447 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9448 displayed. This variable overrides
9449 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9450 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9453 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9454 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9455 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9457 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9458 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9459 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9460 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9461 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9463 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9464 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9465 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9466 default value is @code{nil}.
9468 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9469 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9470 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9471 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9472 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9473 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9474 save all jpegs into some directory).
9476 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9479 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9480 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9482 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9483 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9484 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9485 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9486 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9489 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9490 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9491 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9493 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9494 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9495 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9497 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9498 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9499 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9501 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9502 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} in @ref{Display Customization,
9503 Display Customization, , emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}. Images or
9504 other material inside a "multipart/related" part might be overlooked
9505 when this variable is @code{nil}.
9507 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9508 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9509 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9510 overrides @code{nil} values of
9511 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9512 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9514 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9515 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9516 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9517 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9519 Ready-made functions include@*
9520 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9521 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9522 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9523 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9524 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9525 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9526 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9527 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9528 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9529 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9530 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9531 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9533 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9534 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9536 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9537 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9538 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9541 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9542 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9543 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9544 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9548 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9557 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9558 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9559 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9560 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9561 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9562 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9563 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
9565 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9566 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9567 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9568 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9570 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9571 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9572 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9573 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9574 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9575 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9576 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9577 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9578 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9580 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9581 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9582 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9583 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9584 quoted-printable header encoding.
9586 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9587 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9588 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9592 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9595 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9596 means encode all charsets),
9598 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9599 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9600 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9607 @cindex coding system aliases
9608 @cindex preferred charset
9610 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9611 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9612 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9614 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9616 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9617 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9620 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9621 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9624 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9625 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9627 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9630 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9633 This will almost do the right thing.
9635 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9639 (codepage-setup 1251)
9640 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9644 @node Article Commands
9645 @section Article Commands
9652 @kindex A P (Summary)
9653 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9654 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9655 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9656 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9657 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9658 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9663 @node Summary Sorting
9664 @section Summary Sorting
9665 @cindex summary sorting
9667 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9668 can't really see why you'd want that.
9673 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9674 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9675 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9678 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9679 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9680 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9683 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
9684 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
9685 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
9688 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9689 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9690 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9693 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9694 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9695 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9698 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9699 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9700 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9703 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9704 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9705 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9708 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9709 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9710 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9713 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9714 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9715 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9718 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9719 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9720 Sort using the default sorting method
9721 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9724 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9725 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9726 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9727 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9728 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9732 @node Finding the Parent
9733 @section Finding the Parent
9734 @cindex parent articles
9735 @cindex referring articles
9740 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9741 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9742 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9743 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9744 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9745 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9746 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9747 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9748 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9750 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9751 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9752 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9753 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9754 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9758 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9759 @kindex A R (Summary)
9760 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9761 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9764 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9765 @kindex A T (Summary)
9766 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9767 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9768 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9769 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9770 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9771 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9772 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9774 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9775 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9776 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9777 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9778 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9779 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9782 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9783 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9785 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9786 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
9787 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
9788 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
9789 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
9790 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9792 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
9793 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
9794 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
9797 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9798 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9799 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9800 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9801 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9802 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9805 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9806 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9807 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9810 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9811 then ask Google if that fails:
9814 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9816 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9819 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9820 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9821 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9822 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9823 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9824 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9825 not support this at all.
9828 @node Alternative Approaches
9829 @section Alternative Approaches
9831 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9832 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9835 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9836 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9841 @subsection Pick and Read
9842 @cindex pick and read
9844 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9845 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9846 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9847 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9849 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9850 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9851 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9852 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9853 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9854 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9856 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9861 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9862 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9863 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9864 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9865 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9866 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9867 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9868 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9871 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9872 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9873 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9874 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9878 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9879 Unpick the thread or article
9880 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9881 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9882 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9883 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9884 the thread or article at that line.
9888 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9889 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9890 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9891 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9892 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9893 will still be visible when you are reading.
9897 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9898 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9899 which is mapped to the same function
9900 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9902 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9905 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9908 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9909 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9911 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9912 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9913 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9915 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9916 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9917 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9918 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9919 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9920 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9921 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9925 @subsection Binary Groups
9926 @cindex binary groups
9928 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9929 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9930 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9931 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9932 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9933 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9934 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9937 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9938 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9939 command, when you have turned on this mode
9940 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9942 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9943 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9947 @section Tree Display
9950 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9951 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9952 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9953 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9956 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9959 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9960 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9961 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9963 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9964 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9965 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9966 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9967 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9969 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9970 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9971 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9972 default is @code{modeline}.
9974 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9975 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9976 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9977 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9978 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9979 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9980 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9986 The name of the poster.
9988 The @code{From} header.
9990 The number of the article.
9992 The opening bracket.
9994 The closing bracket.
9999 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10001 Variables related to the display are:
10004 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10005 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10006 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10007 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10009 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10010 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10011 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10013 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10015 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10016 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10017 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10018 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10022 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10023 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10024 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10025 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10026 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10027 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10028 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10029 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10030 other windows displayed next to it.
10032 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10036 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10037 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10040 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10041 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10042 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10043 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10044 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10045 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10046 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10050 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10053 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10063 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10068 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10069 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10071 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10073 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10079 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10080 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10081 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10084 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10085 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10086 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10087 (gnus-add-configuration
10091 (summary 0.75 point)
10096 @xref{Window Layout}.
10099 @node Mail Group Commands
10100 @section Mail Group Commands
10101 @cindex mail group commands
10103 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10104 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10106 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10107 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10112 @kindex B e (Summary)
10113 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10114 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10115 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10116 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10117 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10120 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10121 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10122 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10123 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10124 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10125 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10128 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10129 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10130 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10131 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10132 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10133 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10136 @kindex B m (Summary)
10138 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10139 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10140 Move the article from one mail group to another
10141 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10142 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10145 @kindex B c (Summary)
10147 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10148 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10149 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10150 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10151 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10154 @kindex B B (Summary)
10155 @cindex crosspost mail
10156 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10157 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10158 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10159 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10160 be properly updated.
10163 @kindex B i (Summary)
10164 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10165 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10166 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10167 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10170 @kindex B I (Summary)
10171 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10172 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10173 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10174 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10177 @kindex B r (Summary)
10178 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10179 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10180 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10181 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10182 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10183 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10184 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10185 (which is the default).
10189 @kindex B w (Summary)
10190 @kindex e (Summary)
10191 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10192 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10193 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10194 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10195 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10196 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10197 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10200 @kindex B q (Summary)
10201 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10202 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10203 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10204 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10207 @kindex B t (Summary)
10208 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10209 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10210 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10213 @kindex B p (Summary)
10214 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10215 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10216 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10217 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10218 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10219 article from your news server (or rather, from
10220 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10221 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10222 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10223 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10224 just not have arrived yet.
10227 @kindex K E (Summary)
10228 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10229 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10230 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10231 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10232 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10236 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10237 @cindex moving articles
10238 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10239 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10240 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10241 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10242 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10243 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10244 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10247 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10248 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10249 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10250 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10254 @node Various Summary Stuff
10255 @section Various Summary Stuff
10258 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10259 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10260 * Summary Generation Commands::
10261 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10265 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10266 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10267 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10268 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10269 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10270 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10272 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10273 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10274 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10277 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10278 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10279 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10281 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10282 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10283 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10284 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10285 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10286 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10289 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10290 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10291 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10292 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10293 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10295 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10296 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10297 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10300 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10301 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10302 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10303 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10304 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10305 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10306 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10307 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10308 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10309 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10311 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10312 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10313 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10314 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10315 list of articles to be selected.
10317 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10318 the list in one particular group:
10321 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10322 (if (string= group "some.group")
10323 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10327 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10328 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10329 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10330 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10331 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10334 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10335 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10336 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10337 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10338 variable will be used instead.
10340 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10341 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10342 buffers. For example:
10345 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10346 '(message-use-followup-to
10347 (gnus-visible-headers .
10348 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10351 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10355 @node Summary Group Information
10356 @subsection Summary Group Information
10361 @kindex H f (Summary)
10362 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10363 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10364 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10365 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10366 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10367 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10368 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10369 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10370 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10373 @kindex H d (Summary)
10374 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10375 Give a brief description of the current group
10376 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10377 rereading the description from the server.
10380 @kindex H h (Summary)
10381 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10382 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10383 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10386 @kindex H i (Summary)
10387 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10388 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10392 @node Searching for Articles
10393 @subsection Searching for Articles
10398 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10399 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10400 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10401 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10404 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10405 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10406 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10407 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10410 @kindex & (Summary)
10411 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10412 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10413 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10414 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10415 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10416 search backward instead.
10418 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10419 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10422 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10423 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10424 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10425 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10428 @node Summary Generation Commands
10429 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10434 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10435 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10436 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10439 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10440 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10441 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10442 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10445 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10446 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10447 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10448 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10453 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10454 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10460 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10461 @kindex A D (Summary)
10462 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10463 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10464 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10465 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10466 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10467 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10468 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10469 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10473 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10474 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10475 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10476 several documents into one biiig group
10477 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10478 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10479 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10480 command understands the process/prefix convention
10481 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10484 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10485 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10486 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10487 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10488 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10489 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10492 @kindex = (Summary)
10493 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10494 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10495 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10498 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10499 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10500 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10501 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10504 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10505 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10506 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10507 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10512 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10513 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10514 @cindex summary exit
10515 @cindex exiting groups
10517 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10518 group and return you to the group buffer.
10525 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10526 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10527 @kindex q (Summary)
10528 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10529 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10530 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10531 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10532 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10533 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10534 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10535 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10536 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10537 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10538 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10539 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10543 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10544 @kindex Q (Summary)
10545 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10546 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10547 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10551 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10552 @kindex c (Summary)
10553 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10554 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10555 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10556 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10559 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10560 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10561 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10562 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10565 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10566 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10567 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10568 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10571 @kindex Z p (Summary)
10572 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
10573 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
10574 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
10578 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10579 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10580 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10581 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10582 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10583 all articles, both read and unread.
10587 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10588 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10589 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10590 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10591 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10592 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10593 articles, both read and unread.
10596 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10597 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10598 Exit the group and go to the next group
10599 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10602 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10603 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10604 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10605 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10608 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10609 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10610 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10611 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10612 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10613 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10616 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10617 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10618 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10619 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10621 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10622 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10623 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10624 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10625 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10626 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10627 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10628 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10629 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10630 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10631 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10632 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10634 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10636 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10637 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10638 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10639 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10640 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10641 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10642 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10643 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10644 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10647 @node Crosspost Handling
10648 @section Crosspost Handling
10652 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10653 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10654 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10655 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10656 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10657 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10660 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10661 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10662 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10663 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10664 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10666 @cindex cross-posting
10668 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10669 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10670 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10671 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10672 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10673 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10674 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10675 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10676 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10677 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10678 the cross reference mechanism.
10680 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10681 @cindex overview.fmt
10682 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10683 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10684 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10685 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10686 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10687 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10690 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10691 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10692 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10697 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10700 @node Duplicate Suppression
10701 @section Duplicate Suppression
10703 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10704 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10705 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10706 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10711 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10712 is evil and not very common.
10715 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10716 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10719 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10720 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10723 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10726 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10727 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10729 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10730 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10731 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10732 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10733 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10734 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10735 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10738 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10739 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10740 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10741 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10742 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10743 saw the article in.
10746 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10747 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10748 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10750 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10751 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10752 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10753 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10754 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10755 session are suppressed.
10757 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10758 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10759 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10760 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10762 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10763 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10764 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10765 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10768 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10769 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10770 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10771 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10772 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10773 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10774 to you to figure out, I think.
10779 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10780 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10781 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10786 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10787 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10788 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10789 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10792 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10793 or newer is recommended.
10797 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10798 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10801 @item mm-verify-option
10802 @vindex mm-verify-option
10803 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10804 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10805 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10807 @item mm-decrypt-option
10808 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10809 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10810 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10811 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10814 @vindex mml1991-use
10815 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10816 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10817 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10821 @vindex mml2015-use
10822 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10823 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10824 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10829 @cindex snarfing keys
10830 @cindex importing PGP keys
10831 @cindex PGP key ring import
10832 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10833 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10834 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10835 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10836 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10837 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10838 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10839 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10840 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10843 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10846 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10847 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10850 @section Mailing List
10851 @cindex mailing list
10854 @kindex A M (summary)
10855 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10856 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10857 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10858 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10861 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10866 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10867 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10868 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10871 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10872 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10873 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10876 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10877 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10878 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10882 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10883 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10884 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10887 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10888 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10889 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10892 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10893 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
10894 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10899 @node Article Buffer
10900 @chapter Article Buffer
10901 @cindex article buffer
10903 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10904 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10905 tell Gnus otherwise.
10908 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10909 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10910 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10911 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10912 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10916 @node Hiding Headers
10917 @section Hiding Headers
10918 @cindex hiding headers
10919 @cindex deleting headers
10921 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10922 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10924 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10925 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10926 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10927 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10928 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10929 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10930 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10931 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10932 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10934 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10938 @item gnus-visible-headers
10939 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10940 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10941 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10942 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10944 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10945 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10948 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10951 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10954 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10955 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10956 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10957 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10958 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10959 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10961 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10962 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10965 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10968 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10971 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10972 variable will have no effect.
10976 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10977 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10978 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10979 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10980 the headers are to be displayed.
10982 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10983 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10986 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10989 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10990 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10992 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10993 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10994 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10995 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10996 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10997 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
10998 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11001 These conditions are:
11004 Remove all empty headers.
11006 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11007 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11009 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11010 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11013 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11016 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11017 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11019 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11020 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11022 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
11023 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11025 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11028 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
11030 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
11033 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11036 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11037 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11040 This is also the default value for this variable.
11044 @section Using MIME
11045 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11047 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11048 while people stand around yawning.
11050 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11051 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11053 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11054 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11055 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11057 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11058 @findex gnus-display-mime
11059 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11060 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11061 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11062 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11064 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11065 @acronym{MIME} button:
11068 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11069 @item RET (Article)
11070 @kindex RET (Article)
11071 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11072 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11073 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11074 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11075 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11076 object is displayed inline.
11078 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11079 @item M-RET (Article)
11080 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11082 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11083 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11085 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11087 @kindex t (Article)
11088 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11089 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11091 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11093 @kindex C (Article)
11094 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11095 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11097 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11099 @kindex o (Article)
11100 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11101 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11103 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11104 @item C-o (Article)
11105 @kindex C-o (Article)
11106 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11107 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11108 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11109 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11110 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11111 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11113 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11115 @kindex r (Article)
11116 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11117 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
11118 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11120 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11122 @kindex d (Article)
11123 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11124 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11125 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11127 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11129 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11131 @kindex c (Article)
11132 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11133 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11134 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11135 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11136 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11137 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11138 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11139 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11141 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11143 @kindex p (Article)
11144 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11145 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11146 @file{.mailcap} file.
11148 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11150 @kindex i (Article)
11151 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11152 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11153 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11154 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11155 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11156 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11157 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11158 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11159 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11161 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11163 @kindex E (Article)
11164 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11165 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11166 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11168 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11170 @kindex e (Article)
11171 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11172 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11174 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11176 @kindex | (Article)
11177 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11179 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11181 @kindex . (Article)
11182 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11183 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11187 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11188 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11189 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11191 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11192 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11193 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11194 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11195 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11196 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11197 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11198 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11199 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11201 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11203 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11206 @node Customizing Articles
11207 @section Customizing Articles
11208 @cindex article customization
11210 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11211 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11212 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11213 called automatically when you select the articles.
11215 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11216 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11217 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11218 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11220 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11221 for sensible values.
11225 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11228 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11231 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11234 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11237 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11240 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11244 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11245 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11246 regexps in the list.
11249 A list where the first element is not a string:
11251 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11252 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11253 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11257 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11262 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11263 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11264 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11265 considered to contain just a single part.
11267 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11268 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11269 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11270 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11271 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11272 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11273 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11275 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11276 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11277 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11278 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11281 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11282 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11284 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11286 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11287 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11288 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11289 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11290 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11291 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11292 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11293 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11294 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11295 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11297 @xref{Article Washing}.
11299 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11300 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11301 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11302 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11303 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11304 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11305 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11307 @xref{Article Date}.
11309 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11310 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11311 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11315 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11317 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11319 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11320 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11321 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11325 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11329 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11333 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11334 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11335 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11336 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11337 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11338 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11339 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11340 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11341 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11342 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11344 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11346 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11347 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11348 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11350 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11352 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11353 @item gnus-treat-translate
11354 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11355 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11357 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11358 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11359 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11360 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11362 @xref{Article Header}.
11367 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11368 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11369 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11370 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11371 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11375 @node Article Keymap
11376 @section Article Keymap
11378 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11379 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11380 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11381 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11384 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11389 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11390 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11391 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11392 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11395 @kindex DEL (Article)
11396 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11397 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11398 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11401 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11402 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11403 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11404 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11405 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11408 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11409 @findex gnus-article-mail
11410 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11411 given a prefix, include the mail.
11414 @kindex s (Article)
11415 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11416 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11417 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11420 @kindex ? (Article)
11421 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11422 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11423 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11426 @kindex TAB (Article)
11427 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11428 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11429 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11432 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11433 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11434 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11437 @kindex R (Article)
11438 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11439 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11440 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11441 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11445 @kindex F (Article)
11446 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11447 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11448 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11449 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11457 @section Misc Article
11461 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11462 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11463 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11464 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11467 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11468 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11469 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11470 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11471 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11473 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11474 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11475 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11476 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11477 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11478 the contents of the article buffer.
11480 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11481 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11482 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11484 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11485 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11486 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11487 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11489 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11490 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11491 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11492 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11494 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11495 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11496 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11497 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11498 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11499 with two extensions:
11504 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11505 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11506 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11511 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11514 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11517 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11518 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11519 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11522 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11525 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11528 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11533 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11537 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11539 @item gnus-break-pages
11540 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11541 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11542 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11543 paging will not be done.
11545 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11546 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11547 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11551 @cindex internationalized domain names
11552 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11553 @item gnus-use-idna
11554 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11555 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11556 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
11557 for how to compose such messages. This requires
11558 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11559 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11564 @node Composing Messages
11565 @chapter Composing Messages
11566 @cindex composing messages
11569 @cindex sending mail
11574 @cindex using s/mime
11575 @cindex using smime
11577 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11578 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11579 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11580 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11581 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11582 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11585 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11586 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11587 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11588 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11589 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11590 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11591 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11592 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11593 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11596 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11597 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11603 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11606 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11607 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11608 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11609 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11610 @code{nil} include all headers.
11612 @item gnus-add-to-list
11613 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11614 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11615 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11617 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11618 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11619 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
11620 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
11621 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
11622 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
11623 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
11624 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
11626 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11627 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
11629 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11630 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11631 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11632 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11633 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11638 @node Posting Server
11639 @section Posting Server
11641 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11642 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11644 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11646 It can be quite complicated.
11648 @vindex gnus-post-method
11649 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11650 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11651 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11652 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11653 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11654 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11655 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11656 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11657 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11660 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11663 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11664 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11665 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11666 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11668 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11669 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11671 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11672 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11675 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11676 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11678 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11679 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11680 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11681 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11682 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11683 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11684 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11685 package correctly. An example:
11688 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11689 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11692 To the thing similar to this, there is
11693 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11694 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11695 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11697 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11698 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11699 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11701 @node POP before SMTP
11702 @section POP before SMTP
11703 @cindex pop before smtp
11704 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11705 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11707 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11708 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11709 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11710 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11711 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11714 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
11715 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
11719 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
11720 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
11721 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
11722 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
11723 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
11724 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
11725 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
11726 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
11728 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
11729 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
11730 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
11731 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
11732 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
11733 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
11736 (setq mail-source-primary-source
11737 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11738 :password "secret"))
11742 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
11743 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
11746 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
11748 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
11749 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11750 :password "secret")))
11751 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
11754 @node Mail and Post
11755 @section Mail and Post
11757 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11761 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11762 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11763 @cindex mailing lists
11765 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11766 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11767 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11768 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11769 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11770 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11771 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11772 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11773 still a pain, though.
11775 @item gnus-user-agent
11776 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11779 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11780 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11781 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11782 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11783 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11784 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11785 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11789 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11790 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11791 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11794 @findex ispell-message
11796 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11799 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11800 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11803 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11807 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11808 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11810 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11813 Modify to suit your needs.
11816 @node Archived Messages
11817 @section Archived Messages
11818 @cindex archived messages
11819 @cindex sent messages
11821 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11822 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11823 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11824 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11827 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11828 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11831 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11832 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11833 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11836 (nnfolder "archive"
11837 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11838 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11839 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11840 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11843 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11844 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11845 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11846 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11849 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11850 '(nnfolder "archive"
11851 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11852 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11853 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11856 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11858 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11859 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11860 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11862 This variable can be used to do the following:
11866 Messages will be saved in that group.
11868 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11869 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11870 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11871 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11872 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11873 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11874 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11875 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11878 @item a list of strings
11879 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11881 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11882 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11885 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11890 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11892 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11895 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11897 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11900 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11902 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11903 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11904 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11905 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11908 More complex stuff:
11910 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11911 '((if (message-news-p)
11916 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11917 messages in one file per month:
11920 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11921 '((if (message-news-p)
11923 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11926 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11927 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11929 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11930 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11931 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11932 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11933 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11934 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11935 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11936 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11937 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11938 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11940 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11941 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11942 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11943 this will disable archiving.
11946 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11947 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11948 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11949 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11950 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11953 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11954 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11955 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11958 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11959 but the latter is the preferred method.
11961 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11962 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11963 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11965 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11966 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11967 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11968 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11969 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11970 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11971 changed in the future.
11976 @node Posting Styles
11977 @section Posting Styles
11978 @cindex posting styles
11981 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11983 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11984 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11985 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11988 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11989 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11990 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11991 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11992 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11997 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11998 (organization "What me?"))
12000 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12001 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12002 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12005 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12006 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12007 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12008 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12009 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12010 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12011 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12012 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12014 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12015 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12016 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12017 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12018 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12019 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12020 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12021 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12022 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12023 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12024 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12025 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12026 said to @dfn{match}.
12028 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12029 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12030 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12031 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12032 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12033 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12034 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12035 name can be one of:
12038 @item @code{signature}
12039 @item @code{signature-file}
12040 @item @code{x-face-file}
12041 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12042 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12046 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12047 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12048 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12049 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12050 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12052 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
12053 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
12054 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
12055 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12056 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
12057 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
12058 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
12059 references chars lines xref extra.
12061 @vindex message-reply-headers
12063 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12064 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12065 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12067 @findex message-mail-p
12068 @findex message-news-p
12070 So here's a new example:
12073 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12075 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12077 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12078 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12080 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12081 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12082 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12083 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12084 (signature my-news-signature))
12085 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12086 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12087 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12088 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12089 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12090 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12091 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12092 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12093 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12094 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12096 (From (save-excursion
12097 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
12098 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12100 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12103 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12104 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12105 if you fill many roles.
12112 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12113 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12114 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12115 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12116 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12118 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12119 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12120 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12121 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12122 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12126 @vindex nndraft-directory
12127 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12128 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12129 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12130 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12131 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12132 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12134 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12135 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12136 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12137 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12138 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12139 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12140 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12141 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12142 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12144 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12145 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12146 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12147 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12148 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12149 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12150 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12151 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12152 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12153 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12154 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12155 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12156 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12157 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12159 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12160 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12161 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12163 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12164 @kindex D e (Draft)
12165 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12166 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12167 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12169 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12172 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12173 @kindex D s (Draft)
12174 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12175 @kindex D S (Draft)
12176 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12177 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12178 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12179 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12180 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12183 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12184 @kindex D t (Draft)
12185 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12186 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12187 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12190 @node Rejected Articles
12191 @section Rejected Articles
12192 @cindex rejected articles
12194 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12195 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12196 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12197 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12199 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12200 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12201 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12202 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12203 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12205 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12206 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12207 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12209 @node Signing and encrypting
12210 @section Signing and encrypting
12212 @cindex using s/mime
12213 @cindex using smime
12215 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12216 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12217 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12218 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12220 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12221 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12222 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12223 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12224 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12225 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12226 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12227 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12228 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12229 automatically encrypted messages.
12231 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12232 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12233 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12238 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12239 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12241 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12244 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12245 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12247 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12250 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12251 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12253 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12256 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12257 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12259 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12262 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12263 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12265 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12268 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12269 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12271 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12274 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12275 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12276 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12280 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12282 @node Select Methods
12283 @chapter Select Methods
12284 @cindex foreign groups
12285 @cindex select methods
12287 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12288 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12289 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12290 personal mail group.
12292 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12293 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12294 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12295 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12296 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12297 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12299 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12300 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12302 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12305 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12306 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12307 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12308 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12309 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12311 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12314 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12315 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12316 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12317 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12318 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12319 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12320 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12321 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
12322 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12326 @node Server Buffer
12327 @section Server Buffer
12329 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12330 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12331 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12332 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12333 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12334 back end represents a virtual server.
12336 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12337 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12338 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12339 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12341 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12342 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12343 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12344 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12345 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12346 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12347 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12349 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12350 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12353 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12354 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12355 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12356 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12357 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12358 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12359 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12362 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12363 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12366 @node Server Buffer Format
12367 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12368 @cindex server buffer format
12370 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12371 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12372 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12373 variable, with some simple extensions:
12378 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12381 The name of this server.
12384 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12387 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12390 Whether this server is agentized.
12393 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12394 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12395 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12396 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12406 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12409 @node Server Commands
12410 @subsection Server Commands
12411 @cindex server commands
12417 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12418 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12422 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12423 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12426 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12427 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12428 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12432 @findex gnus-server-exit
12433 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12437 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12438 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12442 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12443 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12447 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12448 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12452 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12453 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12457 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12458 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12459 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12464 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12465 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12466 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12467 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12472 @node Example Methods
12473 @subsection Example Methods
12475 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12478 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12481 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12487 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12488 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12491 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12492 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12494 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12495 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12499 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12502 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12503 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12505 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12506 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12507 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12511 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12514 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12517 Here's the method for a public spool:
12521 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12522 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12528 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12529 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12530 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12531 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12532 should probably look something like this:
12536 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12537 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12538 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12539 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12542 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12543 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12544 configuration to the example above:
12547 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12550 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
12551 an indirect connection:
12553 (setq gnus-select-method
12555 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
12556 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
12557 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
12558 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12559 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
12560 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
12561 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)))
12564 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12565 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12566 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12570 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12571 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12572 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12573 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12576 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12577 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12578 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12579 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12582 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12583 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12585 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12586 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12588 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12589 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12590 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12592 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12594 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12595 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12596 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12597 will contain the following:
12607 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12608 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12611 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12612 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12613 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12616 @node Server Variables
12617 @subsection Server Variables
12618 @cindex server variables
12619 @cindex server parameters
12621 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12622 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12623 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12624 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12625 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12627 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12628 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12629 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12630 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12631 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12632 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12633 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12634 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12635 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12639 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12640 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12641 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12644 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12646 @node Servers and Methods
12647 @subsection Servers and Methods
12649 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12650 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12651 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12652 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12656 @node Unavailable Servers
12657 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12659 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12660 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12661 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12662 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12663 actually the case or not.
12665 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12666 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12667 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12668 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12669 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12670 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12671 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12672 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12674 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12675 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12677 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12678 with the following commands:
12684 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12685 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12686 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12690 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12691 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12692 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12696 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12697 Mark the current server as unreachable
12698 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12701 @kindex M-o (Server)
12702 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12703 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12704 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12707 @kindex M-c (Server)
12708 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12709 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12710 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12714 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12715 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12716 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12720 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12721 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12727 @section Getting News
12728 @cindex reading news
12729 @cindex news back ends
12731 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12732 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12733 or it can read from a local spool.
12736 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12737 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12745 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12746 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12747 server as the, uhm, address.
12749 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12750 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12751 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12752 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12754 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12755 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12756 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12758 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12763 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12764 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12765 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12767 @cindex authentification
12768 @cindex nntp authentification
12769 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12770 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12771 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12772 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12773 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12774 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12775 present in this hook.
12777 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12778 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12779 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12780 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12781 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12782 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12783 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12784 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12785 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12786 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12787 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12788 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12792 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12795 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12797 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12798 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12799 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12800 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12801 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12802 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12803 @samp{force} is explained below.
12807 Here's an example file:
12810 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12811 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12814 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12815 have to be first, for instance.
12817 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12818 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12819 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12820 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12821 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12822 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12823 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12825 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12826 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12832 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12833 previously mentioned.
12835 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12837 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12838 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12839 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12840 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12841 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12844 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12845 '(("innd" (ding))))
12848 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12850 The default value is
12853 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12854 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12855 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12858 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12859 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12861 @item nntp-maximum-request
12862 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12863 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12864 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12865 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12866 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12867 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12868 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12870 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12871 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12872 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12873 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12874 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12875 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12876 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12877 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12878 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12879 no timeouts are done.
12881 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12882 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12883 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12884 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12887 @item nntp-xover-commands
12888 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12889 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12891 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12892 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12896 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12897 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12898 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12899 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12900 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12901 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12902 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12903 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12904 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12905 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12906 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12908 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12909 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12910 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12912 @item nntp-record-commands
12913 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12914 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12915 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12916 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12917 that doesn't seem to work.
12919 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12920 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12921 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12922 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12923 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12924 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
12925 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
12926 indirect ones (three pre-made).
12928 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12929 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12930 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12931 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12932 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12933 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12934 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12937 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12940 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12941 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12946 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12947 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12948 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12949 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
12953 @node Direct Functions
12954 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12955 @cindex direct connection functions
12957 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12958 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12959 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12960 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12963 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12964 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12965 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12968 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12969 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12970 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12971 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12972 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12975 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12976 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12978 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12979 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12980 (nntp-port-number )
12981 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12984 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12985 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12986 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12987 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12988 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12989 then define a server as follows:
12992 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12993 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12995 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12996 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12997 (nntp-port-number 563)
12998 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13001 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13002 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13003 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
13004 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
13005 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13006 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13007 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13008 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13012 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13013 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13014 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13017 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13018 session, which is not a good idea.
13022 @node Indirect Functions
13023 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13024 @cindex indirect connection functions
13026 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13027 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13028 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13029 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13030 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13031 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13034 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13035 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13036 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
13037 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13038 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13040 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13043 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13044 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13045 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13046 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13048 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13049 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13050 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13051 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13052 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13053 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
13054 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13055 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13059 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13060 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13062 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13063 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13064 Does essentially the same, but uses
13065 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
13066 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13068 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13071 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
13072 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
13073 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13074 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
13075 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
13078 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
13079 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
13080 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13081 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
13083 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13084 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13085 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13086 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13088 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13089 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13090 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13091 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
13094 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13095 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13096 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13097 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13099 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13102 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13103 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13104 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13107 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13108 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13109 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13110 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13112 @item nntp-via-user-password
13113 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13114 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13116 @item nntp-via-envuser
13117 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13118 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13119 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13120 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13122 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13123 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13124 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13125 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13129 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13130 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13134 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13139 @item nntp-via-user-name
13140 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13141 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13143 @item nntp-via-address
13144 @vindex nntp-via-address
13145 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13150 @node Common Variables
13151 @subsubsection Common Variables
13153 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13154 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13155 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
13156 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
13157 variables individually).
13161 @item nntp-pre-command
13162 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13163 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13164 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13165 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
13166 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13169 @vindex nntp-address
13170 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13172 @item nntp-port-number
13173 @vindex nntp-port-number
13174 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13175 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13176 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13177 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13178 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13179 not work with named ports.
13181 @item nntp-end-of-line
13182 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13183 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13184 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13185 using a non native telnet connection function.
13187 @item nntp-telnet-command
13188 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13189 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13190 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13191 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13194 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13195 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13196 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13202 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13203 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13205 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13206 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13207 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13208 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13209 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13210 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13211 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13212 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13214 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13215 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13216 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13217 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13218 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13220 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13221 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13222 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13223 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13224 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13225 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13226 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13228 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13229 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13230 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13236 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13237 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13238 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13239 default is @code{nil}.
13241 @item nntp-marks-directory
13242 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13243 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13249 @subsection News Spool
13253 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13254 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13255 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13258 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13259 anything else) as the address.
13261 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13262 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13263 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13264 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13268 @item nnspool-inews-program
13269 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13270 Program used to post an article.
13272 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13273 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13274 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13276 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13277 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13278 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13279 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13281 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13282 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13283 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13284 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13286 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13287 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13288 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13290 @item nnspool-active-file
13291 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13292 The name of the active file.
13294 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13295 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13296 The name of the group descriptions file.
13298 @item nnspool-history-file
13299 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13300 The name of the news history file.
13302 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13303 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13304 The name of the active date file.
13306 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13307 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13308 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13311 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13312 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13314 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13315 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13316 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13323 @section Getting Mail
13324 @cindex reading mail
13327 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13331 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13332 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13333 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13334 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13335 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13336 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13337 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13338 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13339 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13340 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13341 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13342 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13343 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13347 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13348 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13350 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13351 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13352 of a culture shock.
13354 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13355 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13357 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13358 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13359 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13360 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13362 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13364 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13365 deleted? How awful!
13367 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13368 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13369 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13370 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13373 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13374 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13375 they want to treat a message.
13377 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13378 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13379 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13380 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13381 archived somewhere else.
13383 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13384 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13385 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13386 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13387 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13389 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13390 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13391 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13393 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13394 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13397 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13398 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13399 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13400 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13401 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13403 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13404 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13405 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13406 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13407 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13408 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13412 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13413 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13415 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13416 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13417 and things will happen automatically.
13419 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13420 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13423 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13426 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13427 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13428 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13429 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13430 like any other group.
13432 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13435 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13436 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13437 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13441 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13442 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13443 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13446 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13447 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13448 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13451 @node Splitting Mail
13452 @subsection Splitting Mail
13453 @cindex splitting mail
13454 @cindex mail splitting
13455 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13457 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13458 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13459 to be split into groups.
13462 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13463 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13464 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13465 ("mail.other" "")))
13468 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13469 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13470 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13471 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13472 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13473 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13474 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13477 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13481 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
13482 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13484 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13485 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13486 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13487 mail belongs in that group.
13489 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
13490 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13491 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
13492 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13493 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
13494 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
13495 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
13496 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
13497 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
13498 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
13500 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13501 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13502 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13503 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13504 thinks should carry this mail message.
13506 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13507 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13508 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13509 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13511 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13512 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13513 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13514 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13515 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
13517 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13520 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13521 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13522 links. If that's the case for you, set
13523 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13524 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13526 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13527 @findex nnmail-split-history
13528 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13529 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13530 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13531 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13534 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13535 Header lines longer than the value of
13536 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13539 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13540 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13541 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13542 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13543 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13544 charset for decoding. The behavior can be turned off completely by
13545 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13546 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13548 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13549 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13550 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13551 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13552 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13553 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13554 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13555 other kinds of entries.)
13557 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13558 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13559 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13560 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13561 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13562 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13563 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13564 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13565 month's rent money.
13569 @subsection Mail Sources
13571 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13572 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13573 maildir, for instance.
13576 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13577 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13578 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13582 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13583 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13585 @cindex mail server
13588 @cindex mail source
13590 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13591 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13596 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13599 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13600 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13601 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13604 The following mail source types are available:
13608 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13614 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13615 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13616 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13620 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13623 An example file mail source:
13626 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13629 Or using the default file name:
13635 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13636 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13637 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13638 mail spool while moving the mail.
13640 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13644 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13647 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13651 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13654 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13656 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13659 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13663 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13664 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13665 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13666 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13667 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13668 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13669 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13670 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13671 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13672 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13674 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13675 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13676 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13677 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13683 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13687 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13691 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13692 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13693 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13694 predicate are considered.
13698 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13702 An example directory mail source:
13705 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13710 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13716 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13717 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13720 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13721 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13722 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13723 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13724 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13727 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13731 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13732 the user is prompted.
13735 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13736 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13739 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13742 The valid format specifier characters are:
13746 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13747 included in this string.
13750 The name of the server.
13753 The port number of the server.
13756 The user name to use.
13759 The password to use.
13762 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13763 corresponding keywords.
13766 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13767 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13770 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13771 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13774 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13775 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13776 mail should be moved to.
13778 @item :authentication
13779 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13780 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13785 @vindex pop3-movemail
13786 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
13787 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13788 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If the
13789 @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server} is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be
13790 left on the @acronym{POP} server after fetching when using
13791 @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers maintain no state
13792 information between sessions, so what the client believes is there and
13793 what is actually there may not match up. If they do not, then the whole
13794 thing can fall apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
13796 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13797 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13803 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13806 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13807 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13810 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13813 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13817 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13818 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13819 contains exactly one mail.
13825 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13826 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13829 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13830 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13832 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13833 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13834 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13837 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13838 from locking problems).
13842 Two example maildir mail sources:
13845 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13846 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13850 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13855 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13856 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13857 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13858 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13859 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13861 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13862 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13868 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13869 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13872 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13873 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13876 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13880 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13884 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13885 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13886 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13887 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13889 @item :authentication
13890 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13891 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13892 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13893 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13896 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13897 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13898 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13904 The valid format specifier characters are:
13908 The name of the server.
13911 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13914 The port number of the server.
13917 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13918 corresponding keywords.
13921 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13922 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13925 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13926 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13927 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13928 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13929 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13930 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13933 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13934 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13935 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13936 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13939 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13940 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13944 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13947 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13949 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13953 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13954 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13955 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13957 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13958 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13960 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13966 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13967 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13970 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13974 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13978 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13979 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13983 An example webmail source:
13986 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13988 :password "secret")
13993 @item Common Keywords
13994 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
14000 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
14001 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
14006 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
14011 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
14012 useful when you use local mail and news.
14017 @subsubsection Function Interface
14019 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
14020 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
14021 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
14022 consider the following mail-source setting:
14025 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
14026 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
14029 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
14030 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
14031 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
14032 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
14033 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
14035 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14038 @node Mail Source Customization
14039 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14041 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14042 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14046 @item mail-source-crash-box
14047 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14048 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14049 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14051 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14052 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
14053 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
14054 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
14055 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
14056 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
14057 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
14058 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
14060 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14061 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14062 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
14063 files. This variable only applies when
14064 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
14066 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
14067 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
14068 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
14070 @item mail-source-directory
14071 @vindex mail-source-directory
14072 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
14073 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
14074 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
14075 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
14077 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14078 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14079 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
14080 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
14081 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
14082 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
14085 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
14086 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
14087 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
14089 @item mail-source-movemail-program
14090 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
14091 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
14092 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
14097 @node Fetching Mail
14098 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
14100 @vindex mail-sources
14101 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
14102 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
14103 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
14104 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14106 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14107 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14110 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14111 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14116 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14117 :password "secret")))
14120 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14124 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14125 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14128 :password "secret")))
14132 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14133 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14134 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14135 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14136 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14137 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14141 @node Mail Back End Variables
14142 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14144 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14148 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14149 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14150 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14151 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14153 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14154 @item nnmail-split-hook
14155 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14156 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14157 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14158 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14159 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14160 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14161 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14162 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14163 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14166 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14167 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14168 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14169 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14170 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14171 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14172 starting to handle the new mail) and
14173 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14174 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14175 default file modes the new mail files get:
14178 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14179 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14181 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14182 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14185 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14186 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14187 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14188 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14189 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14190 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14191 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14193 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14194 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14195 @findex delete-file
14196 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14198 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14199 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14200 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14201 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14202 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14204 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14205 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14206 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14207 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14208 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14210 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14211 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14212 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14217 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14218 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14219 @cindex mail splitting
14220 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14222 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14223 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14224 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14225 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14226 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14227 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14229 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14232 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14233 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14234 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14235 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14237 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14238 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14239 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14240 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14241 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14242 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14243 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14244 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14245 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14246 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14247 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14248 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14249 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14250 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14251 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14252 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14253 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14257 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14258 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14259 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14264 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14265 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14267 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split})
14268 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
14269 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
14270 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
14271 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
14272 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
14273 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
14275 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14276 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14277 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14278 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14279 stored in one or more groups.
14281 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14282 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14283 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14286 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14287 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14289 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14290 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14291 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14292 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14295 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14296 body of the messages:
14299 (defun split-on-body ()
14303 (goto-char (point-min))
14304 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14308 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14309 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14310 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14311 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14312 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14313 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14314 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14316 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14317 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14318 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14319 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14320 should return a split.
14323 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14327 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14328 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
14329 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
14330 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
14331 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
14333 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14334 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14335 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14336 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14337 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14338 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14339 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14343 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14345 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14346 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14348 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14351 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14352 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14353 when all this splitting is performed.
14355 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14356 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14357 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14360 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14363 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14364 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14366 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14367 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14368 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14369 groupings 1 through 9.
14371 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14372 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14373 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14374 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14375 groups when users send to an address using different case
14376 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14379 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14380 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} controls whether partial
14381 words are matched during fancy splitting.
14383 Normally, regular expressions given in @code{nnmail-split-fancy} are
14384 implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers, which are word
14385 delimiters. If this variable is true, they are not implicitly
14386 surrounded by anything.
14389 (any "joe" "joemail")
14392 In this example, messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will
14393 normally not be filed in @samp{joemail}. With
14394 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} set to @code{t},
14395 however, the match will happen. In effect, the requirement of a word
14396 boundary is removed and instead the match becomes more like a grep.
14398 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14399 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14400 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14401 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14402 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14403 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14404 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14405 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14406 it once per thread.
14408 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14409 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14410 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14411 using the colon feature, like so:
14413 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14414 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14416 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14417 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14421 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14422 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14423 in the file specified by the variable
14424 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14425 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14426 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14427 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14428 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14429 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14430 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14431 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14432 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14433 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14434 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14435 300 kBytes in size.)
14436 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14437 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14438 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14439 messages goes into the new group.
14441 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14442 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14443 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14444 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14445 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14446 ``outgoing'' group.
14449 @node Group Mail Splitting
14450 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14451 @cindex mail splitting
14452 @cindex group mail splitting
14454 @findex gnus-group-split
14455 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14456 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14457 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14458 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14459 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14460 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14461 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14462 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14464 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14465 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14466 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14467 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14469 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14470 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14471 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14472 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14473 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14474 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14475 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14477 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14478 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14479 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14480 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14481 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14482 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14483 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14485 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14486 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14487 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14488 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14489 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14490 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14491 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14492 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14493 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14494 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14495 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14496 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14497 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14499 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14504 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14505 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14507 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14508 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14509 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14510 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14512 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14515 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14516 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14517 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14520 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14521 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14522 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14526 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14527 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14528 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14532 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14535 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14536 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14537 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14538 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14539 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14540 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14541 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14542 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14543 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14545 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14546 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14547 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14548 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14549 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14550 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14551 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14552 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14553 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14555 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14556 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14557 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14558 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14559 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14560 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14563 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14566 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14567 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14568 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14569 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14570 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14573 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14574 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14575 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14576 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14578 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14579 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14580 @cindex incorporating old mail
14581 @cindex import old mail
14583 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14584 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14585 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14588 Doing so can be quite easy.
14590 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14591 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14592 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14593 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14594 your @code{nnml} groups.
14600 Go to the group buffer.
14603 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14604 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14607 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14610 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14611 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14614 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14615 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14618 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14619 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14620 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14621 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14622 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14624 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14625 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14626 using the new mail back end.
14629 @node Expiring Mail
14630 @subsection Expiring Mail
14631 @cindex article expiry
14633 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14634 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14635 different approach to mail reading.
14637 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14638 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14639 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14640 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14641 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14642 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14645 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14646 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14647 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14648 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14649 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14650 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14651 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14652 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14653 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14655 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14656 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14657 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14658 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14659 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14660 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14661 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14664 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14665 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14666 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14667 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14668 into its own group.)
14670 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14671 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14672 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14673 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14674 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14675 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14676 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14677 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14680 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14681 Groups that match the regular expression
14682 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14683 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14684 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14686 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14687 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14688 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14689 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14690 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14692 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14694 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14695 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14696 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14699 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14700 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14701 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14702 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14703 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14705 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14706 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14709 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14710 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14713 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14714 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14716 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14717 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14718 don't really mix very well.
14720 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14721 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14722 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14723 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14726 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14727 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14728 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14729 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14732 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14734 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14736 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14738 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14740 ((string= group "important")
14746 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14747 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14749 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14750 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14751 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14754 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14755 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14757 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14758 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14759 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14760 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14761 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14762 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14763 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14764 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14765 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14766 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14767 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14768 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14769 name or @code{delete}.
14771 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14773 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14776 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14777 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14778 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14779 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14780 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14783 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14784 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14785 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14786 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14787 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14790 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14791 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14792 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14793 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14794 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14795 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14797 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14798 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14799 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14800 easier for procmail users.
14802 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14803 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14804 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14805 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14806 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14807 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14808 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14809 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14810 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14811 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14812 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14813 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14814 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14817 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14819 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14820 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14821 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14822 auto-expire turned on.
14826 @subsection Washing Mail
14827 @cindex mail washing
14828 @cindex list server brain damage
14829 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14831 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14832 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14833 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14834 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14835 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14836 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14838 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14839 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14840 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14843 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14844 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14845 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14846 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14849 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14850 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14851 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14852 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14853 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14856 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14857 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14858 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14859 Emacs running on MS machines.
14863 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14864 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14865 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14866 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14869 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14870 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14871 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14872 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14874 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14875 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14876 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14877 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14878 into a feature by documenting it.)
14880 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14881 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14882 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14883 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14884 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14885 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14886 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14889 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14890 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14893 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14894 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14897 This can also be done non-destructively with
14898 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14900 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14901 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14902 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14904 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14905 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14907 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14908 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14909 @code{References} headers.
14913 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14914 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14915 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14919 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14920 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14921 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14928 @subsection Duplicates
14930 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14931 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14932 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14933 @cindex duplicate mails
14934 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14935 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14936 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14937 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14938 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14939 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14940 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14941 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14942 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14943 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14944 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14945 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14946 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14948 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14949 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14950 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14951 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14953 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14956 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14957 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14961 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14962 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14963 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14964 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14965 (any mail "mail.misc")
14966 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14972 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14973 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14974 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14978 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14979 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14980 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14981 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14982 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14985 @node Not Reading Mail
14986 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14988 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14989 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14990 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14992 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14993 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14994 mail, which should help.
14996 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14997 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14998 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14999 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15000 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15001 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
15002 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
15003 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
15004 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
15005 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
15006 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
15008 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
15009 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
15013 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
15014 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
15016 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
15017 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
15018 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
15020 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
15021 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
15022 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
15026 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
15027 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
15028 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
15029 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
15030 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
15031 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
15032 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
15036 @node Unix Mail Box
15037 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
15039 @cindex unix mail box
15041 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15042 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15043 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
15044 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
15045 which group it belongs in.
15047 Virtual server settings:
15050 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
15051 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15052 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
15055 @item nnmbox-active-file
15056 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15057 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
15058 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
15060 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
15061 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15062 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
15063 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
15068 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
15072 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15073 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15074 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
15075 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
15076 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
15078 Virtual server settings:
15081 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
15082 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15083 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
15085 @item nnbabyl-active-file
15086 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15087 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
15088 @file{~/.rmail-active}
15090 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15091 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15092 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
15098 @subsubsection Mail Spool
15100 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
15102 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
15103 format. It should be used with some caution.
15105 @vindex nnml-directory
15106 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15107 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15108 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15109 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15111 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15114 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15115 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15116 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15117 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15118 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15119 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15120 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15121 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15123 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15124 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15125 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15126 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15128 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15130 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15131 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15132 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15133 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15134 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15135 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15136 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15137 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15140 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15141 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15142 them next time it starts.
15144 Virtual server settings:
15147 @item nnml-directory
15148 @vindex nnml-directory
15149 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15150 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15153 @item nnml-active-file
15154 @vindex nnml-active-file
15155 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15156 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15158 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15159 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15160 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15161 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15163 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15164 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15165 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15168 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15169 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15170 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15171 default is @code{nil}.
15173 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15174 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15175 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15177 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15178 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15179 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15181 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15182 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15183 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15184 default is @code{nil}.
15186 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15187 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15188 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15190 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15191 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15192 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15193 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
15194 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
15195 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
15196 as the file extension specifying the comression program. You can set it
15197 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
15198 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
15200 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15201 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15202 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
15203 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
15204 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-nil.
15208 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15209 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15210 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15211 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15212 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15213 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15214 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15219 @subsubsection MH Spool
15221 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15223 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15224 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15225 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15226 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15229 Virtual server settings:
15232 @item nnmh-directory
15233 @vindex nnmh-directory
15234 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15235 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15238 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15239 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15240 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15244 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15245 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15246 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15247 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15248 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15249 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15250 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15255 @subsubsection Maildir
15259 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15260 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15261 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15262 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15263 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15266 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15267 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15268 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15269 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15270 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15271 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15272 that appear as group in Gnus.
15274 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15275 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15276 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15278 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15279 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15280 another, and you will keep your marks.
15282 Virtual server settings:
15286 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15287 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15288 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15289 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15290 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15291 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15292 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15293 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15294 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15295 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15297 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15298 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15299 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15300 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15301 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15302 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15303 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15304 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15305 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15306 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15309 @item target-prefix
15310 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15311 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15312 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15315 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15316 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15317 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15318 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15319 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15320 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15321 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15322 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15323 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15325 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15326 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15327 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15328 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15329 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15331 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15332 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15333 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15334 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15335 @code{force} argument.
15337 @item directory-files
15338 This should be a function with the same interface as
15339 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15340 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15341 parameter is optional; the default is
15342 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15343 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15344 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15345 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15346 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15347 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15350 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15351 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15352 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15353 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15354 value is @code{nil}.
15356 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15357 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15358 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15359 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15360 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15363 @subsubsection Group parameters
15365 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15366 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15367 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15368 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15369 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15370 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15373 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15374 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15375 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15376 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15377 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15378 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15379 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15380 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15381 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15385 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15386 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15387 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15388 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15389 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
15390 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
15391 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
15392 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15393 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15394 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15395 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15396 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15397 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15400 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15402 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15404 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15405 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15406 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15407 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15408 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15409 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15410 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15411 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15412 article. So that form can refer to
15413 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15414 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
15415 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15416 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15419 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15420 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15421 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15422 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15423 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15424 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15425 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15426 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15427 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15428 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15429 contain extra copies of the articles.
15431 @item directory-files
15432 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15433 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15434 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15435 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15437 @item distrust-Lines:
15438 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15439 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15440 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15443 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15444 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15445 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15446 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15447 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15448 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15451 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15452 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15453 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15454 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15455 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15456 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15457 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15459 @item nov-cache-size
15460 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15461 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15462 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15463 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15464 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15465 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15466 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15467 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15468 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15469 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15470 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15473 @subsubsection Article identification
15474 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15475 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15476 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15477 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15478 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15479 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15480 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15481 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15482 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15483 request the article in the summary buffer.
15485 @subsubsection NOV data
15486 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15487 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15488 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15489 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15490 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15491 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15492 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15493 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15494 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15495 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15496 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15498 @subsubsection Article marks
15499 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15500 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15501 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15502 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15503 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15504 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15505 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15506 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15508 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15509 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15510 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15511 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15512 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15513 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15514 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15515 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15516 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15520 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15522 @cindex mbox folders
15523 @cindex mail folders
15525 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15526 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15527 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15528 numbers and arrival dates.
15530 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15532 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15533 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15534 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15535 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15536 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15537 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15538 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15539 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15540 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15541 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15543 Virtual server settings:
15546 @item nnfolder-directory
15547 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15548 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15549 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15550 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15552 @item nnfolder-active-file
15553 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15554 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15556 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15557 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15558 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15559 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15561 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15562 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15563 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15564 default is @code{t}
15566 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15567 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15568 @cindex backup files
15569 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15570 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15571 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15572 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15575 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15576 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15578 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15581 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15582 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15583 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15584 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15585 extract some information from it before removing it.
15587 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15588 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15589 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15590 default is @code{nil}.
15592 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15593 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15594 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15596 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15597 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15598 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15599 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15601 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15602 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15603 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15604 default is @code{nil}.
15606 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15607 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15608 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15610 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15611 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15612 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15613 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15618 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15619 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15620 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15621 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15622 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15623 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15626 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15627 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15629 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15630 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15631 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15632 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15633 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15635 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15636 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15637 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15638 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15639 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15640 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15641 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15642 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15645 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15646 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15647 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15648 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15653 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15654 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15655 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15656 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15657 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15658 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15659 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15660 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15661 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15662 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15663 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15664 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15665 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15670 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15671 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15672 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15673 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15674 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15675 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15676 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15677 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15678 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15679 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15680 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15681 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15682 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15683 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15685 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15686 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15691 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15692 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15693 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15694 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15695 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15696 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15697 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15698 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15699 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15700 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15701 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15702 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15703 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15704 provided by the active file and overviews.
15706 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15707 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15708 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15709 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15710 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15713 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15714 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15719 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15720 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15721 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15722 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15723 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15724 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15725 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15729 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15730 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15731 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15732 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15733 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15734 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15735 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15736 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15737 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15739 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15740 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15741 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15742 friendly mail back end all over.
15746 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15747 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15750 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15751 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15752 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15753 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15754 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15755 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15756 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15757 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15760 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15761 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15762 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15763 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15764 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15765 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15766 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15767 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15768 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15769 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15770 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15772 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15773 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15774 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15775 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15776 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15779 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15780 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15781 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15782 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15783 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15784 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15785 removed in the future.
15787 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15788 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15789 on your file system.
15791 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15792 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15797 @node Browsing the Web
15798 @section Browsing the Web
15800 @cindex browsing the web
15804 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15805 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15806 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15807 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15808 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15809 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15810 even know what a news group is.
15812 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15813 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15814 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15815 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15816 you mad in the end.
15818 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15821 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15822 interfaces to these sources.
15826 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15827 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15828 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15829 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15830 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15831 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
15834 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
15835 alternatives to work.
15837 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15838 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15839 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15840 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15841 though, you should be ok.
15843 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15844 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15845 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15846 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15847 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15849 @node Archiving Mail
15850 @subsection Archiving Mail
15851 @cindex archiving mail
15852 @cindex backup of mail
15854 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15855 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15856 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15857 marks is fairly simple.
15859 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15860 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15863 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15864 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15865 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15866 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15867 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15868 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15869 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15870 before you restore the data.
15872 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15873 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15874 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15875 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15876 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15877 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15878 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15879 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15880 is unnecessary in that case.
15883 @subsection Web Searches
15888 @cindex Usenet searches
15889 @cindex searching the Usenet
15891 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15892 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15893 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15894 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15895 searches without having to use a browser.
15897 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15898 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15899 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15900 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15901 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15903 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15904 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15905 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15906 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15907 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15908 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15909 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15910 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15911 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15912 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15915 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15916 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15917 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
15918 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15919 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15920 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15922 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
15923 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
15924 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
15926 Virtual server variables:
15931 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15932 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15933 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15936 @vindex nnweb-search
15937 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15939 @item nnweb-max-hits
15940 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15941 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15944 @item nnweb-type-definition
15945 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15946 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15947 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15952 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15956 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15959 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15962 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15966 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15973 @subsection Slashdot
15977 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15978 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15979 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15981 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15982 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15985 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15986 '((nnslashdot "")))
15989 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15990 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15991 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15992 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15993 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15996 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15997 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15999 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
16000 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
16001 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
16002 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
16003 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
16004 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
16005 @acronym{HTML} forms.
16007 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
16010 @item nnslashdot-threaded
16011 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
16012 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
16013 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
16014 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
16015 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
16016 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
16018 @item nnslashdot-login-name
16019 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
16020 The login name to use when posting.
16022 @item nnslashdot-password
16023 @vindex nnslashdot-password
16024 The password to use when posting.
16026 @item nnslashdot-directory
16027 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
16028 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
16029 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
16031 @item nnslashdot-active-url
16032 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
16033 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
16034 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
16035 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
16037 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
16038 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
16039 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
16041 @item nnslashdot-article-url
16042 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
16043 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
16044 article. The default is
16045 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
16047 @item nnslashdot-threshold
16048 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
16049 The score threshold. The default is -1.
16051 @item nnslashdot-group-number
16052 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
16053 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
16054 updated. The default is 0.
16061 @subsection Ultimate
16063 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
16065 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
16066 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
16067 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
16068 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16070 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
16071 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
16072 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
16073 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
16074 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
16075 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
16076 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
16078 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
16081 @item nnultimate-directory
16082 @vindex nnultimate-directory
16083 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
16084 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
16089 @subsection Web Archive
16091 @cindex Web Archive
16093 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
16094 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
16095 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
16096 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
16099 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
16100 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
16101 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
16102 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
16103 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
16104 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
16105 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
16106 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
16108 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
16111 @item nnwarchive-directory
16112 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
16113 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
16114 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
16116 @item nnwarchive-login
16117 @vindex nnwarchive-login
16118 The account name on the web server.
16120 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16121 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16122 The password for your account on the web server.
16130 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16131 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16132 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16133 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16134 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16136 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16137 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16139 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16140 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16141 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16144 @kindex G R (Group)
16145 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
16146 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16147 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16148 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16150 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16151 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16152 subscribe to groups.
16154 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16155 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16156 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16157 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16158 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16159 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16160 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16161 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16163 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
16164 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
16165 and a @samp{text/html} part.
16168 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16169 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16172 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16173 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16177 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16178 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16179 @acronym{OPML} format.
16182 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16185 @item nnrss-directory
16186 @vindex nnrss-directory
16187 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16188 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16190 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16191 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16192 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16193 data files. The default is the value of
16194 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16195 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16197 @item nnrss-use-local
16198 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16199 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16200 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16201 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16202 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16203 download script using @command{wget}.
16205 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
16206 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
16207 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
16208 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
16209 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
16210 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
16211 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
16212 @samp{text/html} parts.
16215 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16216 the summary buffer.
16219 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16220 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16222 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16224 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16225 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16228 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16232 (require 'browse-url)
16234 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
16236 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16239 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16240 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16243 (browse-url (cdr url))
16244 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16245 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16247 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16248 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16249 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16250 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16253 Even if you have added @code{"text/html"} to the
16254 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
16255 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
16256 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
16257 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
16258 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
16259 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
16260 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
16261 @code{nnrss} groups:
16264 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
16265 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
16267 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
16268 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
16269 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
16271 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
16274 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
16278 @node Customizing W3
16279 @subsection Customizing W3
16285 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
16286 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
16287 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
16290 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
16291 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16292 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16295 (eval-after-load "w3"
16297 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16298 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16299 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16300 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16302 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16305 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
16306 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16313 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16315 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16316 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16317 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16318 specify the network address of the server.
16320 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16321 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16322 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16323 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16324 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16325 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16327 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16328 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16329 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16330 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16332 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16333 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16334 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16335 usage explained in this section.
16337 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16338 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16339 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16343 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16344 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16345 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16347 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16348 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16349 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16351 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16352 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16353 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16354 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16355 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16356 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16357 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16358 (nnimap-stream network))
16359 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16361 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16362 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16363 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16366 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16367 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16368 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16369 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16371 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16376 @item nnimap-address
16377 @vindex nnimap-address
16379 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16380 server name if not specified.
16382 @item nnimap-server-port
16383 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16384 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16386 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16389 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16390 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16393 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16394 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16395 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16396 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16397 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16398 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16399 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16401 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16402 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16403 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16406 Example server specification:
16409 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16410 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16411 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16414 @item nnimap-stream
16415 @vindex nnimap-stream
16416 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16417 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16418 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16419 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16420 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16422 Example server specification:
16425 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16426 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16429 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16433 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16434 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16436 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16438 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16439 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16442 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16443 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16445 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16446 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16448 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16450 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16453 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16454 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16455 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16456 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16457 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16458 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16459 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16460 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16461 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16464 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16465 needed. It is available from
16466 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16468 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16469 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16470 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16471 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16472 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16473 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16474 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16477 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16478 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16479 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16480 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16481 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16482 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16483 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16486 @vindex imap-shell-program
16487 @vindex imap-shell-host
16488 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16489 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16491 @item nnimap-authenticator
16492 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16494 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16495 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16497 Example server specification:
16500 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16501 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16504 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16508 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16509 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16511 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16514 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16515 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16517 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16519 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16521 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16524 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16526 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16527 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16528 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16529 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16530 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16531 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16534 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16535 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16536 running in circles yet?
16538 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16539 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16542 The possible options are:
16547 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16550 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16551 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16552 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16553 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16555 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16560 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16561 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16563 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16564 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16565 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16566 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16567 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16570 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16571 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16574 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16575 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16576 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16577 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16580 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16581 as ticked for other users.
16583 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16585 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16587 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16588 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16589 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16590 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16592 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16593 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16594 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16595 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16597 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16598 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16600 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16601 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16602 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16603 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
16606 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
16609 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
16610 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
16611 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
16612 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
16615 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16616 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16618 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16619 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16625 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16626 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16627 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16628 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16629 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16630 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16635 @node Splitting in IMAP
16636 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16637 @cindex splitting imap mail
16639 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16640 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16641 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16642 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16643 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16647 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16648 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16649 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16651 Here are the variables of interest:
16655 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16656 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16658 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16660 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16661 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16662 found will be used.
16664 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16666 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16667 @cindex splitting, inbox
16669 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16671 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16672 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16673 splitting is disabled!
16676 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16677 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16680 No nnmail equivalent.
16682 @item nnimap-split-rule
16683 @cindex splitting, rules
16684 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16686 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16689 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16690 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16691 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16692 Neither did I, we need examples.
16695 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16697 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16698 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16699 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16702 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16703 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16704 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16706 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16707 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16711 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16714 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16715 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16717 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16718 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16719 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16720 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16722 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16723 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16724 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16725 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16726 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16727 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16729 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16730 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16731 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16733 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16734 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16735 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16737 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16739 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16740 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16741 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16744 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16745 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16746 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16747 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16748 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16749 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16752 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16753 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16754 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16755 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16756 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16757 group/function elements.
16759 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16761 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16763 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16765 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16766 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16768 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16769 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16770 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16773 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16774 @cindex splitting, fancy
16775 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16776 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16778 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16779 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16780 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16782 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16783 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16784 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16785 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16790 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16791 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16794 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16796 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16797 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16798 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16800 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16801 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16802 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16803 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
16807 @node Expiring in IMAP
16808 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16809 @cindex expiring imap mail
16811 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16812 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16813 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16814 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16815 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16816 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16819 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16820 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16821 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16822 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16823 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16824 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16825 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16826 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16830 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16831 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16833 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16834 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16836 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16838 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16839 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16840 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16841 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16845 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16846 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16847 @cindex editing imap acls
16848 @cindex Access Control Lists
16849 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16850 @kindex G l (Group)
16851 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16853 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16854 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16855 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16858 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16859 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16860 editing window with detailed instructions.
16862 Some possible uses:
16866 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16867 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16868 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16870 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16871 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16872 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16876 @node Expunging mailboxes
16877 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16881 @cindex manual expunging
16882 @kindex G x (Group)
16883 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16885 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16886 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16887 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16889 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16892 @node A note on namespaces
16893 @subsection A note on namespaces
16894 @cindex IMAP namespace
16897 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16898 by the following text in the RFC2060:
16901 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16903 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16904 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16905 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16906 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16908 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16909 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16910 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16911 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16912 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16913 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16916 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16917 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16918 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16920 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16921 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16922 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16923 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16924 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16925 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16926 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16927 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16930 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16931 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16932 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16934 @node Debugging IMAP
16935 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16936 @cindex IMAP debugging
16937 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16939 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16940 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16941 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
16942 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16944 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16945 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16946 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16947 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16948 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16949 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16950 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16954 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
16955 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
16962 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
16963 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
16964 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
16965 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
16968 @node Other Sources
16969 @section Other Sources
16971 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16972 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16976 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16977 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16978 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16979 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16980 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16984 @node Directory Groups
16985 @subsection Directory Groups
16987 @cindex directory groups
16989 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16990 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16993 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16994 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16995 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16996 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16998 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16999 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17000 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17001 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17002 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17004 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17006 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17007 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17008 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17009 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17012 @node Anything Groups
17013 @subsection Anything Groups
17016 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17017 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17018 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17021 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17022 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17023 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17024 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17025 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17026 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17027 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17028 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17029 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17030 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17033 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17034 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17035 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17036 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17038 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17039 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17040 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17041 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17043 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17044 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17045 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17046 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17047 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17048 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17049 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17050 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17055 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17056 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17057 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17058 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17060 @item nneething-exclude-files
17061 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17062 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17063 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17065 @item nneething-include-files
17066 @vindex nneething-include-files
17067 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17068 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17070 @item nneething-map-file
17071 @vindex nneething-map-file
17072 Name of the map files.
17076 @node Document Groups
17077 @subsection Document Groups
17079 @cindex documentation group
17082 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17083 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17089 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
17094 The standard Unix mbox file.
17096 @cindex MMDF mail box
17098 The MMDF mail box format.
17101 Several news articles appended into a file.
17103 @cindex rnews batch files
17105 The rnews batch transport format.
17108 Netscape mail boxes.
17111 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17113 @item standard-digest
17114 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17117 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17119 @item lanl-gov-announce
17120 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17122 @cindex forwarded messages
17123 @item rfc822-forward
17124 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17127 The Outlook mail box.
17130 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17133 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17136 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17139 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17145 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17148 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17154 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17155 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17156 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17159 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17160 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17161 group. And that's it.
17163 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17164 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17165 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17166 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17167 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17168 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17169 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17170 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17171 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17172 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17174 Virtual server variables:
17177 @item nndoc-article-type
17178 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17179 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17180 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17181 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17182 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17183 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17185 @item nndoc-post-type
17186 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17187 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17188 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17193 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17197 @node Document Server Internals
17198 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17200 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17201 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17202 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17203 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17205 First, here's an example document type definition:
17209 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17210 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17213 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17214 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17215 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17216 types can be defined with very few settings:
17219 @item first-article
17220 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17221 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17224 @item article-begin
17225 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17226 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17227 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17228 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17230 @item article-begin-function
17231 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17232 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17235 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17236 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17237 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17239 @item head-begin-function
17240 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17241 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17244 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17245 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17248 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17249 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17250 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17252 @item body-begin-function
17253 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17254 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17257 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17258 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17259 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17261 @item body-end-function
17262 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17263 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17266 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17267 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17270 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17271 regexp will be totally ignored.
17275 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17276 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17277 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17278 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17279 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17282 @item prepare-body-function
17283 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17284 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17285 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17287 @item article-transform-function
17288 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17289 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17290 body of the article.
17292 @item generate-head-function
17293 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17294 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17295 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17296 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17298 @item generate-article-function
17299 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17300 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17301 parameter when requesting all articles.
17303 @item dissection-function
17304 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17305 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17306 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17307 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17308 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17309 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17313 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17318 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17319 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17320 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17321 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17322 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17323 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17324 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17325 (subtype digest guess))
17328 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17329 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17330 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17331 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17332 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17334 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17335 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17336 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17337 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17338 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17339 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17340 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17341 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17342 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17343 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17344 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17345 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17353 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17354 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17355 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17357 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17358 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17359 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17362 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17363 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17364 that interested in doing things properly.
17366 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17367 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17370 First some terminology:
17375 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17376 get news and/or mail from.
17379 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17380 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17383 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17387 @item message packets
17388 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17389 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17390 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17392 @item response packets
17393 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17394 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17395 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17405 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17406 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17407 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17408 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17411 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17414 You put the packet in your home directory.
17417 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17418 the native or secondary server.
17421 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17422 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17425 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17429 You transfer this packet to the server.
17432 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17435 You then repeat until you die.
17439 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17440 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17443 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17444 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17445 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17449 @node SOUP Commands
17450 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17452 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17456 @kindex G s b (Group)
17457 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17458 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17459 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17460 process/prefix convention.
17463 @kindex G s w (Group)
17464 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17465 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17468 @kindex G s s (Group)
17469 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17470 Send all replies from the replies packet
17471 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17474 @kindex G s p (Group)
17475 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17476 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17479 @kindex G s r (Group)
17480 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17481 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17484 @kindex O s (Summary)
17485 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17486 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17487 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17488 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17493 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17498 @item gnus-soup-directory
17499 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17500 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17501 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17503 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17504 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17505 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17506 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17508 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17509 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17510 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17511 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17513 @item gnus-soup-packer
17514 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17515 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17516 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17518 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17519 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17520 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17521 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17523 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17524 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17525 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17527 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17528 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17529 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17530 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17536 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17539 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17540 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17541 you can read them at leisure.
17543 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17547 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17548 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17549 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17550 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17552 @item nnsoup-directory
17553 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17554 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17555 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17557 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17558 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17559 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17560 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17562 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17563 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17564 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17565 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17566 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17568 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17569 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17570 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17571 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17573 @item nnsoup-active-file
17574 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17575 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17576 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17577 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17578 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17580 @item nnsoup-packer
17581 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17582 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17583 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17585 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17586 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17587 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17588 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17590 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17591 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17592 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17595 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17596 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17597 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17600 @item nnsoup-always-save
17601 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17602 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17608 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17610 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17611 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17612 more for that to happen.
17614 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17615 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17616 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17619 In specific, this is what it does:
17622 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17623 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17626 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17627 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17628 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17631 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17632 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17633 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17636 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17637 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17638 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17640 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17646 @item nngateway-address
17647 @vindex nngateway-address
17648 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17650 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17651 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17652 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17653 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17654 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17655 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17656 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17659 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17660 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17661 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17664 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17667 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17670 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17673 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17675 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17678 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17679 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17680 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17682 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17684 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17685 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17686 @code{nngateway-address}.
17694 (setq gnus-post-method
17696 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17697 (nngateway-header-transformation
17698 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17701 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17704 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17709 @node Combined Groups
17710 @section Combined Groups
17712 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17716 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17717 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17721 @node Virtual Groups
17722 @subsection Virtual Groups
17724 @cindex virtual groups
17725 @cindex merging groups
17727 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17730 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17731 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17732 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17734 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17735 regexp to match component groups.
17737 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17738 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17739 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17740 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17741 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17742 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17743 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17744 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17746 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17747 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17750 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17753 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17754 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17756 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17757 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17758 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17759 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17762 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17765 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17766 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17767 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17769 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17770 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17771 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17772 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17773 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17775 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17776 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17777 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17779 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17780 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17781 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17782 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17783 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17784 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17785 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17786 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17787 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17788 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17789 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17791 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17792 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17793 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17794 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17795 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17796 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17797 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17799 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17800 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17802 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17803 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17807 @node Kibozed Groups
17808 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17812 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17813 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17814 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17815 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17817 @kindex G k (Group)
17818 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17821 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17822 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17823 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17824 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17826 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17827 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17828 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17830 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17831 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17832 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17833 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17834 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17835 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17836 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17837 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17839 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17840 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17841 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17842 Stranger things have happened.
17844 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17845 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17847 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17848 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17849 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17850 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17851 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17852 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17853 component articles.
17855 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17856 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17859 @node Email Based Diary
17860 @section Email Based Diary
17862 @cindex email based diary
17865 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
17866 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
17867 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
17868 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
17869 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
17870 namely, as event reminders.
17872 Here is a typical scenario:
17876 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
17877 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
17879 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
17881 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
17883 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
17884 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
17885 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
17887 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
17888 of the night you're gonna have.
17890 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
17891 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
17894 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
17895 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
17896 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
17897 explained in the sections below.
17900 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
17901 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
17902 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
17906 @node The NNDiary Back End
17907 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
17909 @cindex the nndiary back end
17911 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
17912 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
17913 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
17914 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
17915 directory per group.
17917 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
17918 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
17919 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
17920 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
17923 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
17924 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
17925 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
17928 @node Diary Messages
17929 @subsubsection Diary Messages
17930 @cindex nndiary messages
17931 @cindex nndiary mails
17933 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
17934 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
17935 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
17936 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
17937 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
17938 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
17939 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
17943 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
17944 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
17945 (separated by a comma).
17947 A field is either an integer, or a range.
17949 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
17951 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
17952 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
17953 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
17955 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
17956 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
17957 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
17959 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
17960 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
17961 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
17962 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
17963 list of available time zone values, see the variable
17964 @code{nndiary-headers}.
17967 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
17968 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
17969 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
17974 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
17977 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
17979 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
17982 @node Running NNDiary
17983 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
17984 @cindex running nndiary
17985 @cindex nndiary operation modes
17987 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
17988 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
17989 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
17990 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
17991 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
17992 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
17994 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
17995 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
17996 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
17997 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
17998 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
17999 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
18000 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
18003 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
18008 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
18009 line in your @file{gnusrc} file:
18012 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
18015 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
18016 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
18017 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
18018 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
18019 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
18021 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
18022 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
18031 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
18032 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
18034 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
18035 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18036 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
18037 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
18040 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
18041 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18042 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
18045 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
18046 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
18047 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
18049 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
18050 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
18051 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
18052 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
18053 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
18055 @node Customizing NNDiary
18056 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
18057 @cindex customizing nndiary
18058 @cindex nndiary customization
18060 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
18061 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
18062 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
18063 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
18065 @defvar nndiary-reminders
18066 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
18067 appointements (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
18068 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
18069 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
18073 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
18074 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
18079 @node The Gnus Diary Library
18080 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
18082 @cindex the gnus diary library
18084 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
18085 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
18086 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
18087 useful things for you.
18089 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{gnusrc} file:
18092 (require 'gnus-diary)
18095 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
18096 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
18097 (sorry if you used them before).
18101 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
18102 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
18103 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
18104 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18107 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18108 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18109 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18110 @cindex diary summary line format
18112 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18113 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18114 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18115 see the event's date.
18117 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18118 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18119 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18120 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18121 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18123 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18124 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18125 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18128 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18131 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18132 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18135 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18138 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18139 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18140 with the following user options:
18142 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18143 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18144 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18145 diary groups'parameters.
18148 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18149 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18150 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18153 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18154 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18155 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18156 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18157 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18160 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18161 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18162 @cindex diary articles sorting
18163 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18164 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18165 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18166 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18168 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18169 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18170 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18171 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18172 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18174 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18175 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18176 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18177 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18180 @node Diary Headers Generation
18181 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18182 @cindex diary headers generation
18183 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18185 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18186 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18187 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18188 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18191 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18192 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18193 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
18194 and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
18195 a usual mail to a diary one.
18197 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18198 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18199 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18202 @node Diary Group Parameters
18203 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18204 @cindex diary group parameters
18206 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18207 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18208 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18209 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18210 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18211 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18212 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18213 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18215 @node Sending or Not Sending
18216 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18218 Well, assuming you've read of of the above, here are two final notes on
18219 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18223 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18224 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18225 appointements to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18226 sending the diary message to them as well.
18228 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18229 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18230 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18231 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18234 @node Gnus Unplugged
18235 @section Gnus Unplugged
18240 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18242 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18243 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18244 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18245 read news. Believe it or not.
18247 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18248 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18249 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18250 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18251 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18253 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18254 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18255 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18256 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18257 reading news on a machine.
18259 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18260 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18261 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18263 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18266 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18267 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18268 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18269 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18270 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18271 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18272 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18273 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18274 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18275 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18276 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18277 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18278 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18279 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18284 @subsection Agent Basics
18286 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18288 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18289 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18290 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18291 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18293 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18294 connected to the net continuously.
18296 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18297 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18299 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18300 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18301 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18302 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18303 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18305 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18306 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18307 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18308 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18309 they're kinda like plugged always).
18311 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18312 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18313 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18316 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18317 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18318 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18319 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18320 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18322 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18327 @findex gnus-unplugged
18328 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18329 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18330 already fetched while in this mode.
18333 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18334 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18335 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18336 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18337 Source Specifiers}).
18340 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18341 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18342 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18343 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18344 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18347 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18348 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18349 then you read the news offline.
18352 And then you go to step 2.
18355 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18361 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18362 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18363 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18364 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18365 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18366 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18367 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
18368 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
18371 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18372 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18373 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18374 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18376 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18377 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18378 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18379 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18380 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18381 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18385 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18389 @node Agent Categories
18390 @subsection Agent Categories
18392 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18393 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18394 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18395 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18396 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18397 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18398 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18400 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18401 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18402 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18403 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18404 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18406 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18407 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18408 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18409 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18410 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18413 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18414 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18415 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18416 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18417 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18418 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18422 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18423 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18424 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18428 @node Category Syntax
18429 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18431 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18432 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18433 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18436 @cindex Agent Parameters
18439 The list of groups that are in this category.
18441 @item agent-predicate
18442 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18443 are eligible for downloading; and
18446 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18447 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18448 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18450 @item agent-enable-expiration
18451 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18452 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18453 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18454 only groups that should not be expired.
18456 @item agent-days-until-old
18457 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18458 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18460 @item agent-low-score
18461 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18463 @item agent-high-score
18464 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18466 @item agent-short-article
18467 an integer that overrides the value of
18468 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18470 @item agent-long-article
18471 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18473 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18474 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18475 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18476 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18477 undownloaded faces.
18480 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18483 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18484 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18485 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18488 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18489 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18490 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18491 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18493 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18494 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18495 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18497 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18498 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
18499 operators sprinkled in between.
18501 Perhaps some examples are in order.
18503 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
18504 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
18510 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
18511 short (for some value of ``short'').
18513 Here's a more complex predicate:
18522 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
18523 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
18526 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
18527 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
18528 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
18530 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
18531 you want to do, you can write your own.
18533 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
18534 bound to the value determined by calling
18535 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
18536 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
18537 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
18538 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
18539 predicate to individual groups.
18543 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
18544 lines; default 100.
18547 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
18548 lines; default 200.
18551 True iff the article has a download score less than
18552 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
18555 True iff the article has a download score greater than
18556 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18559 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18560 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18561 checksum and sees whether articles match.
18570 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
18571 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
18572 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
18575 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
18576 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
18577 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
18578 something along the lines of the following:
18581 (defun my-article-old-p ()
18582 "Say whether an article is old."
18583 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
18584 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
18587 with the predicate then defined as:
18590 (not my-article-old-p)
18593 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
18594 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
18598 (require 'gnus-agent)
18599 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
18600 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
18601 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
18604 and simply specify your predicate as:
18610 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
18611 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
18612 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
18613 just don't give a damn.
18615 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
18616 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
18617 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
18618 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
18619 parameters like so:
18622 (agent-predicate . short)
18625 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
18626 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
18627 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
18629 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
18632 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
18635 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
18636 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
18637 predicate is assumed to be a list.
18640 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
18641 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
18642 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
18643 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
18644 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
18645 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
18647 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
18648 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
18649 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
18650 if it's to be specific to that group.
18652 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
18659 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
18660 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18666 Category specification
18670 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18676 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18679 (agent-score ("from"
18680 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18685 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18691 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18692 keywords stated above.
18698 Category specification
18701 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18707 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18711 Group Parameter specification
18714 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18717 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18722 Use @code{normal} score files
18724 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18725 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18726 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18727 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18729 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18730 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18731 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18732 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18736 Category Specification
18743 Group Parameter specification
18746 (agent-score . file)
18751 @node Category Buffer
18752 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18754 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18755 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18756 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18758 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18762 @kindex q (Category)
18763 @findex gnus-category-exit
18764 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18767 @kindex e (Category)
18768 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18769 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18770 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18773 @kindex k (Category)
18774 @findex gnus-category-kill
18775 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18778 @kindex c (Category)
18779 @findex gnus-category-copy
18780 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18783 @kindex a (Category)
18784 @findex gnus-category-add
18785 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18788 @kindex p (Category)
18789 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18790 Edit the predicate of the current category
18791 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18794 @kindex g (Category)
18795 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18796 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18797 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18800 @kindex s (Category)
18801 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18802 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18803 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18806 @kindex l (Category)
18807 @findex gnus-category-list
18808 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18812 @node Category Variables
18813 @subsubsection Category Variables
18816 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18817 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18818 Hook run in category buffers.
18820 @item gnus-category-line-format
18821 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18822 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18823 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18827 The name of the category.
18830 The number of groups in the category.
18833 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18834 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18835 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18837 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18838 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18839 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18841 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18842 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18843 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18845 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18846 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18847 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18850 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18851 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18852 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18855 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18856 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18857 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18858 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18859 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18860 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18861 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18862 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18866 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18867 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18868 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18869 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18870 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18871 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18872 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18877 @node Agent Commands
18878 @subsection Agent Commands
18879 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18880 @kindex J j (Agent)
18882 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18883 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18884 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18888 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18889 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18890 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18896 @node Group Agent Commands
18897 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18901 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18902 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18903 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18904 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18907 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18908 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18909 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18912 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18913 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18914 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18915 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18918 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18919 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18920 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18921 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18924 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18925 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18926 Add the current group to an Agent category
18927 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18928 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18931 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18932 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18933 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18934 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18935 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18938 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18939 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18940 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18946 @node Summary Agent Commands
18947 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18951 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18952 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18953 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18956 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18957 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18958 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18959 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18963 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18964 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18965 Toggle whether to download the article
18966 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18970 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18971 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18972 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18975 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18976 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18977 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18978 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18981 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18982 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
18983 Download all processable articles in this group.
18984 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
18987 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18988 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18989 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18990 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18995 @node Server Agent Commands
18996 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
19000 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
19001 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
19002 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
19003 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
19006 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
19007 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
19008 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
19009 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
19014 @node Agent Visuals
19015 @subsection Agent Visuals
19017 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
19018 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
19019 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
19020 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
19021 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
19022 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
19023 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
19024 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
19025 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
19026 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
19028 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
19029 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
19030 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
19031 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
19032 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
19033 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
19034 the download status of each article so that you always know which
19035 articles will be available when unplugged.
19037 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
19038 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
19039 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
19040 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
19041 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
19042 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
19043 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
19044 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
19046 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
19047 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
19048 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
19049 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
19050 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
19051 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
19052 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
19053 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
19054 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
19056 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
19057 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
19058 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
19059 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
19060 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
19061 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
19062 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
19063 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
19064 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
19065 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
19067 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
19068 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
19069 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
19070 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
19071 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
19072 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19074 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
19075 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
19076 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
19077 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
19078 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
19079 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
19080 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
19081 expiring'' articles.
19083 @node Agent as Cache
19084 @subsection Agent as Cache
19086 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
19087 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
19088 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
19089 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
19090 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
19091 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
19092 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
19093 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
19094 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
19096 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
19097 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
19098 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
19099 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
19100 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19103 @subsection Agent Expiry
19105 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19106 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19107 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19108 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19109 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19110 @cindex agent expiry
19111 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19114 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19115 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19116 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19117 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19118 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19119 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19120 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19121 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19123 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19124 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19125 synchronized with the group.
19127 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19128 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19130 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19131 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19132 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19133 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19134 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19135 be kept indefinitely.
19137 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19138 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19139 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19140 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19142 @node Agent Regeneration
19143 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19145 @cindex agent regeneration
19146 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19147 @cindex regeneration
19149 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19150 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19151 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19152 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19153 internal inconsistencies.
19155 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19156 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19157 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19158 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19159 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19160 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19162 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19163 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19164 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19165 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19166 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19167 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19169 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19170 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19171 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19172 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19173 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19174 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19177 @node Agent and flags
19178 @subsection Agent and flags
19180 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19181 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
19182 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19183 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19184 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19185 to the flags in its own files.
19187 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19188 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19189 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19191 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19192 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19193 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19194 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19195 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19196 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19198 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19199 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19200 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19201 in the group buffer.
19203 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19204 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19205 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19206 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19207 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19208 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19209 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19210 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19212 @node Agent and IMAP
19213 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19215 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19216 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19217 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19218 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19220 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19221 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19226 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19229 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19233 @node Outgoing Messages
19234 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19236 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19237 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19238 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19240 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19241 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19242 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19244 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19245 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19246 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19247 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19250 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19251 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19252 ask you to confirm your action (see
19253 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19255 @node Agent Variables
19256 @subsection Agent Variables
19261 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19262 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19263 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19264 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19266 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19267 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19270 @item gnus-agent-directory
19271 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19272 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19273 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19275 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19276 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19277 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19278 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19279 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19282 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19283 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19284 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19286 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19287 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19288 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19290 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19291 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19292 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19294 @item gnus-agent-cache
19295 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19296 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19297 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19298 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19300 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19301 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19302 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19303 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19304 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19305 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19306 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19309 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19310 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19311 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19312 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19313 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19314 read. The default is @code{t}.
19316 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19317 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19318 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19319 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19320 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19321 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19322 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19324 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19325 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19326 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19327 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19328 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19329 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19330 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19331 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19332 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19333 over and over again.
19335 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19336 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19337 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19338 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19339 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19340 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19341 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19342 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19343 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19344 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19345 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
19346 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19349 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19350 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19351 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19352 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19353 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19354 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19355 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19356 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19357 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19359 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19360 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19361 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19362 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19363 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19364 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19366 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19367 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19368 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19369 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19370 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19372 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19373 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19374 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19375 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19376 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19377 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19379 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19380 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19381 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19382 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19383 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19385 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19386 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19387 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19388 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19389 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19390 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19391 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19392 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19393 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19394 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19395 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
19400 @node Example Setup
19401 @subsection Example Setup
19403 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19404 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19405 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19408 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19409 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19410 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19412 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19413 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19414 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19416 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19417 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19419 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19420 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19421 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19424 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19425 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19428 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19429 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19430 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19431 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19432 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19435 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19436 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19437 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19438 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19439 back all the killed groups.)
19441 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19442 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19443 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19446 @node Batching Agents
19447 @subsection Batching Agents
19448 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19450 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19451 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19452 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19454 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19455 following incantation:
19459 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19463 @node Agent Caveats
19464 @subsection Agent Caveats
19466 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19467 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19471 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19473 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19474 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19475 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19477 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19478 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19480 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19484 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19485 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19486 locally stored articles.
19493 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19494 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19495 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19498 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
19499 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
19500 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
19501 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
19502 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
19504 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
19505 before generating the summary buffer.
19507 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
19508 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
19509 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
19511 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
19512 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
19513 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
19514 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
19517 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
19518 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
19519 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
19520 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
19521 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
19522 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
19523 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
19524 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
19525 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
19526 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
19527 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
19528 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
19529 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
19530 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
19531 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
19532 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
19536 @node Summary Score Commands
19537 @section Summary Score Commands
19538 @cindex score commands
19540 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
19541 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
19542 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
19543 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
19544 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
19546 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
19547 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
19548 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
19549 score file the current one.
19551 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
19556 @kindex V s (Summary)
19557 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
19558 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
19561 @kindex V S (Summary)
19562 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
19563 Display the score of the current article
19564 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
19567 @kindex V t (Summary)
19568 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
19569 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
19570 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
19571 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
19572 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
19573 score file and edit it.
19576 @kindex V w (Summary)
19577 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
19578 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
19581 @kindex V R (Summary)
19582 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
19583 Run the current summary through the scoring process
19584 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
19585 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
19586 effect you're having.
19589 @kindex V c (Summary)
19590 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
19591 Make a different score file the current
19592 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
19595 @kindex V e (Summary)
19596 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
19597 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
19598 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
19602 @kindex V f (Summary)
19603 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
19604 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
19605 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
19608 @kindex V F (Summary)
19609 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19610 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
19611 after editing score files.
19614 @kindex V C (Summary)
19615 @findex gnus-score-customize
19616 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
19617 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
19621 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
19626 @kindex V m (Summary)
19627 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
19628 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
19629 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
19632 @kindex V x (Summary)
19633 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
19634 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
19635 expunge all articles below this score
19636 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
19639 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
19640 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
19643 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
19644 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
19648 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
19649 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
19651 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
19652 keys are available:
19656 Score on the author name.
19659 Score on the subject line.
19662 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
19665 Score on the @code{References} line.
19671 Score on the number of lines.
19674 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19677 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19678 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19681 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19682 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19683 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19692 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19698 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19699 what headers you are scoring on.
19711 Substring matching.
19714 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19743 Greater than number.
19748 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19749 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19750 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19755 Temporary score entry.
19758 Permanent score entry.
19761 Immediately scoring.
19765 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19766 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19767 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19771 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19772 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19773 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19774 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19776 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19777 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19778 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19779 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19780 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19782 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19783 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19784 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19785 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19786 current score file.
19788 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19789 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19790 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19793 @node Group Score Commands
19794 @section Group Score Commands
19795 @cindex group score commands
19797 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19802 @kindex W e (Group)
19803 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19804 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19805 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19808 @kindex W f (Group)
19809 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19810 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19811 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19812 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19816 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19818 @findex gnus-batch-score
19819 @cindex batch scoring
19821 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19825 @node Score Variables
19826 @section Score Variables
19827 @cindex score variables
19831 @item gnus-use-scoring
19832 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19833 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19834 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19836 @item gnus-kill-killed
19837 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19838 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19839 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19840 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19841 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19842 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19843 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19845 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19846 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19847 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19848 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19849 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19851 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19852 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19853 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19854 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19856 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19857 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19858 @cindex score cache
19859 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19860 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
19861 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19862 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19863 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19864 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19865 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19868 @item gnus-save-score
19869 @vindex gnus-save-score
19870 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19871 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19872 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19874 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19875 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19876 across group visits.
19878 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19879 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19880 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19881 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19882 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19883 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19884 manually entered data.
19886 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19887 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19888 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19890 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19891 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19892 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19893 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19894 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19895 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19897 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19898 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19899 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19900 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19902 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19903 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19904 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19905 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19907 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19908 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19909 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19910 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19912 Predefined functions available are:
19915 @item gnus-score-find-single
19916 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19917 Only apply the group's own score file.
19919 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19920 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19921 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19922 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19923 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19924 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19925 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19926 then a regexp match is done.
19928 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19929 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19931 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19932 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19933 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19934 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19936 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19937 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19938 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19939 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19940 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19944 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19945 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19946 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19947 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19948 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19949 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19950 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19953 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19954 overall score file, you could use the value
19956 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19957 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19960 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19961 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19962 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19963 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19964 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19966 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19967 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19968 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19969 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19970 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19971 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19972 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19973 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19975 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19976 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19977 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19979 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19980 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19981 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19982 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19983 threading---according to the current value of
19984 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19985 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19986 simplified in this manner.
19991 @node Score File Format
19992 @section Score File Format
19993 @cindex score file format
19995 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19996 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19997 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19999 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
20003 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
20005 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
20007 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
20009 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
20014 (mark-and-expunge -10)
20018 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
20019 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
20020 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
20021 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
20025 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
20026 Scoring}, for a different approach.
20028 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
20029 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
20030 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
20032 Six keys are supported by this alist:
20037 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
20038 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
20039 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
20040 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
20041 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
20042 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
20043 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
20044 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
20045 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
20046 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
20047 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
20048 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
20049 to articles that matches these score entries.
20051 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
20052 score entry has one to four elements.
20056 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
20057 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
20061 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
20062 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
20063 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
20064 is successful. If this element is not present, the
20065 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
20066 instead. This is 1000 by default.
20069 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
20070 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
20071 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
20072 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
20073 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
20076 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
20077 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
20078 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
20079 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
20082 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
20083 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
20084 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
20085 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
20086 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
20087 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
20088 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
20089 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
20090 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
20091 instead, if you feel like.
20094 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
20095 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
20096 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
20097 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
20098 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
20099 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
20103 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
20104 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
20108 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
20109 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
20111 These predicates are true if
20114 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20117 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20118 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20125 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20126 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20127 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20128 it's not. I think.)
20130 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20131 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20132 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20133 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20136 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20137 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20138 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20139 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20140 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20141 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20142 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20146 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20147 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20148 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20149 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20150 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20151 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20152 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20153 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20156 @item Head, Body, All
20157 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20161 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20162 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20163 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20164 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20165 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20166 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20167 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20171 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20172 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20173 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20174 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20175 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20176 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20177 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20178 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20179 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20180 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20181 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20185 @cindex score file atoms
20187 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20188 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20191 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20192 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20194 @item mark-and-expunge
20195 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20196 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20199 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20200 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20201 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20202 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20203 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20206 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20207 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20210 @item exclude-files
20211 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20212 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20216 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
20217 ignored when handling global score files.
20220 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20221 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20222 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20223 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20226 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20227 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20228 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20229 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20231 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20235 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20238 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20239 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20240 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
20241 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20242 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20244 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20245 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20246 scoring rules exist.
20249 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20250 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20251 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20252 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20253 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20254 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20255 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20256 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20257 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20258 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20259 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20263 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20264 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20265 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20266 file for a number of groups.
20269 @cindex local variables
20270 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20271 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20272 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20273 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20274 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20279 @node Score File Editing
20280 @section Score File Editing
20282 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20283 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20284 with a mode for that.
20286 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20287 additional commands:
20292 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20293 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
20294 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20295 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
20298 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20299 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20300 Insert the current date in numerical format
20301 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20302 you were wondering.
20305 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20306 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20307 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20308 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20309 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20314 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20316 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20317 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20319 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20320 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20323 @node Adaptive Scoring
20324 @section Adaptive Scoring
20325 @cindex adaptive scoring
20327 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20328 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20329 stupidity, to be precise.
20331 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20332 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20333 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20334 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20335 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20336 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20337 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20338 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20339 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20341 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20342 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20343 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20344 might look something like this:
20347 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20348 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20349 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20350 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20351 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20352 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20353 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20354 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20355 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20356 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20357 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20358 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20361 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20362 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20363 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20364 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20365 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20366 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20369 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20370 will be applied to each article.
20372 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20373 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20374 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20375 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20377 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20378 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20379 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20380 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20382 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20383 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20384 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20385 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20387 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20388 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20389 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20390 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20391 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20392 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20394 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20395 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20396 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20398 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20399 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20400 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20402 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20403 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20404 let you use different rules in different groups.
20406 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20407 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20408 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20411 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20412 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20413 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20414 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20416 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20417 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20418 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20419 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20420 the length of the match is less than
20421 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20422 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20425 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20426 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20427 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20428 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20429 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20432 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20433 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20434 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20435 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20436 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20439 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20440 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20441 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20442 score with 30 points.
20444 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20445 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20446 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20447 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20448 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20450 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20451 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20452 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20453 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20454 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20456 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20457 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20458 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20459 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20461 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20462 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20463 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20464 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20466 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20467 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20468 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20469 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20470 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20472 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20473 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20474 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20476 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20477 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20478 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20479 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20482 @node Home Score File
20483 @section Home Score File
20485 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20486 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20487 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20488 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20490 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20491 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20492 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20494 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20495 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
20500 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
20504 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
20505 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
20509 A list. The elements in this list can be:
20513 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
20514 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
20517 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
20518 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
20519 name of the group as the parameter.
20522 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
20525 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
20530 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
20533 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20534 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
20537 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
20538 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
20540 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
20542 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20543 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
20546 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
20547 Other functions include
20550 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
20551 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
20552 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
20553 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
20557 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
20558 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
20559 their own home score files:
20562 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20563 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
20564 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
20565 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
20566 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
20569 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
20570 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
20571 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
20572 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
20573 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
20575 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
20576 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
20577 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
20578 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
20579 precedence over this variable.
20582 @node Followups To Yourself
20583 @section Followups To Yourself
20585 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
20586 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
20587 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
20588 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
20589 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
20590 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
20594 @item gnus-score-followup-article
20595 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
20596 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
20599 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
20600 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
20601 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
20605 @vindex message-sent-hook
20606 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
20607 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
20609 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
20613 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
20614 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
20618 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20619 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20622 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
20623 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
20628 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
20632 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
20633 is system-dependent.
20636 @node Scoring On Other Headers
20637 @section Scoring On Other Headers
20638 @cindex scoring on other headers
20640 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
20641 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
20642 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
20643 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
20644 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
20646 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
20647 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
20648 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
20649 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
20650 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
20652 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
20655 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
20656 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
20659 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
20660 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
20661 time if you have much mail.
20663 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
20664 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
20670 @section Scoring Tips
20671 @cindex scoring tips
20677 @cindex scoring crossposts
20678 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
20679 the @code{Xref} header.
20681 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20684 @item Multiple crossposts
20685 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20686 more than, say, 3 groups:
20689 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20693 @item Matching on the body
20694 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20695 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20696 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20697 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20698 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20699 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20700 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20703 @item Marking as read
20704 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20705 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20706 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20710 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20712 @item Negated character classes
20713 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20714 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20715 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20719 @node Reverse Scoring
20720 @section Reverse Scoring
20721 @cindex reverse scoring
20723 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20724 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20725 like this in your score file:
20729 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20734 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20735 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20738 @node Global Score Files
20739 @section Global Score Files
20740 @cindex global score files
20742 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20743 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20744 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20746 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20747 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20748 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20750 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20751 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20752 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20753 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20754 files are applicable to which group.
20756 To use the score file
20757 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20758 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20762 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20763 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20764 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20767 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20769 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20770 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20771 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20772 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20774 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20775 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20777 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20778 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20779 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20780 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20781 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20782 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20784 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20790 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20792 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20794 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20796 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20797 lowered out of existence.
20799 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20800 articles completely.
20803 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20804 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20805 old articles for a long time.
20808 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20809 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20810 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20811 holding our breath yet?
20815 @section Kill Files
20818 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20819 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20820 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20822 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20823 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20824 files into score files.
20826 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20827 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20828 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20829 that isn't a very good idea.
20831 Normal kill files look like this:
20834 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20835 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20839 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20840 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20842 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20843 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20846 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20851 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20852 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20853 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20856 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20857 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20858 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20861 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20866 @kindex M-k (Group)
20867 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20868 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20871 @kindex M-K (Group)
20872 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20873 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20876 Kill file variables:
20879 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20880 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20881 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20882 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20883 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20884 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20885 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20887 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20888 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20889 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20890 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20893 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20894 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20895 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20896 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20897 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20898 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20899 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20900 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20901 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20903 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20904 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20905 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20910 @node Converting Kill Files
20911 @section Converting Kill Files
20913 @cindex converting kill files
20915 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20916 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20917 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20920 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
20921 You can fetch it from
20922 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20924 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20925 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20926 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20930 @node Advanced Scoring
20931 @section Advanced Scoring
20933 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20934 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20935 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20936 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20937 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20939 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20943 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20944 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20945 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20949 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20950 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20952 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20953 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20954 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20955 non-@code{nil} value.
20957 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20958 operator, and various match operators.
20965 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20966 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20967 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20972 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20973 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20974 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20979 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20980 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20984 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20985 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20986 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20987 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20988 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20989 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20990 the ancestry you want to go.
20992 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20993 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20994 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20995 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20996 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20999 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
21000 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
21002 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
21003 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
21006 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
21007 when he's talking about Gnus:
21012 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21013 ("subject" "Gnus"))
21020 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
21024 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21031 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
21032 really don't want to read what he's written:
21036 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21037 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
21041 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
21042 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
21043 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
21050 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
21051 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
21052 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
21053 ("body" "white.*socks"))
21057 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
21058 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
21059 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
21060 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
21063 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21065 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21069 The possibilities are endless.
21071 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
21072 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
21074 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
21075 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
21076 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
21077 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
21078 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
21079 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
21080 @samp{subject}) first.
21082 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
21083 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
21094 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
21095 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
21101 ("subject" "Gnus")))
21108 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
21109 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
21114 @section Score Decays
21115 @cindex score decays
21118 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21119 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21120 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21121 use them in any sensible way.
21123 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21124 @findex gnus-decay-score
21125 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21126 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21127 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21128 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21129 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21130 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21131 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21132 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21133 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21134 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21138 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21139 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21140 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21142 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21144 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21146 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21147 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21148 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21149 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21150 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21152 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21156 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21157 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21158 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21159 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21163 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21166 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21169 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21173 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21174 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21175 the new score, which should be an integer.
21177 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21178 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21183 @include message.texi
21184 @chapter Emacs MIME
21185 @include emacs-mime.texi
21187 @include sieve.texi
21199 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21200 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21201 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21202 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21203 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21204 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21205 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21206 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21207 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21208 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
21209 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21210 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
21211 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21212 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21213 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21214 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21215 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21216 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21217 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
21218 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21219 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21223 @node Process/Prefix
21224 @section Process/Prefix
21225 @cindex process/prefix convention
21227 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21228 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21230 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21231 command to be performed on.
21235 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21236 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21237 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21238 with the current one.
21240 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21241 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21242 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21244 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21245 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21248 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21249 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21251 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21254 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21255 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21256 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21257 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21259 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21260 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21261 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21262 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21263 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21264 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21265 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21266 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21268 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21269 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21270 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21271 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21272 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21276 @section Interactive
21277 @cindex interaction
21281 @item gnus-novice-user
21282 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21283 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21284 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21285 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21286 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21289 @item gnus-expert-user
21290 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21291 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21292 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
21293 matter how strange.
21295 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21296 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21297 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21298 is @code{t} by default.
21300 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21301 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21302 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21307 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21308 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21309 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21311 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21312 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21313 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21314 rule of 900 to the current article.
21316 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21317 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21318 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21319 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21320 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
21321 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
21322 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
21324 @kindex M-i (Summary)
21325 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
21326 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
21327 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
21328 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
21329 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
21330 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
21331 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
21332 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
21334 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
21335 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
21336 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
21338 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
21342 @node Formatting Variables
21343 @section Formatting Variables
21344 @cindex formatting variables
21346 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
21347 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
21348 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
21349 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
21350 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
21353 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
21354 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
21355 lots of percentages everywhere.
21358 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
21359 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
21360 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
21361 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
21362 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
21363 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
21364 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
21365 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
21368 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
21369 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
21370 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
21371 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
21372 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
21373 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
21374 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
21375 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
21377 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
21378 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
21380 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
21381 @findex gnus-update-format
21382 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
21383 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
21384 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
21385 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
21389 @node Formatting Basics
21390 @subsection Formatting Basics
21392 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
21393 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
21394 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
21396 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
21397 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
21398 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
21399 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
21400 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
21403 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
21404 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
21405 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
21406 less than 4 characters wide.
21408 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
21409 @samp{%&user-date;}.
21412 @node Mode Line Formatting
21413 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
21415 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
21416 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
21417 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
21418 with the following two differences:
21423 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
21426 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
21427 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
21428 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
21429 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
21430 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
21431 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
21432 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
21437 @node Advanced Formatting
21438 @subsection Advanced Formatting
21440 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
21441 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
21442 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
21443 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
21445 These are the valid modifiers:
21450 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
21454 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
21459 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
21462 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
21467 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
21470 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
21473 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
21476 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
21482 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
21487 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
21488 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
21489 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
21490 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
21491 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
21492 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
21493 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
21495 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
21496 last operation, padding.
21498 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
21499 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
21500 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
21501 @xref{Compilation}.
21504 @node User-Defined Specs
21505 @subsection User-Defined Specs
21507 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
21508 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
21509 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
21510 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
21511 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
21512 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
21513 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
21514 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
21515 should protect against that.
21517 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
21518 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
21520 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
21521 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
21522 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
21523 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
21527 @node Formatting Fonts
21528 @subsection Formatting Fonts
21530 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
21531 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
21532 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
21533 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
21536 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
21537 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
21538 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
21539 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
21540 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
21541 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
21543 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
21544 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
21545 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
21546 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
21547 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
21548 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
21549 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
21550 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
21551 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
21552 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
21553 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
21556 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
21559 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
21560 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
21561 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
21563 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
21564 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
21565 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
21566 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
21567 ;; @r{Set the color.}
21568 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
21569 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
21571 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
21572 (setq gnus-group-line-format
21573 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
21576 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
21577 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
21579 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
21580 mode-line variables.
21582 @node Positioning Point
21583 @subsection Positioning Point
21585 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
21586 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
21587 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
21589 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
21591 @findex gnus-goto-colon
21592 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
21593 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
21595 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
21596 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
21597 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
21602 @subsection Tabulation
21604 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
21605 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
21606 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
21607 about lining up the following text afterwards.
21609 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
21610 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
21612 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21613 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
21614 This is the soft tabulator.
21616 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21617 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
21618 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
21621 @node Wide Characters
21622 @subsection Wide Characters
21624 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
21625 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
21626 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
21628 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
21629 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
21630 these countries, that's not true.
21632 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
21633 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
21634 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
21635 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
21639 @node Window Layout
21640 @section Window Layout
21641 @cindex window layout
21643 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
21645 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
21646 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
21647 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
21648 @code{t} by default.
21650 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
21651 glitches. Use at your own peril.
21653 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
21654 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
21655 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
21658 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
21659 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
21660 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21664 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
21665 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
21666 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
21667 possible names is listed below.
21669 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
21670 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
21673 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21677 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
21678 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
21679 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
21680 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
21681 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
21682 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
21683 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
21684 size spec per split.
21686 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
21687 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
21688 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
21689 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
21690 present) gets focus.
21692 Here's a more complicated example:
21695 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
21696 (summary 0.25 point)
21697 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
21701 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
21702 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
21703 occupy, not a percentage.
21705 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
21706 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
21707 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
21708 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
21709 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21712 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21715 (article (horizontal 1.0
21720 (summary 0.25 point)
21725 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21726 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21728 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21729 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21730 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21731 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21732 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21734 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21735 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21736 lines from the splits.
21738 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21743 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21744 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21745 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21746 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21747 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21748 size = number | frame-params
21749 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21753 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21754 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21755 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21756 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21758 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21759 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21760 @cindex window height
21761 @cindex window width
21762 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21763 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21764 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21765 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21766 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21767 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21769 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21770 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21771 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21772 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21774 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21775 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21776 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21777 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21778 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21779 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21780 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21781 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21782 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21783 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21784 configuration list.
21787 (gnus-configure-frame
21791 (article 0.3 point))
21799 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21800 @code{frame} split:
21803 (gnus-configure-frame
21806 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21808 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21809 (user-position . t)
21810 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21815 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21816 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21817 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21818 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21819 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21820 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21821 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21822 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21824 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21825 be found in its default value.
21827 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21828 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21829 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21833 (message (horizontal 1.0
21834 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21836 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21841 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21842 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21843 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21848 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21849 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21850 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21851 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21852 (name . "Message"))
21853 (message 1.0 point))))
21856 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21857 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21858 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21859 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21860 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21863 (gnus-add-configuration
21864 '(article (vertical 1.0
21866 (summary .25 point)
21870 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21871 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21872 Gnus has been loaded.
21874 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21875 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21876 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21877 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21878 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21880 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21881 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21882 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21885 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21889 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21890 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21905 (gnus-add-configuration
21908 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21910 (summary 0.16 point)
21913 (gnus-add-configuration
21916 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21917 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21923 @node Faces and Fonts
21924 @section Faces and Fonts
21929 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21930 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21931 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21936 @section Compilation
21937 @cindex compilation
21938 @cindex byte-compilation
21940 @findex gnus-compile
21942 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21943 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21944 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
21945 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21946 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21947 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21950 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21951 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21952 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21953 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
21954 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
21955 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
21956 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
21960 @section Mode Lines
21963 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21964 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21965 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21966 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21967 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21968 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21969 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21972 @cindex display-time
21974 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21975 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21976 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21977 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21978 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21979 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21980 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21981 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21984 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21986 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21987 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21989 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21990 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21991 (length display-time-string)))))
21994 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21995 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21996 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21997 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21998 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22001 @node Highlighting and Menus
22002 @section Highlighting and Menus
22004 @cindex highlighting
22007 @vindex gnus-visual
22008 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22009 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22010 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22013 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22014 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22017 @item group-highlight
22018 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22019 @item summary-highlight
22020 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22021 @item article-highlight
22022 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22024 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22026 Create menus in the group buffer.
22028 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22030 Create menus in the article buffer.
22032 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22034 Create menus in the server buffer.
22036 Create menus in the score buffers.
22038 Create menus in all buffers.
22041 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22042 buffers, you could say something like:
22045 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22048 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22051 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22054 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22055 in all Gnus buffers.
22057 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22060 @item gnus-mouse-face
22061 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22062 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22063 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22067 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22071 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22072 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22073 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
22075 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
22076 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
22077 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
22079 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
22080 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
22081 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
22083 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
22084 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
22085 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
22087 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
22088 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
22089 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
22091 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
22092 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
22093 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
22104 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
22105 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
22106 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
22107 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
22108 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
22112 @vindex gnus-carpal
22113 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
22114 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
22115 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
22120 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22121 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22122 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
22124 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
22125 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
22126 Face used on buttons.
22128 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
22129 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
22130 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
22132 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22133 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22134 Buttons in the group buffer.
22136 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22137 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22138 Buttons in the summary buffer.
22140 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22141 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22142 Buttons in the server buffer.
22144 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22145 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22146 Buttons in the browse buffer.
22149 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
22150 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
22151 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
22159 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22160 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22161 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22162 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22163 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22165 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22166 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22167 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22169 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22170 been idle for thirty minutes:
22173 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22176 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22180 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22183 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22184 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22185 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22187 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22188 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22189 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22190 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22192 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22193 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22194 @var{idle} minutes.
22196 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22197 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22200 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22201 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22202 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22204 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22205 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22206 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22207 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22209 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22210 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22212 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22214 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22217 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
22218 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22219 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22220 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22221 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22222 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22223 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22224 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22225 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22226 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22227 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22229 @findex gnus-demon-init
22230 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22231 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22232 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22233 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22234 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22236 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22237 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22238 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22247 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
22248 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
22250 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
22251 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
22252 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
22253 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
22256 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
22257 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
22258 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
22259 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
22261 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
22262 this will make spam disappear.
22264 There are some variables to customize, of course:
22267 @item gnus-use-nocem
22268 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
22269 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
22272 @item gnus-nocem-groups
22273 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
22274 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
22277 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
22278 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
22281 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
22282 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
22283 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
22284 people you want to listen to. The default is
22286 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
22287 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
22289 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
22291 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
22292 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
22294 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
22295 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
22296 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
22297 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
22298 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
22299 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
22300 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
22301 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
22302 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
22303 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
22305 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
22306 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
22309 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
22312 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
22313 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
22316 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
22319 The specs are applied left-to-right.
22322 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
22323 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
22325 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
22326 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
22327 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
22328 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
22329 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
22330 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
22332 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
22333 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
22334 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
22335 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
22337 @item gnus-nocem-directory
22338 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
22339 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
22340 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
22342 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22343 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22344 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
22345 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
22346 might then see old spam.
22348 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
22349 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
22350 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
22351 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
22352 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
22355 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22356 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22357 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
22358 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
22362 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
22363 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
22364 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
22365 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
22372 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
22373 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
22374 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
22376 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
22377 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
22378 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
22379 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
22380 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
22381 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
22382 @code{undo} function.
22384 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
22385 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
22386 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
22387 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
22388 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
22389 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
22390 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
22391 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
22392 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
22393 never be totally undoable.
22395 @findex gnus-undo-mode
22396 @vindex gnus-use-undo
22398 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
22399 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
22400 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
22401 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
22405 @node Predicate Specifiers
22406 @section Predicate Specifiers
22407 @cindex predicate specifiers
22409 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
22410 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
22411 to type all that much.
22413 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
22418 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
22419 gnus-article-unread-p)
22422 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
22423 functions all take one parameter.
22425 @findex gnus-make-predicate
22426 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
22427 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
22428 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
22433 @section Moderation
22436 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
22437 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
22438 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
22441 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
22445 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
22448 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22450 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
22455 You split your incoming mail by matching on
22456 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
22457 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
22460 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
22461 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
22464 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
22465 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
22469 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
22472 (setq gnus-moderated-list
22473 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
22477 @node Fetching a Group
22478 @section Fetching a Group
22479 @cindex fetching a group
22481 @findex gnus-fetch-group
22482 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
22483 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
22484 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
22485 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
22486 It takes the group name as a parameter.
22489 @node Image Enhancements
22490 @section Image Enhancements
22492 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
22493 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
22494 taken advantage of that.
22497 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
22498 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
22499 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
22500 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
22501 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
22509 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
22510 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
22511 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
22515 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
22516 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
22517 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
22525 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
22526 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
22527 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
22528 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
22530 The variable that controls this is the
22531 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
22532 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
22533 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
22534 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
22535 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
22537 The default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
22538 @code{display} program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick
22539 package. For the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look
22540 for a package like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux
22541 system.} to view the face.
22543 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
22544 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
22545 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
22546 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
22547 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
22548 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
22549 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
22550 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
22552 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
22560 @vindex gnus-x-face
22561 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
22562 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
22563 default colors are black and white.
22565 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
22566 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
22567 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
22568 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
22569 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
22570 XEmacs. Here are examples:
22573 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
22574 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22575 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
22576 (png . (:ascent 80))))
22578 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
22579 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22580 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
22581 (png . (:relief -2))))
22584 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
22585 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
22586 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
22587 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
22588 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
22589 @samp{libcompface} library.
22592 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22593 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
22595 @findex gnus-random-x-face
22596 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
22597 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
22598 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
22599 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
22600 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
22601 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
22602 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
22603 header data as a string.
22605 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
22606 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
22607 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
22608 randomly generated data.
22610 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
22611 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
22612 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
22613 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
22614 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
22616 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
22617 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22620 (setq message-required-news-headers
22621 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22622 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
22625 Using the last function would be something like this:
22628 (setq message-required-news-headers
22629 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22630 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
22631 (gnus-x-face-from-file
22632 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
22640 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
22642 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
22643 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
22644 represent the author of the message.
22647 @findex gnus-article-display-face
22648 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
22649 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
22652 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
22653 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
22655 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22656 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
22658 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
22659 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
22660 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
22662 @findex gnus-face-from-file
22663 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
22664 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
22665 converts the file to Face format by using the
22666 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
22668 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
22669 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22672 (setq message-required-news-headers
22673 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22674 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
22675 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
22680 @subsection Smileys
22685 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
22690 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
22691 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
22693 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
22694 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22697 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
22700 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
22701 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
22702 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
22703 text and maps that to file names.
22705 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
22706 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
22707 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
22708 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
22709 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
22712 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
22717 @item smiley-data-directory
22718 @vindex smiley-data-directory
22719 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
22721 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
22722 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
22723 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
22737 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
22738 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
22739 over your shoulder as you read news.
22741 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22750 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22751 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22752 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22753 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22754 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22755 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22756 @code{GIF} formats.
22759 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22760 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22761 point your Web browser at
22762 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22764 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22765 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22767 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22768 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22771 @vindex gnus-picon-style
22772 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
22773 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
22774 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
22776 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22780 @item gnus-picon-databases
22781 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22782 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22783 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22784 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22785 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22787 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22788 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22789 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22790 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22792 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22793 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22794 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22795 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22797 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22798 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22799 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22800 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22801 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22803 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22804 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22805 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22806 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22812 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22815 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22816 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22817 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22818 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22819 unusual directory structure.
22821 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22822 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22823 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22828 @subsubsection Toolbar
22832 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22833 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22834 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
22835 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-nil, it should be one
22836 of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom}, @code{right},
22837 and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default toolbar, the
22838 rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those names show.
22839 The default is @code{default}.
22841 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
22842 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
22843 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
22844 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
22845 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
22846 The default is that of the default toolbar.
22848 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22849 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22850 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22852 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22853 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22854 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22856 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22857 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22858 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22869 @node Fuzzy Matching
22870 @section Fuzzy Matching
22871 @cindex fuzzy matching
22873 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22874 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22876 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22877 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22878 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22880 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22881 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22882 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22883 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22884 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22887 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22888 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22892 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22894 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22895 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22896 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22897 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22898 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22899 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22900 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22901 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22904 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22905 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22906 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22907 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22908 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22909 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22911 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22914 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22915 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22916 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22917 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22918 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22919 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22922 @node The problem of spam
22923 @subsection The problem of spam
22925 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22926 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22928 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22930 First, some background on spam.
22932 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22933 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
22934 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
22935 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
22936 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
22937 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
22938 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
22939 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
22940 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22942 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22943 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22944 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22945 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22946 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22947 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22948 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22949 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22950 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22953 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
22954 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
22955 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
22956 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
22957 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
22958 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
22959 from Bulgarian IPs.
22961 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
22962 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
22963 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
22964 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
22966 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
22967 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
22968 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
22969 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
22971 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22972 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22973 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22974 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22975 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
22976 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
22977 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
22978 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
22979 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22981 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22982 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22983 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22984 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22985 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22986 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
22987 down for some time because of the incident.
22989 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22990 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22991 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22992 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22993 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22994 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22995 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22996 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
22997 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
22998 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
22999 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23001 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23002 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23003 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23004 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23005 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23006 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23007 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23010 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23011 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23015 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23017 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23018 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23020 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23021 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23022 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23023 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23024 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23025 part of the mail address.)
23028 (setq message-default-news-headers
23029 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23032 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23033 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23037 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23038 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23039 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23044 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23045 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23046 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23047 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23049 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23050 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23051 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23052 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23053 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23054 your fancy split rule in this way:
23059 (to "larsi" "misc")
23063 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23064 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23065 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23066 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23067 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23069 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23070 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23071 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23072 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23074 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23078 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23079 @cindex SpamAssassin
23080 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23083 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23084 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23085 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23086 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23087 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23088 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23089 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23091 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23092 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23093 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23096 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23097 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23098 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23099 Specifiers}) follow.
23103 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23107 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23110 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23111 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23112 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23115 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23119 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23122 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23123 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23127 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23128 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23129 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23130 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23133 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23135 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23139 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23140 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23144 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23145 downloaded by default. You need to set
23146 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23147 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
23149 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23150 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23151 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23154 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23155 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23157 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
23158 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
23159 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23163 @subsection Hashcash
23166 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23167 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23168 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23169 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23170 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23172 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23173 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23174 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23175 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23176 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23177 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23178 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23179 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23180 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23181 one of them separately.
23184 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23185 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23186 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23187 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23188 need to install to use this feature, see
23189 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23190 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23192 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23193 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23194 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23197 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23200 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23204 @item hashcash-default-payment
23205 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23206 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23207 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23210 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23211 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23212 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23213 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23214 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23215 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23216 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23217 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23218 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23220 @item hashcash-path
23221 @vindex hashcash-path
23222 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23223 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23224 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23225 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23226 when you generate hashcash payments.
23230 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23231 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23232 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23233 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23234 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23235 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23236 Hashcash Payments}).
23238 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
23239 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
23240 @cindex spam filtering
23243 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
23244 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
23245 filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
23246 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
23249 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23250 events. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events}.
23252 @cindex spam-initialize
23253 To use @code{spam.el}, you @strong{must} run the function
23254 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @file{spam.el} and to install the
23255 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
23256 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
23257 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
23260 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
23264 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
23266 First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
23267 are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
23268 there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
23269 leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
23270 ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
23272 You get the following keyboard commands:
23282 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23283 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
23285 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
23286 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
23287 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
23288 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
23294 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
23295 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
23297 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
23303 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
23304 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
23308 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
23309 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
23310 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
23311 * Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer::
23312 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
23313 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
23314 * BBDB Whitelists::
23315 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
23316 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
23318 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
23320 * SpamAssassin back end::
23321 * ifile spam filtering::
23322 * spam-stat spam filtering::
23324 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
23327 @node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
23328 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
23329 @cindex spam filtering
23330 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23332 You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
23333 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23335 There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
23336 @code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
23339 Getting new mail in Gnus is done in one of two ways. You can either
23340 split your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or
23341 spam when you enter the group.
23343 Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail back ends such as
23344 @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
23345 called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
23348 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect
23349 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect-methods
23350 For back ends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
23351 an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
23352 back ends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
23353 Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
23354 @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
23355 @kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
23356 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect} and @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods}
23357 (accessible with @kbd{M-x customize-variable} as usual) can help.
23359 When @code{spam-autodetect} is used (you can turn it on for a
23360 group/topic or wholesale by regular expression matches, as needed), it
23361 hooks into the process of entering a group. Thus, entering a group
23362 with unseen or unread articles becomes the substitute for checking
23363 incoming mail. Whether only unseen articles or all unread articles
23364 will be processed is determined by the
23365 @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When set to @code{t}, unread
23366 messages will be rechecked. You should probably stick with the
23367 default of only checking unseen messages.
23369 @code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
23370 of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
23371 spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
23372 @code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
23373 @samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
23374 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
23375 be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
23376 exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
23377 the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
23379 When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
23380 autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
23381 entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
23382 matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
23383 is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
23384 (@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
23385 additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
23386 articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
23387 variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
23388 gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
23390 Thus, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied,
23391 if any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
23392 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
23393 depending on the article's classification. If the
23394 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
23395 whichever is appropriate, are @code{nil}, the article is left in the
23398 If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
23399 groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
23400 processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
23401 Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
23402 spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
23403 ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
23404 You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
23405 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
23406 no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
23407 which is what most people want. If the
23408 @code{spam-process-destination} is @code{nil}, the spam is marked as
23409 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
23411 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23412 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23414 If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
23415 @code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
23416 @code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
23417 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
23418 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
23419 altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
23420 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
23421 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
23422 no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
23423 necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
23424 @xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
23426 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23427 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23429 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
23430 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
23431 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
23433 @node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
23434 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
23435 @cindex spam filtering
23436 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
23439 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
23440 must add the following to your fancy split list
23441 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
23447 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
23448 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
23449 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
23451 Also, @code{spam-split} will not modify incoming mail in any way.
23453 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
23454 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
23455 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
23456 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
23457 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
23458 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
23459 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
23460 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
23461 actually give you the group
23462 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
23463 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
23465 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
23466 e.g. @code{spam-use-regex-headers} or @code{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
23469 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
23470 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
23473 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23474 (any "ding" "ding")
23476 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23480 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
23481 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
23482 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
23483 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
23484 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
23485 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
23487 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
23488 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
23489 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
23494 ;; @r{all spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
23495 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23496 (any "ding" "ding")
23497 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
23499 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23503 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
23504 your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
23505 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
23506 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
23507 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
23508 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
23509 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
23511 You should still have specific checks such as
23512 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
23513 specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
23514 that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
23515 depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
23516 is usually not critical, though.
23518 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
23520 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
23521 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
23522 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
23523 message headers. If you use a @emph{statistical} filter,
23524 e.g. @code{spam-check-bogofilter}, @code{spam-check-ifile}, or
23525 @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that can benefit from the full
23526 message body), this variable will be set automatically. It is not set
23527 for non-statistical back ends by default because it will slow
23528 @acronym{IMAP} down.
23530 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
23532 @node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
23533 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
23534 @cindex spam filtering
23535 @cindex spam filtering variables
23536 @cindex spam variables
23539 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
23540 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
23541 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
23542 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
23543 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
23544 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
23545 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
23546 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
23547 will be detected later.
23549 The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
23550 but now it is a @sc{cons} cell. See the individual spam processor entries
23551 for more information.
23553 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23554 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
23555 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
23556 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
23557 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
23558 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
23559 by customizing the corresponding variable
23560 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
23561 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
23562 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
23563 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
23564 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
23565 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
23566 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
23569 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
23571 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
23572 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
23573 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
23574 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
23575 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
23576 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
23577 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
23578 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
23579 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
23580 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
23581 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
23582 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
23583 processor which will study them as spam samples.
23585 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
23586 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
23587 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
23588 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
23589 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
23590 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
23591 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
23592 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
23595 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23596 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
23597 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
23598 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
23599 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
23600 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
23601 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
23606 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23607 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
23608 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
23609 you really want to.
23612 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
23613 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
23614 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
23615 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
23616 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
23617 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
23620 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23621 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
23622 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
23623 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
23624 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
23625 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
23626 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
23627 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
23628 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
23629 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
23630 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
23631 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
23632 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
23633 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
23634 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
23636 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23637 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23639 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23640 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
23641 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
23643 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
23644 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
23646 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
23647 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
23648 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
23649 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
23650 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
23652 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
23653 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
23654 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
23655 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
23656 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
23659 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23660 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
23661 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
23662 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
23663 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
23664 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
23665 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
23666 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
23667 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
23668 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
23669 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
23670 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
23671 group buffer then you need it here as well.
23673 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23674 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23676 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23677 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
23680 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
23681 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
23682 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
23683 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
23684 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
23685 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
23686 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
23688 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
23689 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
23690 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
23691 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
23693 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
23694 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
23695 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
23696 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
23697 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
23698 from the mail server.
23700 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
23701 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
23702 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
23703 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
23705 @node Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23706 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23707 @cindex spam scoring
23708 @cindex spam sorting
23709 @cindex spam score summary buffer
23710 @cindex spam sort summary buffer
23713 You can display the spam score of articles in your summary buffer, and
23714 you can sort articles by their spam score.
23716 First you need to decide which back end you will be using. If you use
23717 the @code{spam-use-spamassassin},
23718 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}, or @code{spam-use-regex-headers}
23719 back end, the @code{X-Spam-Status} header will be used. If you use
23720 @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, the @code{X-Bogosity} header will be used.
23721 If you use @code{spam-use-crm114}, any header that matches the CRM114
23722 score format will be used. As long as you set the appropriate back end
23723 variable to t @emph{before} you load @file{spam.el}, you will be
23724 fine. @code{spam.el} will automatically add the right header to the
23725 internal Gnus list of required headers.
23727 To show the spam score in your summary buffer, add this line to your
23728 @code{gnus.el} file (note @code{spam.el} does not do that by default
23729 so it won't override any existing @code{S} formats you may have).
23732 (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-S 'spam-user-format-function-S)
23735 Now just set your summary line format to use @code{%uS}. Here's an
23736 example that formats the spam score in a 5-character field:
23739 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
23740 "%U%R %10&user-date; $%5uS %6k %B %(%4L: %*%-25,25a%) %s \n")
23743 Finally, to sort by spam status, either do it globally:
23747 gnus-show-threads nil
23748 gnus-article-sort-functions
23749 '(spam-article-sort-by-spam-status))
23752 or per group (@pxref{Sorting the Summary Buffer}).
23754 @node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23755 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23756 @cindex spam filtering
23757 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
23758 @cindex spam configuration examples
23761 @subsubheading Ted's setup
23763 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
23765 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
23766 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
23767 (gnus-registry-initialize)
23770 ;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
23771 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
23774 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
23776 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
23777 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
23778 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23779 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23780 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
23781 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
23782 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
23783 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
23784 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23785 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
23786 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23787 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
23788 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
23789 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
23790 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23791 (any "ding" "ding")
23792 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
23794 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23797 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
23799 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
23800 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
23801 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
23802 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
23804 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23806 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
23807 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
23808 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23809 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
23810 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23812 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
23813 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23815 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
23817 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
23818 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23820 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
23821 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
23822 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
23824 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23826 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
23827 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
23829 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23830 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23831 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
23833 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23834 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
23835 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
23836 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23838 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
23839 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
23840 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
23844 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23845 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23847 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23848 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23849 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23850 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23851 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23852 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23853 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23854 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23855 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23857 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23858 does most of the job for me:
23861 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23862 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23863 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23864 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23865 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23866 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23867 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23872 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23874 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23875 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23876 bogofilter or DCC).
23878 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23879 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23880 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
23881 @ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
23882 messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want to have
23883 the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
23884 deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23886 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23887 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23888 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23889 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23890 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23891 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23893 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23895 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23896 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23897 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23898 @samp{training.spam}.
23901 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23903 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23905 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23906 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23907 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23911 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23914 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
23915 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23916 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23917 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23918 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23920 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
23921 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
23922 @cindex spam filtering
23923 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
23924 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
23927 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
23929 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
23930 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
23931 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
23932 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
23937 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
23939 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
23940 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
23941 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23942 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
23943 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23947 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
23949 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
23950 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23951 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
23955 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
23957 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23958 customizing the group parameters or the
23959 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23960 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23961 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
23965 Instead of the obsolete
23966 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
23967 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
23968 the same way, we promise.
23972 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
23974 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23975 customizing the group parameters or the
23976 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23977 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23978 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23983 Instead of the obsolete
23984 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
23985 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
23986 the same way, we promise.
23990 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
23991 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
23992 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
23993 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
23994 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
23996 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
23997 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
23998 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
23999 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24001 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24002 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24003 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24004 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24005 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24006 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24008 @node BBDB Whitelists
24009 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24010 @cindex spam filtering
24011 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24012 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24015 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24017 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24018 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24019 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24020 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24021 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24022 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24023 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24027 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24029 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24030 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24031 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24032 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24033 classified as spammers.
24035 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24036 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24037 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24038 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24043 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24045 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24046 customizing the group parameters or the
24047 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24048 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24049 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24054 Instead of the obsolete
24055 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24056 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24057 the same way, we promise.
24061 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24062 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24063 @cindex spam reporting
24064 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24065 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24068 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24070 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24071 customizing the group parameters or the
24072 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24073 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24074 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24077 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24081 Instead of the obsolete
24082 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24083 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24084 same way, we promise.
24088 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24090 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24091 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24092 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24093 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24094 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24098 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24100 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24101 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24102 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24106 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24107 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24108 @cindex spam filtering
24109 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24112 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24114 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24115 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24116 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24117 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24118 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24119 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24124 @subsubsection Blackholes
24125 @cindex spam filtering
24126 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24129 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24131 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24132 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24133 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24134 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24135 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24136 contains outdated servers.
24138 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24139 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24140 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24141 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24142 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24143 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24147 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24149 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24153 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24155 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24156 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24160 @defvar spam-use-dig
24162 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24163 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24167 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24168 ham processor for blackholes.
24170 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24171 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24172 @cindex spam filtering
24173 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24176 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24178 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24179 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24180 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24181 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24182 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24183 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24187 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24189 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24190 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24194 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24196 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24197 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24201 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24202 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24205 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24206 @cindex spam filtering
24207 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24210 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24212 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24215 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24216 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24217 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24218 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24219 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24220 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24222 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24223 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24226 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24227 processing will be turned off.
24229 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24233 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24235 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24236 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24237 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24238 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24239 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24240 installation documents for details.
24242 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24246 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24247 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24248 customizing the group parameters or the
24249 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24250 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24251 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24255 Instead of the obsolete
24256 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24257 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24258 the same way, we promise.
24261 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24262 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24263 customizing the group parameters or the
24264 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24265 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24266 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24267 of non-spam messages.
24271 Instead of the obsolete
24272 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24273 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24274 the same way, we promise.
24277 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24279 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24280 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24281 database directory.
24285 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24286 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24287 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24288 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24289 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24290 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24292 @node SpamAssassin back end
24293 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24294 @cindex spam filtering
24295 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24298 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24300 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24302 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24303 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24304 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24305 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24308 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24309 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24310 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24311 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24314 You should not enable this is you use
24315 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24319 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24321 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24322 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24324 You should not enable this is you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24328 @defvar spam-spamassassin-path
24330 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24331 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
24332 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
24333 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
24337 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
24338 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
24339 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
24340 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
24341 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
24342 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
24343 to test this functionality.
24345 @node ifile spam filtering
24346 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
24347 @cindex spam filtering
24348 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
24351 @defvar spam-use-ifile
24353 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
24354 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
24358 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
24360 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
24361 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
24362 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
24366 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
24368 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
24369 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
24370 the default value of @samp{spam}.
24373 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
24375 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
24376 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
24380 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
24381 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24382 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
24383 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
24386 @node spam-stat spam filtering
24387 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
24388 @cindex spam filtering
24389 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
24393 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
24395 @defvar spam-use-stat
24397 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
24398 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
24402 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
24403 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24404 customizing the group parameters or the
24405 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24406 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24407 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
24411 Instead of the obsolete
24412 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24413 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24414 the same way, we promise.
24417 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
24418 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24419 customizing the group parameters or the
24420 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24421 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24422 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
24423 of non-spam messages.
24427 Instead of the obsolete
24428 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24429 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24430 the same way, we promise.
24433 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
24434 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
24435 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
24436 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
24437 @code{spam-split} are provided.
24440 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
24441 @cindex spam filtering
24445 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
24446 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
24447 installed separately.
24449 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
24450 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
24451 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
24452 mail as a spam mail or not.
24454 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
24455 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
24456 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
24458 The easiest method is to make @code{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
24459 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
24461 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
24462 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
24463 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
24464 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
24465 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
24466 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
24467 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
24468 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
24472 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
24473 spam-split-group "Junk"
24474 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
24475 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24476 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
24479 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
24480 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
24484 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
24485 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
24486 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
24490 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
24491 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
24492 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
24493 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
24494 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
24495 database to live somewhere special, set
24496 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
24499 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
24500 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
24501 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
24502 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
24503 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
24504 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
24505 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @code{spam.el}'s
24506 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
24507 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
24508 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
24510 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
24511 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24512 customizing the group parameter or the
24513 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24514 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
24515 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
24519 Instead of the obsolete
24520 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24521 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24522 the same way, we promise.
24525 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
24526 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24527 customizing the group parameter or the
24528 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24529 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
24530 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
24535 Instead of the obsolete
24536 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24537 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24538 the same way, we promise.
24541 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
24542 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
24545 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
24546 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
24547 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
24549 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
24550 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
24551 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
24552 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
24553 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
24554 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
24556 @node Extending the Spam ELisp package
24557 @subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
24558 @cindex spam filtering
24559 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
24560 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
24562 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
24563 incoming mail, provide the following:
24571 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
24572 "True if blackbox should be used.")
24575 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
24577 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
24578 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
24579 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
24580 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
24581 register/unregister spam and ham.
24586 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
24587 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
24588 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
24589 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
24594 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
24601 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
24602 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
24604 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
24605 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
24606 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
24607 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
24610 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
24611 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
24612 Only applicable to spam groups.")
24614 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
24615 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
24616 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
24625 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
24626 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
24628 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
24629 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
24630 variable customization.
24634 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
24636 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
24637 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
24639 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
24640 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
24646 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
24648 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
24649 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
24650 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
24653 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
24655 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
24656 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
24660 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
24662 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
24663 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
24664 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
24668 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
24670 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
24671 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
24672 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
24675 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
24677 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
24678 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
24682 @code{spam-install-backend}
24684 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
24685 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
24686 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
24689 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
24691 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
24692 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
24693 never install such a back end.
24699 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24700 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24701 @cindex Paul Graham
24702 @cindex Graham, Paul
24703 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
24704 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
24705 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
24707 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
24708 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
24709 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
24710 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
24711 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
24712 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
24713 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
24714 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
24715 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
24718 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
24719 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
24720 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
24721 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
24722 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
24723 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
24724 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
24725 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
24727 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
24728 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
24729 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
24730 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
24731 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
24734 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
24735 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
24736 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
24739 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24740 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24742 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
24743 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
24744 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
24745 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
24746 need several hundred emails in both collections.
24748 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
24749 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
24750 per mail. Use the following:
24752 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
24753 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
24754 is treated as one spam mail.
24757 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
24758 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
24759 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
24762 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
24763 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
24764 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
24765 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
24766 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
24767 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
24769 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
24770 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
24771 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
24772 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
24773 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
24776 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
24777 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
24778 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
24779 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
24782 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
24783 reset the dictionary.
24785 @defun spam-stat-reset
24786 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
24789 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
24790 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
24791 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
24792 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
24793 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
24794 only non-spam mails.
24796 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
24797 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
24798 to update the dictionary incrementally.
24801 @defun spam-stat-save
24802 Save the dictionary.
24805 @defvar spam-stat-file
24806 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
24807 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
24810 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
24811 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
24813 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
24814 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24817 (require 'spam-stat)
24821 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
24824 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
24825 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
24826 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
24827 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
24829 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
24830 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
24831 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
24832 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
24835 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24836 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24840 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
24841 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
24844 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
24845 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
24846 expression are considered potential spam.
24849 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24850 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24851 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24855 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
24856 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
24857 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
24858 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
24859 mails, when creating the dictionary!
24862 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24863 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24864 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24868 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
24869 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
24870 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
24871 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
24872 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
24876 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24877 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
24878 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24879 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24884 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24885 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24887 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
24889 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
24890 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
24891 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24894 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
24895 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
24896 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24899 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
24900 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24901 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24902 already been processed as non-spam.
24905 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
24906 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
24907 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
24908 been processed as spam.
24911 @defun spam-stat-save
24912 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
24913 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24916 @defun spam-stat-load
24917 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
24918 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24921 @defun spam-stat-score-word
24922 Return the spam score for a word.
24925 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
24926 Return the spam score for a buffer.
24929 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
24930 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
24931 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24934 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
24935 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24938 (require 'spam-stat)
24942 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
24945 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24946 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24947 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24948 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24949 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24950 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24951 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24952 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24953 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24954 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24955 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24956 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24957 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24958 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24961 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
24964 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24965 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24966 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24967 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
24968 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24969 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24973 @section Interaction with other modes
24978 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
24979 buffers. It is enabled with
24981 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
24986 @findex gnus-dired-attach
24987 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
24988 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
24991 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
24992 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
24993 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
24997 @findex gnus-dired-print
24998 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
24999 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
25002 @node Various Various
25003 @section Various Various
25009 @item gnus-home-directory
25010 @vindex gnus-home-directory
25011 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
25012 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
25014 @item gnus-directory
25015 @vindex gnus-directory
25016 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
25017 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
25018 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
25020 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
25021 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
25022 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
25023 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
25025 @item gnus-default-directory
25026 @vindex gnus-default-directory
25027 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
25028 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
25029 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
25030 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
25031 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
25032 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
25035 @vindex gnus-verbose
25036 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
25037 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
25038 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
25039 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
25040 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
25042 @item gnus-verbose-backends
25043 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
25044 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
25045 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
25047 @item nnheader-max-head-length
25048 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
25049 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
25050 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
25051 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
25052 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
25053 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
25054 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
25055 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
25056 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
25058 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
25059 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
25060 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
25061 read when doing the operation described above.
25063 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25064 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25066 @cindex invalid characters in file names
25067 @cindex characters in file names
25068 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
25069 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
25070 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
25074 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25079 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
25080 Windows (phooey) systems.
25082 @item gnus-hidden-properties
25083 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
25084 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
25085 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
25086 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
25088 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
25089 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
25090 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
25091 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
25092 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
25094 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
25095 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
25096 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
25098 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25099 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25101 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
25102 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
25103 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
25104 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
25107 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
25115 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
25116 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
25118 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25120 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25126 Not because of victories @*
25129 but for the common sunshine,@*
25131 the largess of the spring.
25135 but for the day's work done@*
25136 as well as I was able;@*
25137 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25138 but at the common table.@*
25143 @chapter Appendices
25146 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25147 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25148 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25149 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25150 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25151 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25152 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25153 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25154 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25161 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25163 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25164 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25165 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25166 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25167 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
25168 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25175 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25176 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25178 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25179 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25180 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25181 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25182 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25184 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25185 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25186 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25187 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25188 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25189 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25191 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25192 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25193 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25194 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25197 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25198 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25199 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25200 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25201 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25202 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25203 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25204 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25205 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25209 @node Gnus Versions
25210 @subsection Gnus Versions
25212 @cindex September Gnus
25214 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25215 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25218 @cindex Gnus versions
25220 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25221 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25222 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25224 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25225 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25227 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25228 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25230 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25231 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25233 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25234 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25237 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
25238 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
25240 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
25242 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25243 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25244 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
25245 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
25246 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
25247 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25250 @node Other Gnus Versions
25251 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25254 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25255 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25256 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25257 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25259 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25260 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25261 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25262 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25269 What's the point of Gnus?
25271 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25272 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25273 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25274 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25275 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25276 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25277 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25278 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25279 keep track of millions of people who post?
25281 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25282 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25283 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25284 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25285 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25286 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25287 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25288 every one of you to explore and invent.
25290 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25291 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25294 @node Compatibility
25295 @subsection Compatibility
25297 @cindex compatibility
25298 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25299 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25300 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25305 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25309 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25312 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
25315 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
25316 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
25317 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
25318 important variables have their values copied into their global
25319 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
25320 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
25322 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
25323 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
25324 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
25325 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
25326 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
25330 @cindex highlighting
25331 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
25332 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
25333 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
25334 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
25335 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
25336 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
25339 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
25340 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
25341 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
25342 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
25344 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
25345 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
25346 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
25347 to stop doing it the old way.
25349 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
25351 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
25353 @cindex reporting bugs
25355 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
25356 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
25357 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
25359 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
25360 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
25361 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
25362 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
25367 @subsection Conformity
25369 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
25370 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
25378 There are no known breaches of this standard.
25382 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
25384 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
25385 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
25386 We do have some breaches to this one.
25392 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
25393 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
25394 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
25395 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
25396 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
25401 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
25402 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
25403 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
25404 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
25406 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
25407 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
25408 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
25410 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
25411 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
25413 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
25416 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
25417 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
25418 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
25419 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
25420 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
25423 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
25424 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
25425 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
25426 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
25428 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
25429 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
25431 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
25432 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
25433 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
25434 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
25435 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
25436 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
25437 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
25438 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
25442 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
25443 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
25448 @subsection Emacsen
25454 Gnus should work on:
25462 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
25466 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
25467 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
25470 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
25471 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
25472 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
25476 @node Gnus Development
25477 @subsection Gnus Development
25479 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
25480 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
25481 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
25482 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
25483 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
25484 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
25485 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
25486 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
25488 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
25489 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
25490 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
25491 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
25492 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
25495 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
25496 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
25497 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
25498 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
25499 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
25501 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
25502 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
25503 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
25504 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
25505 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
25506 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
25507 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
25508 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
25509 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
25510 can't be assumed to do so.
25515 @subsection Contributors
25516 @cindex contributors
25518 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
25519 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
25520 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
25521 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
25522 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
25523 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
25524 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
25525 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
25526 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
25527 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
25529 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
25535 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
25538 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
25539 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
25540 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
25541 functionality and stuff.
25544 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
25545 well as numerous other things).
25548 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
25551 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
25554 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
25557 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
25560 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
25561 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
25564 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
25567 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
25570 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
25573 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
25576 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
25579 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
25582 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
25583 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
25586 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
25589 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
25592 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
25595 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
25599 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
25602 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
25605 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
25608 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
25609 well as autoconf support.
25613 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
25614 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
25616 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
25631 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
25633 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
25637 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
25647 Alexei V. Barantsev,
25662 Massimo Campostrini,
25667 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
25668 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
25672 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
25675 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
25681 Michael Welsh Duggan,
25686 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
25690 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
25698 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
25700 Michelangelo Grigni,
25704 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
25706 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
25708 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
25715 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
25716 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
25717 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
25719 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
25729 Peter Skov Knudsen,
25730 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
25732 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
25733 Thor Kristoffersen,
25736 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
25754 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
25755 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
25762 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
25767 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
25771 John McClary Prevost,
25777 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
25782 Christian von Roques,
25785 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
25792 Philippe Schnoebelen,
25794 Randal L. Schwartz,
25808 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
25813 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
25833 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
25834 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
25835 (550kB and counting).
25837 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
25840 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
25841 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
25845 @subsection New Features
25846 @cindex new features
25849 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
25850 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
25851 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
25852 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
25853 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
25854 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
25855 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
25858 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
25859 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
25860 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
25863 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
25865 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
25870 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
25871 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
25874 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
25875 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
25878 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
25881 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
25882 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
25883 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
25886 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
25887 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
25888 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
25889 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25892 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
25893 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25896 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
25897 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
25898 (@pxref{The Active File}).
25901 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
25902 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
25905 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
25906 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
25907 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25910 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
25911 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
25912 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
25915 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
25916 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
25919 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
25920 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
25923 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
25924 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
25927 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
25928 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25931 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
25932 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
25935 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
25936 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25939 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
25942 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
25943 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
25946 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
25947 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
25950 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
25951 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25954 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
25957 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
25958 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25961 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
25965 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
25969 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
25970 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
25973 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
25979 @node September Gnus
25980 @subsubsection September Gnus
25984 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
25988 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
25993 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
25994 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
25998 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
25999 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
26003 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
26007 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
26008 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
26011 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
26015 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
26018 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
26021 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
26024 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
26028 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
26029 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
26032 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
26036 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
26040 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
26044 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
26048 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
26051 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
26052 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
26055 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
26059 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
26060 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
26063 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
26066 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
26067 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
26068 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26071 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
26075 The Gnus cache is much faster.
26078 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
26082 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
26083 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
26086 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
26087 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
26090 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
26091 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
26094 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
26095 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
26096 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
26099 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
26100 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
26103 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
26106 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26109 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
26112 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
26115 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
26116 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
26119 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26123 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26126 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26131 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
26134 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
26138 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26141 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26145 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26148 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26151 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26152 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26155 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26156 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26160 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26161 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26164 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26168 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26169 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26172 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26175 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26179 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26183 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26184 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26187 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26191 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26192 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26195 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26196 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26199 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26203 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26206 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26209 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26215 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26217 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26221 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26228 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26231 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26232 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26235 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26236 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26240 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26241 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26244 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26247 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26248 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26251 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26255 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26256 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26260 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26261 Server Internals}).
26264 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26268 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26271 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26272 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26275 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26276 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26277 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26280 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26281 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26284 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26285 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26288 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26292 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26293 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26296 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26297 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26300 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26304 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26307 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26311 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26312 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26315 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
26316 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26319 A new command for reading collections of documents
26320 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
26321 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
26324 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
26328 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
26329 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
26332 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
26333 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
26334 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
26337 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
26338 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
26342 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
26346 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
26350 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
26355 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
26359 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
26363 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
26364 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
26367 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
26373 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
26375 New features in Gnus 5.6:
26380 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
26381 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
26382 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
26385 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
26386 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
26387 group, which is created automatically.
26390 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
26394 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
26397 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
26398 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
26401 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
26405 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
26408 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
26409 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
26412 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
26415 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
26419 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
26420 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
26423 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
26424 control over simplification.
26427 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
26430 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
26434 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
26437 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
26440 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
26441 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
26442 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
26445 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
26446 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
26449 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
26453 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
26454 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
26457 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
26458 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
26461 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
26465 A history of where mails have been split is available.
26468 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
26471 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
26472 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
26475 A new function for citing in Message has been
26476 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
26479 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
26482 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
26486 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
26487 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
26490 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
26491 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
26494 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
26497 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
26501 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
26502 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
26504 New features in Gnus 5.8:
26509 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
26510 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
26512 If you used procmail like in
26515 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
26516 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
26517 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
26518 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
26521 this now has changed to
26525 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
26529 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
26532 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
26533 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
26536 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
26537 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
26540 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
26541 called to position point.
26544 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
26545 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
26548 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
26549 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
26552 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
26553 subtly different manner.
26556 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
26557 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
26558 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
26561 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
26566 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
26569 New features in Gnus 5.10:
26574 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
26575 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
26576 region if the region is active.
26579 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
26583 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
26584 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
26587 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
26588 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
26591 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
26593 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
26594 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
26595 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
26596 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
26597 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
26598 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
26599 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
26600 isn't save in general.
26605 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
26606 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
26607 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
26608 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
26613 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
26614 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
26615 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
26619 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
26622 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
26627 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
26628 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
26630 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
26631 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
26635 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
26636 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
26639 Retrieval of charters and control messages
26641 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
26642 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
26647 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
26648 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
26649 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
26652 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
26653 decompressed when activated.
26656 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
26657 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
26660 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
26663 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
26664 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
26667 Warn about email replies to news
26669 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
26670 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
26674 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
26675 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
26679 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
26680 opposed to old but unread messages).
26683 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
26684 Gcc articles as read.
26687 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
26690 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
26691 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
26694 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
26695 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
26698 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
26699 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
26702 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
26703 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
26706 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
26708 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
26709 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
26710 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
26711 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
26714 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
26716 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
26717 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
26718 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
26719 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
26720 the second parameter.
26722 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
26723 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
26724 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
26725 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
26726 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
26727 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
26728 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
26729 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
26730 cycle used under Unix systems.
26732 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
26736 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
26738 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
26739 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
26740 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
26741 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
26742 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
26746 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
26748 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
26749 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
26750 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
26751 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
26755 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
26757 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
26758 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
26759 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
26760 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
26762 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
26763 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
26764 message cited below.
26767 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
26770 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
26772 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
26773 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
26774 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
26775 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
26776 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
26779 (setq gnus-parameters
26781 (gnus-show-threads nil)
26782 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
26783 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
26784 (to-group . "\\1"))))
26788 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
26790 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
26794 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
26796 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
26797 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
26798 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
26799 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
26800 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
26801 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
26802 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
26803 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
26804 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
26807 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
26809 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
26810 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
26811 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
26812 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
26813 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
26814 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
26817 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
26818 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
26822 Improved anti-spam features.
26824 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
26825 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
26826 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
26827 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
26828 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
26831 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
26834 Face headers handling.
26837 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
26838 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
26841 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
26844 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
26846 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
26847 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
26848 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
26849 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
26850 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
26851 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
26852 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
26853 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
26854 when getting new mail, remove the function.
26857 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
26859 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
26860 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
26861 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
26862 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
26863 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
26864 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
26865 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
26866 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
26867 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
26868 was inserted directly.
26871 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
26873 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
26874 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
26880 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
26881 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
26882 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
26883 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
26884 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
26885 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
26886 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
26887 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
26888 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
26889 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
26890 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
26891 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
26892 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
26893 is not needed any more.
26896 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
26898 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
26899 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
26900 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
26901 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
26902 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
26906 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26908 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26909 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26912 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26914 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26915 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26916 lisp directory into load-path.
26918 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26919 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26922 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
26924 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
26927 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
26929 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
26930 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
26931 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
26932 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
26935 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
26937 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
26939 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
26940 'bbdb-complete-name)
26944 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
26946 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
26947 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
26948 local files as external parts.
26950 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
26951 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
26952 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
26953 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
26954 that support editing.
26957 @code{gnus-default-charset}
26959 The default value is determined from the
26960 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
26961 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
26962 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
26965 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
26967 Add a new format of match like
26969 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
26970 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26972 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
26974 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
26975 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26979 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
26981 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
26982 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
26983 need add those two headers too.
26986 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
26988 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
26989 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
26990 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
26993 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
26994 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
26995 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
26999 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
27001 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
27004 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
27006 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
27009 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
27011 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
27012 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
27013 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
27016 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
27018 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
27022 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
27024 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
27025 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
27026 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
27027 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
27028 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
27029 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
27030 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
27031 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
27034 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27036 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27037 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27038 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27039 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27040 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27043 Extended format specs.
27045 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
27046 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
27047 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
27048 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
27049 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
27050 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27053 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27055 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27056 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27057 out other articles.
27060 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27062 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27063 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27064 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27065 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27068 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27070 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27071 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27072 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27075 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
27077 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
27078 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
27079 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
27080 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
27081 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
27082 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
27083 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
27084 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
27085 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
27086 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
27087 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
27090 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
27091 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
27094 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
27095 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
27096 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
27097 message, Message Manual}).
27100 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27101 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27103 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27104 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27105 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27107 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27111 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
27112 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
27114 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
27115 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
27116 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
27117 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
27120 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27123 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27126 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27127 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27130 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
27132 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27133 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27134 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27135 invalidate the digital signature.
27139 @subsubsection No Gnus
27142 New features in No Gnus:
27143 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27145 @include gnus-news.texi
27151 @section The Manual
27155 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27156 either @code{texi2dvi}
27158 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27159 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27161 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27163 The following conventions have been used:
27168 This is a @samp{string}
27171 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27174 This is a @file{file}
27177 This is a @code{symbol}
27181 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27185 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27188 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27191 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27194 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27195 ever get them confused.
27199 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27200 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27201 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27202 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27203 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27204 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27205 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27211 @node On Writing Manuals
27212 @section On Writing Manuals
27214 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27215 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27216 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27217 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27218 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27219 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
27222 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
27223 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
27224 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
27227 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
27228 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
27233 @section Terminology
27235 @cindex terminology
27240 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
27241 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
27242 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
27243 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
27244 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
27248 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
27249 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
27250 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
27251 not posting, and replying is not following up.
27255 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
27259 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
27264 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
27265 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
27266 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
27267 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
27268 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
27269 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
27270 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
27271 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
27272 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
27275 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
27276 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
27277 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
27278 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
27279 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
27280 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
27282 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
27283 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
27284 access the articles.
27286 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
27287 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
27288 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
27293 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
27294 default, way of getting news.
27298 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
27299 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
27304 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
27305 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
27309 A message that has been posted as news.
27312 @cindex mail message
27313 A message that has been mailed.
27317 A mail message or news article
27321 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
27326 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
27331 A line from the head of an article.
27335 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
27336 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
27338 @item @acronym{NOV}
27339 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
27340 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
27341 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
27342 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
27343 normal @sc{head} format.
27347 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
27348 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
27349 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
27350 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
27351 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
27352 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
27354 @item killed groups
27355 @cindex killed groups
27356 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
27357 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
27359 @item zombie groups
27360 @cindex zombie groups
27361 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
27364 @cindex active file
27365 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
27366 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
27367 is rather large, as you might surmise.
27370 @cindex bogus groups
27371 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
27372 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
27373 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
27376 @cindex activating groups
27377 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
27378 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
27379 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
27383 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
27384 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
27385 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
27389 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
27391 @item select method
27392 @cindex select method
27393 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
27396 @item virtual server
27397 @cindex virtual server
27398 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
27399 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
27400 whole is a virtual server.
27404 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
27405 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
27408 @item ephemeral groups
27409 @cindex ephemeral groups
27410 @cindex temporary groups
27411 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
27412 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
27413 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
27416 @cindex solid groups
27417 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
27418 group buffer are solid groups.
27420 @item sparse articles
27421 @cindex sparse articles
27422 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
27423 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
27427 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
27428 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
27432 @cindex thread root
27433 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
27434 articles in the thread.
27438 An article that has responses.
27442 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
27446 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
27447 specified by RFC 1153.
27450 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
27451 @cindex mail sorting
27452 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
27453 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
27454 incorrectly called mail filtering.
27460 @node Customization
27461 @section Customization
27462 @cindex general customization
27464 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
27465 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
27466 for some quite common situations.
27469 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
27470 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
27471 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
27472 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
27476 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
27477 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
27479 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
27480 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
27481 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
27485 @item gnus-read-active-file
27486 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
27487 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
27488 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27489 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
27490 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
27492 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
27493 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
27494 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
27495 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
27499 @node Slow Terminal Connection
27500 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
27502 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
27503 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
27504 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
27508 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
27509 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
27510 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
27511 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
27512 horizontal and vertical recentering.
27514 @item gnus-visible-headers
27515 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
27516 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
27517 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
27518 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
27520 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
27522 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
27523 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
27524 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
27527 @item gnus-use-full-window
27528 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
27529 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
27530 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
27531 want to read them anyway.
27533 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
27534 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
27538 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
27539 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
27540 lines, which might save some time.
27544 @node Little Disk Space
27545 @subsection Little Disk Space
27548 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
27549 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
27553 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
27554 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
27555 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27556 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27559 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
27560 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
27561 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27562 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27565 @item gnus-save-killed-list
27566 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
27567 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
27568 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
27569 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
27575 @subsection Slow Machine
27576 @cindex slow machine
27578 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
27579 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
27581 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27582 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
27584 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
27585 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
27586 summary buffer faster.
27590 @node Troubleshooting
27591 @section Troubleshooting
27592 @cindex troubleshooting
27594 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
27602 Make sure your computer is switched on.
27605 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
27606 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
27610 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
27611 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
27612 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
27615 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
27616 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
27619 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
27620 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
27621 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
27622 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
27623 something like that.
27626 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
27629 @cindex reporting bugs
27631 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27633 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
27634 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
27635 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
27636 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
27638 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
27639 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
27640 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
27641 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
27644 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
27645 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
27646 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
27647 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
27648 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
27649 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
27651 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
27652 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
27653 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
27657 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
27658 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
27661 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
27662 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
27663 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
27664 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
27665 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
27666 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
27667 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
27668 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
27669 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
27670 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
27671 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
27672 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
27673 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
27674 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
27679 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
27680 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
27681 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
27682 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
27683 helps isolating the real problem areas).
27685 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
27686 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
27687 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
27688 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
27689 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
27690 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
27691 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
27692 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
27693 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
27694 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
27695 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
27696 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
27697 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
27700 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
27701 @cindex ding mailing list
27702 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
27703 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
27704 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
27705 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
27709 @node Gnus Reference Guide
27710 @section Gnus Reference Guide
27712 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
27713 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
27714 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
27715 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
27718 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
27719 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
27720 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
27721 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
27722 and general methods of operation.
27725 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
27726 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
27727 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
27728 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
27729 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
27730 * Group Info:: The group info format.
27731 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
27732 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
27733 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
27737 @node Gnus Utility Functions
27738 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
27739 @cindex Gnus utility functions
27740 @cindex utility functions
27742 @cindex internal variables
27744 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
27745 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
27746 Below is a list of the most common ones.
27750 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
27751 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
27752 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
27754 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
27755 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
27756 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
27758 @item gnus-group-real-name
27759 @findex gnus-group-real-name
27760 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
27763 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
27764 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
27765 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
27766 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
27768 @item gnus-get-info
27769 @findex gnus-get-info
27770 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
27772 @item gnus-group-unread
27773 @findex gnus-group-unread
27774 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
27778 @findex gnus-active
27779 The active entry for @var{group}.
27781 @item gnus-set-active
27782 @findex gnus-set-active
27783 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
27785 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27786 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27787 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
27790 @item gnus-continuum-version
27791 @findex gnus-continuum-version
27792 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
27793 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
27796 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
27797 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
27798 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
27800 @item gnus-news-group-p
27801 @findex gnus-news-group-p
27802 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
27804 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27805 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27806 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
27808 @item gnus-server-to-method
27809 @findex gnus-server-to-method
27810 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
27812 @item gnus-server-equal
27813 @findex gnus-server-equal
27814 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
27816 @item gnus-group-native-p
27817 @findex gnus-group-native-p
27818 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
27820 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
27821 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
27822 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
27824 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
27825 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
27826 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
27828 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
27829 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
27830 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
27831 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
27833 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
27834 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
27835 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
27837 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
27838 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
27839 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
27841 @item gnus-check-backend-function
27842 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
27843 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
27844 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
27847 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
27851 @item gnus-read-method
27852 @findex gnus-read-method
27853 Prompts the user for a select method.
27858 @node Back End Interface
27859 @subsection Back End Interface
27861 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
27862 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
27863 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
27864 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
27865 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
27866 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
27868 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
27869 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
27870 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
27871 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
27872 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
27873 been opened, the function should fail.
27875 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
27876 name. Take this example:
27880 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
27881 (nntp-port-number 4324))
27884 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
27885 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
27887 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
27888 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
27889 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
27891 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
27892 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
27893 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
27895 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
27896 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
27897 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
27898 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
27899 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
27900 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
27903 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
27904 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
27905 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
27906 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
27909 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
27910 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
27911 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
27912 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
27913 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
27914 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
27915 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
27916 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
27917 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
27918 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
27920 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
27921 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
27922 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
27923 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
27924 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
27925 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
27926 of numbers as long as possible.
27928 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
27929 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
27930 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
27932 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
27935 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
27938 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
27939 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
27940 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
27941 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
27942 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
27943 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
27947 @node Required Back End Functions
27948 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
27952 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
27954 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
27955 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
27956 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
27957 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
27959 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
27960 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
27961 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
27962 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
27964 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
27965 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
27966 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
27967 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
27968 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
27969 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
27970 number, do maximum fetches.
27972 Here's an example HEAD:
27975 221 1056 Article retrieved.
27976 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
27977 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
27978 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
27979 Subject: Re: Something very droll
27980 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
27981 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
27983 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
27984 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
27985 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
27989 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
27990 these in the data buffer.
27992 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
27996 head = error / valid-head
27997 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
27998 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
27999 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
28000 header = <text> eol
28004 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
28006 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
28007 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
28011 nov-buffer = *nov-line
28012 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
28013 field = <text except TAB>
28016 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
28020 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
28022 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
28023 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
28025 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
28026 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
28027 server. In fact, it should do so.
28029 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
28030 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
28033 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
28035 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
28036 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
28039 There should be no data returned.
28042 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
28044 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
28045 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
28046 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
28047 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
28049 There should be no data returned.
28052 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
28054 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
28055 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
28056 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
28057 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
28059 There should be no data returned.
28062 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
28064 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
28066 There should be no data returned.
28069 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
28071 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
28072 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
28073 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
28074 it would be nice if that were possible.
28076 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
28077 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
28078 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
28079 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
28080 into its article buffer.
28082 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
28083 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
28084 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
28085 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
28086 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
28087 on successful article retrieval.
28090 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
28092 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
28093 making @var{group} the current group.
28095 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
28098 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
28101 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
28104 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
28105 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
28106 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
28107 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
28108 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
28109 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
28110 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
28111 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
28112 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
28116 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
28117 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
28118 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
28122 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28124 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28125 a no-op on most back ends.
28127 There should be no data returned.
28130 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28132 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28135 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28138 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28139 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28142 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28143 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28144 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28145 and the highest as 0.
28148 active-file = *active-line
28149 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28151 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28154 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28155 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28156 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28159 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28161 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28162 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28163 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28164 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28165 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28166 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28168 There should be no result data from this function.
28173 @node Optional Back End Functions
28174 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28178 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28180 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28181 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
28182 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
28184 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
28185 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
28186 former is in the same format as the data from
28187 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
28188 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
28191 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
28195 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
28197 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
28198 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
28199 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
28200 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
28201 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
28202 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
28203 the network resources).
28205 There should be no result data from this function.
28208 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
28210 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
28211 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
28212 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
28213 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
28214 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
28215 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
28216 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
28217 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
28219 There should be no result data from this function.
28222 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
28224 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
28225 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
28226 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
28227 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
28228 propagate the mark information to the server.
28230 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
28233 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
28236 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
28237 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
28238 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
28239 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
28240 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
28241 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
28242 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
28243 possible, not limit itself to these.
28245 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
28246 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
28247 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
28248 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
28250 An example action list:
28253 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
28254 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
28255 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
28258 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
28259 mark on (currently not used for anything).
28261 There should be no result data from this function.
28263 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
28265 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
28266 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
28267 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
28268 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
28269 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
28271 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
28272 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
28273 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
28276 There should be no result data from this function.
28279 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
28281 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
28282 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
28283 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
28284 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
28285 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
28286 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
28287 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
28288 local if that's practical.
28290 There should be no result data from this function.
28293 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
28295 The result data from this function should be a description of
28299 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
28301 description = <text>
28304 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
28306 The result data from this function should be the description of all
28307 groups available on the server.
28310 description-buffer = *description-line
28314 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
28316 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
28317 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
28318 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
28319 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
28320 in the active buffer format.
28322 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
28323 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
28324 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
28325 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
28326 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
28327 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
28328 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
28331 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28333 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
28335 There should be no return data.
28338 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
28340 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
28341 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
28342 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
28343 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
28344 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
28347 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
28350 There should be no result data returned.
28353 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
28355 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
28356 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
28358 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
28359 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
28360 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
28361 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
28362 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
28363 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
28365 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
28366 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
28369 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28370 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28372 There should be no data returned.
28375 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
28377 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
28378 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
28379 this function in short order.
28381 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28382 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28384 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
28385 article for that group.
28387 There should be no data returned.
28390 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
28392 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
28393 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
28395 There should be no data returned.
28398 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
28400 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
28401 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
28402 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
28404 There should be no data returned.
28407 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
28409 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
28410 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
28412 There should be no data returned.
28417 @node Error Messaging
28418 @subsubsection Error Messaging
28420 @findex nnheader-report
28421 @findex nnheader-get-report
28422 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
28423 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
28424 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
28425 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
28426 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
28427 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
28430 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
28432 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
28435 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
28436 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
28437 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
28438 takes one argument---the server symbol.
28440 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
28441 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
28442 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
28445 @node Writing New Back Ends
28446 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
28448 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
28449 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
28450 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
28451 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
28452 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
28455 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
28456 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
28457 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
28459 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
28460 package called @code{nnoo}.
28462 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
28463 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
28469 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
28470 parameters. For instance:
28473 (nnoo-declare nndir
28477 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
28478 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
28481 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
28482 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
28483 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
28485 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
28486 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
28487 a function in those back ends.
28490 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28491 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28492 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28495 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
28496 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
28497 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
28499 @item nnoo-define-basics
28500 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
28504 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28508 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
28509 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
28510 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
28512 @item nnoo-map-functions
28513 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
28514 functions from the parent back ends.
28517 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28518 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28519 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
28522 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
28523 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
28524 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
28525 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
28528 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
28529 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
28530 haven't already been defined.
28536 nnmh-request-newgroups)
28540 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
28541 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
28542 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
28547 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
28550 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
28551 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
28555 (require 'nnheader)
28559 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
28561 (nnoo-declare nndir
28564 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28565 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28566 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28568 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
28569 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
28572 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
28574 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
28575 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
28576 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
28578 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
28579 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
28581 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
28583 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28585 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
28586 (setq nndir-directory
28587 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
28589 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
28590 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
28591 (push `(nndir-current-group
28592 ,(file-name-nondirectory
28593 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28595 (push `(nndir-top-directory
28596 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28598 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
28600 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28601 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28602 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28603 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
28604 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
28608 nnmh-status-message
28610 nnmh-request-newgroups))
28616 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28617 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28619 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
28620 @findex gnus-declare-backend
28621 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
28622 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
28623 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
28625 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
28626 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
28631 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
28634 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
28636 The abilities can be:
28640 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
28642 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
28644 This back end supports both mail and news.
28646 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
28649 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
28650 articles and groups.
28652 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
28653 true for almost all back ends.
28654 @item prompt-address
28655 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
28656 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
28657 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
28661 @node Mail-like Back Ends
28662 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
28664 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
28665 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
28666 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
28667 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
28670 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
28671 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
28672 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
28675 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
28676 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
28679 This function takes four parameters.
28683 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
28686 @item exit-function
28687 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
28689 @item temp-directory
28690 Where the temporary files should be stored.
28693 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
28694 performed for one group only.
28697 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
28698 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
28699 find the article number assigned to this article.
28701 The function also uses the following variables:
28702 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
28703 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
28704 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
28705 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
28709 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
28710 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
28714 @node Score File Syntax
28715 @subsection Score File Syntax
28717 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
28718 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
28719 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
28721 Here's a typical score file:
28725 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
28732 BNF definition of a score file:
28735 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
28736 element = rule / atom
28737 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
28738 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
28739 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
28740 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
28742 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
28743 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
28744 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
28745 date-header = "date"
28746 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28747 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28748 score = "nil" / <integer>
28749 date = "nil" / <natural number>
28750 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
28751 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
28752 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
28753 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
28754 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28755 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28756 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
28757 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28758 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
28759 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
28760 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
28761 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
28762 exclude-files / read-only / touched
28763 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
28764 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
28765 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
28766 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
28767 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
28768 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
28769 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
28770 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
28771 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
28772 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
28773 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
28774 eval = "eval" space <form>
28775 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
28778 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
28781 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
28782 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
28783 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
28784 one looong line, then that's ok.
28786 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
28787 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28791 @subsection Headers
28793 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
28794 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
28795 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
28796 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
28798 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
28799 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
28800 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
28801 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
28802 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
28803 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
28804 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
28806 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
28807 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
28808 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
28809 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
28810 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
28812 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
28813 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
28819 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
28820 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
28822 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
28823 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
28824 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
28825 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
28827 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
28831 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
28834 is transformed into
28837 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
28840 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
28841 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
28844 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
28847 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
28848 is slightly tricky:
28851 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
28857 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
28860 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
28866 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
28873 and is equal to the previous range.
28875 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
28876 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
28877 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
28881 range = simple-range / normal-range
28882 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
28883 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
28884 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
28885 number *[ " " contents ]
28888 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
28889 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
28890 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
28891 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
28892 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
28897 @subsection Group Info
28899 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
28900 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
28901 describes the group.
28903 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
28904 second is a more complex one:
28907 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
28909 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
28910 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
28912 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
28915 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
28916 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
28917 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
28918 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
28919 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
28920 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
28921 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
28922 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
28923 this section is about.
28925 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
28926 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
28927 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
28929 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
28932 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
28933 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
28934 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28935 group = quote <string> quote
28936 ralevel = rank / level
28937 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28938 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
28939 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28941 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
28942 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
28943 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
28944 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
28947 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
28948 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
28951 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
28952 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
28955 @item gnus-info-group
28956 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
28957 @findex gnus-info-group
28958 @findex gnus-info-set-group
28959 Get/set the group name.
28961 @item gnus-info-rank
28962 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
28963 @findex gnus-info-rank
28964 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
28965 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
28967 @item gnus-info-level
28968 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
28969 @findex gnus-info-level
28970 @findex gnus-info-set-level
28971 Get/set the group level.
28973 @item gnus-info-score
28974 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
28975 @findex gnus-info-score
28976 @findex gnus-info-set-score
28977 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
28979 @item gnus-info-read
28980 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
28981 @findex gnus-info-read
28982 @findex gnus-info-set-read
28983 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
28985 @item gnus-info-marks
28986 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
28987 @findex gnus-info-marks
28988 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
28989 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
28991 @item gnus-info-method
28992 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
28993 @findex gnus-info-method
28994 @findex gnus-info-set-method
28995 Get/set the group select method.
28997 @item gnus-info-params
28998 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
28999 @findex gnus-info-params
29000 @findex gnus-info-set-params
29001 Get/set the group parameters.
29004 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
29005 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
29007 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
29008 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
29009 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
29010 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
29013 @node Extended Interactive
29014 @subsection Extended Interactive
29015 @cindex interactive
29016 @findex gnus-interactive
29018 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
29019 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
29020 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
29023 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
29024 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
29029 The best thing to do would have been to implement
29030 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
29031 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
29032 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
29033 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
29034 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
29035 @code{interactive}.
29037 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
29042 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
29043 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
29047 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
29048 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
29049 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
29052 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
29056 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
29060 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
29066 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
29067 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
29071 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
29072 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
29073 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
29075 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
29076 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
29077 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
29078 Gnus, that's very useful.
29080 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
29081 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
29082 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
29083 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
29084 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
29085 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
29086 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
29087 following function:
29090 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
29094 (,function ,@@args))
29098 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
29099 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
29100 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
29103 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
29104 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
29105 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
29107 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
29108 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
29109 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
29112 @node Various File Formats
29113 @subsection Various File Formats
29116 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
29117 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
29121 @node Active File Format
29122 @subsubsection Active File Format
29124 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29125 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29128 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29131 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29132 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29133 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29134 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29135 no.general 1000 900 y
29138 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29141 active = *group-line
29142 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29143 group = <non-white-space string>
29145 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29146 low-number = <positive integer>
29147 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29150 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29151 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29154 @node Newsgroups File Format
29155 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29157 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29158 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29159 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29162 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29163 Here's the definition:
29167 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29168 group = <non-white-space string>
29170 description = <string>
29175 @node Emacs for Heathens
29176 @section Emacs for Heathens
29178 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29179 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29180 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29181 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
29182 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
29183 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
29184 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
29188 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
29189 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
29194 @subsection Keystrokes
29198 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
29201 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
29204 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
29205 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
29206 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
29207 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
29208 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
29209 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
29211 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
29212 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
29213 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
29214 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
29215 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
29216 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
29217 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
29219 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
29220 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
29221 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
29222 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
29223 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
29224 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
29225 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
29227 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
29228 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
29229 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
29230 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
29231 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
29237 @subsection Emacs Lisp
29239 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
29240 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
29241 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
29242 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
29244 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
29245 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
29246 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
29247 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
29248 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
29249 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
29250 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
29251 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
29252 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
29253 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
29255 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
29256 write the following:
29259 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
29262 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
29263 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
29264 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
29265 change how Gnus works.
29267 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
29268 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
29269 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
29270 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
29271 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
29273 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
29274 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
29275 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
29279 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
29283 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
29286 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
29287 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
29290 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
29293 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
29294 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
29297 @include gnus-faq.texi
29317 @c Local Variables:
29319 @c coding: iso-8859-1
29323 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819