10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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284 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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293 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
295 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
299 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
300 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
301 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
302 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
303 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
304 License'' in the Emacs manual.
306 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
307 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
308 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
310 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
311 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
312 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
313 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
321 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
323 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
324 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
326 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
327 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
328 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
329 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
330 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
331 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
332 License'' in the Emacs manual.
334 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
335 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
336 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
338 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
339 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
340 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
341 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
349 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
352 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
353 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
355 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
357 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
358 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
359 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
360 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
361 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
362 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
363 License'' in the Emacs manual.
365 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
366 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
367 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
369 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
370 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
371 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
372 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
381 @top The Gnus Newsreader
385 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
386 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
387 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
390 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.17.
401 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
402 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
404 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
405 being accused of plagiarism:
407 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
408 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
409 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
410 can even read news with it!
412 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
413 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
414 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
415 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
416 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
422 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
423 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
424 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
425 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
426 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
427 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
428 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
429 * Various:: General purpose settings.
430 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
431 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
432 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
433 * Key Index:: Key Index.
435 Other related manuals
437 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
438 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
439 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
440 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
443 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
447 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
448 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
449 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
450 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
451 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
452 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
453 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
454 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
455 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
456 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
457 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
461 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
462 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
463 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
467 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
468 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
469 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
470 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
471 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
472 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
473 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
474 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
475 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
476 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
477 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
478 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
479 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
480 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
481 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
482 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
483 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
487 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
488 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
489 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
493 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
494 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
495 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
496 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
497 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
501 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
502 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
503 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
504 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
505 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
509 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
510 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
511 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
512 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
513 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
514 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
515 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
516 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
517 * Threading:: How threads are made.
518 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
519 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
520 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
521 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
522 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
523 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
524 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
525 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
526 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
527 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
528 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
529 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
530 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
531 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
532 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
533 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
534 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
535 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
536 or reselecting the current group.
537 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
538 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
539 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
540 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
542 Summary Buffer Format
544 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
545 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
546 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
547 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
551 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
552 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
554 Reply, Followup and Post
556 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
557 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
558 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
559 * Canceling and Superseding::
563 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
564 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
565 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
567 * Generic Marking Commands::
568 * Setting Process Marks::
572 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
573 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
574 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
578 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
579 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
581 Customizing Threading
583 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
584 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
585 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
586 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
590 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
591 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
592 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
593 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
594 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
595 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
599 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
600 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
601 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
605 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
606 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
607 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
608 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
609 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
610 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
611 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
612 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
613 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
614 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
615 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
617 Alternative Approaches
619 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
620 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
622 Various Summary Stuff
624 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
625 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
626 * Summary Generation Commands::
627 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
631 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
632 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
633 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
634 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
635 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
639 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
640 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
641 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
642 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
643 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
644 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
645 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
646 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
650 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
651 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
652 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
653 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
654 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
655 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
656 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
657 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
661 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
662 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
663 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
664 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
665 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
666 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
667 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
671 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
672 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
676 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
677 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
678 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
682 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
683 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
684 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
685 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
686 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
687 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
688 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
689 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
690 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
691 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
692 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
693 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
694 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
698 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
699 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
700 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
702 Choosing a Mail Back End
704 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
705 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
706 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
707 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
708 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
709 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
710 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
715 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
716 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
717 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
718 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
719 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
720 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
724 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
725 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
726 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
727 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
728 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
732 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
733 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
734 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
735 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
736 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
740 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
744 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
745 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
746 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
750 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
751 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
755 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
756 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
757 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
758 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
759 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
760 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
761 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
762 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
763 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
764 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
765 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
766 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
770 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
771 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
772 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
776 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
777 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
778 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
782 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
783 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
784 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
785 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
786 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
787 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
788 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
789 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
790 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
791 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
792 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
793 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
794 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
795 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
796 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
797 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
798 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
802 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
803 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
804 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
805 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
809 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
810 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
811 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
815 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
816 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
817 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
818 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
819 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
820 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
821 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
822 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
823 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
824 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
825 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
826 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
827 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
828 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
829 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
830 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
831 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
832 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
833 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
837 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
838 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
839 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
840 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
841 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
842 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
843 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
844 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
848 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
849 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
850 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
851 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
855 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
856 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
857 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
858 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
859 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
860 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
864 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
865 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
866 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
867 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
868 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
869 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
870 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
871 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
872 * Frequently Asked Questions::
876 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
877 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
878 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
879 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
880 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
881 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
882 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
883 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
884 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
888 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
889 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
890 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
891 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
892 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
896 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
897 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
898 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
899 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
903 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
904 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
905 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
906 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
907 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
908 * Group Info:: The group info format.
909 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
910 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
911 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
915 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
916 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
917 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
918 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
919 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
920 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
924 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
925 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
929 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
930 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
936 @chapter Starting Gnus
941 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
942 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
945 @findex gnus-other-frame
946 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
947 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
948 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
950 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
951 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
952 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
954 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
955 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
958 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
959 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
960 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
961 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
962 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
963 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
964 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
965 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
966 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
967 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
968 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
972 @node Finding the News
973 @section Finding the News
976 @vindex gnus-select-method
978 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
979 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
980 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
981 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
984 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
985 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
988 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
991 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
994 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
997 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
998 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
999 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1001 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1003 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1004 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1005 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1006 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1007 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1008 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1010 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1011 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1012 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1013 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1015 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1016 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1017 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1018 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1019 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1020 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1021 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1022 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1023 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1026 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1028 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1029 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1030 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1031 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1032 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1033 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1035 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1037 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1038 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1039 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1040 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1041 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1042 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1045 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1046 you would typically set this variable to
1049 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1053 @node The First Time
1054 @section The First Time
1055 @cindex first time usage
1057 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1058 be subscribed by default.
1060 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1061 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1062 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1063 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1066 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1067 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1068 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1070 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1071 help you with most common problems.
1073 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1074 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1078 @node The Server is Down
1079 @section The Server is Down
1080 @cindex server errors
1082 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1083 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1084 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1086 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1087 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1088 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1089 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1090 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1091 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1092 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1094 @findex gnus-no-server
1095 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1097 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1098 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1099 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1100 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1101 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1102 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1103 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1107 @section Slave Gnusae
1110 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1111 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1112 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1113 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1115 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1116 @file{.newsrc} file.
1118 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1119 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1120 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1121 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1122 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1123 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1124 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1127 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1128 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1129 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1130 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1131 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1132 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1133 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1134 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1136 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1137 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1139 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1140 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1141 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1142 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1143 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1145 @node Fetching a Group
1146 @section Fetching a Group
1147 @cindex fetching a group
1149 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1150 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1151 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1152 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1153 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1154 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1160 @cindex subscription
1162 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1163 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1164 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1165 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1166 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1167 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1168 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1169 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1170 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1173 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1174 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1175 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1179 @node Checking New Groups
1180 @subsection Checking New Groups
1182 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1183 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1184 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1185 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1186 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1187 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1188 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1189 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1190 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1191 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1193 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1194 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1195 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1196 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1197 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1198 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1199 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1200 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1201 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1202 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1203 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1205 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1206 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1207 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1208 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1209 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1210 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1213 @node Subscription Methods
1214 @subsection Subscription Methods
1216 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1217 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1218 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1220 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1221 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1223 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1227 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1228 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1229 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1230 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1231 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1233 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1234 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1235 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1236 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1238 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1239 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1240 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1242 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1243 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1244 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1245 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1246 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1247 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1248 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1249 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1250 up. Or something like that.
1252 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1253 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1254 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1255 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1256 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1258 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1259 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1260 Kill all new groups.
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1264 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1265 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1266 topic parameter that looks like
1272 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1275 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1280 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1281 A closely related variable is
1282 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1283 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1284 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1285 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1288 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1289 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1290 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1291 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1294 @node Filtering New Groups
1295 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1297 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1298 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1299 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1302 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1305 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1306 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1307 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1308 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1309 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1310 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1311 subscribing these groups.
1312 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1313 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1315 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1316 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1317 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1318 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1319 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1320 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1321 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1322 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1324 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1325 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1326 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1327 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1328 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1329 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1330 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1331 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1332 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1333 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1336 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1337 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1340 @node Changing Servers
1341 @section Changing Servers
1342 @cindex changing servers
1344 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1345 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1346 very flaky and you want to use another.
1348 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1349 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1353 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1354 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1355 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1356 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1359 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1360 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1361 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1362 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1364 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1365 @findex gnus-change-server
1366 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1367 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1368 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1369 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1370 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1372 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1373 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1374 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1375 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1376 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1378 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1379 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1380 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1381 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1382 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1383 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1385 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1386 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1387 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1388 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1390 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1391 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1392 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1393 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1394 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1395 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1396 cache for all groups).
1400 @section Startup Files
1401 @cindex startup files
1406 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1407 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1409 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1410 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1411 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1412 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1413 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1414 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1415 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1417 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1418 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1419 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1420 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1421 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1422 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1424 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1425 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1426 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1427 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1428 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1429 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1430 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1431 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1432 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1433 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1435 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1436 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1437 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1438 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1439 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1440 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1441 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1442 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1443 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1444 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1445 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1446 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1448 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1449 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1450 @vindex version-control
1451 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1452 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1453 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1454 If you want version control for this file, set
1455 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1456 @code{version-control} variable.
1458 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1459 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1460 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1461 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1462 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1463 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1464 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1465 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1466 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1467 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1470 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1471 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1473 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1474 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1477 @vindex gnus-init-file
1478 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1479 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1480 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1481 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1482 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1483 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1484 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1485 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1486 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1487 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1493 @cindex dribble file
1496 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1497 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1498 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1499 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1500 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1503 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1504 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1507 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1508 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1509 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1511 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1512 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1513 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1514 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1515 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1516 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1518 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1519 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1520 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1523 @node The Active File
1524 @section The Active File
1526 @cindex ignored groups
1528 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1529 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1530 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1532 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1533 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1534 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1535 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1536 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1537 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1538 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1541 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1542 @c if you set it to anything else.
1544 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1546 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1547 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1548 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1550 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1551 you actually subscribe to.
1553 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1554 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1555 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1556 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1558 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1559 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1560 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1561 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1562 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1563 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1565 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1566 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1567 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1570 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1571 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1572 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1573 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1574 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1575 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1577 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1578 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1580 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1581 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1583 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1584 secondary select methods.
1587 @node Startup Variables
1588 @section Startup Variables
1592 @item gnus-load-hook
1593 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1594 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1595 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1596 times you start Gnus.
1598 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1599 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1600 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1602 @item gnus-startup-hook
1603 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1604 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1606 @item gnus-started-hook
1607 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1608 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1611 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1612 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1613 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1614 generating the group buffer.
1616 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1617 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1618 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1619 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1620 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1621 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1622 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1623 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1625 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1626 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1627 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1628 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1629 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1630 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1632 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1633 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1634 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1636 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1637 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1638 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1640 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1641 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1642 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1643 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1649 @chapter Group Buffer
1650 @cindex group buffer
1652 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1654 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1655 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1656 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1657 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1658 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1659 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1660 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1661 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1662 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1663 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1664 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1665 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1666 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1667 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1668 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1669 @c human rights at 9...
1672 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1673 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1674 long as Gnus is active.
1678 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1679 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1680 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1681 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1682 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1683 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1684 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1685 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1691 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1692 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1693 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1694 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1695 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1696 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1697 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1698 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1699 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1700 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1701 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1702 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1703 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1704 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1705 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1706 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1707 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1711 @node Group Buffer Format
1712 @section Group Buffer Format
1715 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1716 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1717 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1721 @node Group Line Specification
1722 @subsection Group Line Specification
1723 @cindex group buffer format
1725 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1726 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1728 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1731 25: news.announce.newusers
1732 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1737 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1738 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1739 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1740 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1742 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1743 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1744 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1745 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1746 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1747 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1749 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1751 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1752 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1753 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1754 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1755 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1757 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1758 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1759 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1761 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1766 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1769 Whether the group is subscribed.
1772 Level of subscribedness.
1775 Number of unread articles.
1778 Number of dormant articles.
1781 Number of ticked articles.
1784 Number of read articles.
1787 Number of unseen articles.
1790 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1791 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1793 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1794 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1795 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1796 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1797 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1798 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1799 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1800 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1803 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1806 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1815 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1816 comment element in the group parameters.
1819 Newsgroup description.
1822 @samp{m} if moderated.
1825 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1831 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1837 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1841 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1844 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1845 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1846 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1847 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1848 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1851 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1853 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1857 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1860 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1864 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1865 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1866 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1867 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1868 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1869 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1874 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1875 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1876 group, or a bogus native group.
1879 @node Group Modeline Specification
1880 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1881 @cindex group modeline
1883 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1884 The mode line can be changed by setting
1885 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1886 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1890 The native news server.
1892 The native select method.
1896 @node Group Highlighting
1897 @subsection Group Highlighting
1898 @cindex highlighting
1899 @cindex group highlighting
1901 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1902 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1903 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1904 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1905 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1907 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1911 (cond (window-system
1912 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1913 (defface my-group-face-1
1914 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1915 (defface my-group-face-2
1916 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1917 (defface my-group-face-3
1918 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1919 (defface my-group-face-4
1920 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1921 (defface my-group-face-5
1922 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1924 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1925 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1926 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1927 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1928 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1929 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1932 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1934 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1941 The number of unread articles in the group.
1945 Whether the group is a mail group.
1947 The level of the group.
1949 The score of the group.
1951 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1953 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1954 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1956 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1957 topic being inserted.
1960 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1961 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1962 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1964 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1965 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1966 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1967 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1968 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1971 @node Group Maneuvering
1972 @section Group Maneuvering
1973 @cindex group movement
1975 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1976 expected, hopefully.
1982 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1983 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1984 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1990 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1991 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1992 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1996 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1997 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2001 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2002 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2006 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2007 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2008 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2012 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2013 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2014 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2017 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2023 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2024 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2025 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2030 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2031 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2032 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2036 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2037 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2038 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2041 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2042 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2043 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2044 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2048 @node Selecting a Group
2049 @section Selecting a Group
2050 @cindex group selection
2055 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2056 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2057 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2058 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2059 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2060 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2061 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2062 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2063 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2064 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2066 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2067 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2068 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2070 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2071 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2076 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2077 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2078 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2079 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2080 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2084 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2085 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2086 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2087 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2088 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2089 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2090 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2091 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2092 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2093 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2096 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2097 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2098 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2099 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2100 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2103 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2104 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2105 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2106 doing any processing of its contents
2107 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2108 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2109 manner will have no permanent effects.
2113 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2114 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2115 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2116 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2117 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2118 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2119 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2120 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2123 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2124 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2125 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2126 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2127 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2128 Which article this is is controlled by the
2129 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2135 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2138 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2141 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2143 @item unseen-or-unread
2144 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2145 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2149 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2153 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2154 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2156 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2157 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2158 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2159 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2163 @node Subscription Commands
2164 @section Subscription Commands
2165 @cindex subscription
2173 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2174 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2175 Toggle subscription to the current group
2176 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2182 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2183 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2184 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2185 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2191 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2192 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2193 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2199 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2200 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2203 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2204 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2205 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2206 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2207 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2213 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2214 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2218 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2219 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2222 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2223 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2224 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2225 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2226 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2227 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2228 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2229 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2230 @file{.newsrc} file.
2234 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2244 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2245 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2246 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2247 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2248 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2249 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2254 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2255 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2256 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2260 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2261 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2262 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2264 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2265 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2266 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2267 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2268 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2269 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2276 @section Group Levels
2280 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2281 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2282 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2283 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2284 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2286 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2292 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2293 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2294 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2295 prompted for a level.
2298 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2299 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2300 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2301 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2302 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2303 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2304 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2305 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2306 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2307 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2308 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2309 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2310 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2311 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2312 reasons of efficiency.
2314 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2315 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2317 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2318 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2319 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2320 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2321 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2322 groups are hidden, in a way.
2324 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2325 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2326 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2327 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2328 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2329 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2331 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2332 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2333 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2334 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2335 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2336 list of killed groups.)
2338 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2339 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2340 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2342 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2343 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2344 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2345 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2346 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2347 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2348 relevant valid ranges.
2350 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2351 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2352 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2353 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2354 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2355 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2358 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2359 one with the best level.
2361 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2362 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2363 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2366 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2367 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2368 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2369 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2372 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2373 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2374 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2375 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2377 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2378 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2379 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2380 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2381 to 5. The default is 6.
2385 @section Group Score
2390 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2391 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2392 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2395 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2396 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2397 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2398 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2399 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2400 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2401 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2402 least significant part.))
2404 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2405 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2406 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2407 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2408 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2409 action after each summary exit, you can add
2410 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2411 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2412 slow things down somewhat.
2415 @node Marking Groups
2416 @section Marking Groups
2417 @cindex marking groups
2419 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2420 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2421 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2422 bidding on those groups.
2424 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2425 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2426 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2434 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2435 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2441 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2442 Remove the mark from the current group
2443 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2447 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2448 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2452 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2453 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2457 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2458 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2462 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2463 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2464 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2467 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2469 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2470 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2471 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2472 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2473 the command to be executed.
2476 @node Foreign Groups
2477 @section Foreign Groups
2478 @cindex foreign groups
2480 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2481 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2482 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2483 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2490 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2491 @cindex making groups
2492 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2493 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2494 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2498 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2499 @cindex renaming groups
2500 Rename the current group to something else
2501 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2502 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2508 @findex gnus-group-customize
2509 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2513 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2514 @cindex renaming groups
2515 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2516 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2520 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2521 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2522 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2526 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2527 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2528 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2532 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2534 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2535 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2540 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2541 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2545 @cindex (ding) archive
2546 @cindex archive group
2547 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2548 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2549 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2550 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2551 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2552 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2553 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2557 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2559 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2560 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2561 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2562 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2566 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2568 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2569 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2570 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2574 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2575 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2577 Make a group based on some file or other
2578 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2579 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2580 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2581 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2582 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2583 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2584 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2585 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2586 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2590 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2591 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2592 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2593 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2597 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2601 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2602 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2603 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2604 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2605 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2606 @xref{Web Searches}.
2608 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2609 to a particular group by using a match string like
2610 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2613 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2614 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2615 This function will delete the current group
2616 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2617 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2618 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2619 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2620 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2624 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2625 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2626 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2630 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2631 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2632 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2635 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2638 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2639 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2640 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2641 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2642 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2643 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2647 @node Group Parameters
2648 @section Group Parameters
2649 @cindex group parameters
2651 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2652 Here's an example group parameter list:
2655 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2659 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2660 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2661 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2662 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2664 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2665 is an alist of regexps and values.
2667 The following group parameters can be used:
2672 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2675 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2678 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2679 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2680 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2681 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2682 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2684 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2685 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2686 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2687 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2688 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2689 list address instead.
2691 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2695 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2698 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2701 It is totally ignored
2702 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2703 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2705 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2706 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2707 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2708 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2709 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2711 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2712 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2713 sending the message.
2715 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2716 @cindex Mail List Groups
2717 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2718 entering summary buffer.
2720 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2725 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2726 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2727 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2728 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2729 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{Mailing
2730 Lists, , Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual} for a complete
2731 treatment of available MFT support.
2733 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2734 directly uses this group parameter.
2738 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2739 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2740 of whether it has any unread articles.
2742 @item broken-reply-to
2743 @cindex broken-reply-to
2744 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2745 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2746 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2747 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2748 broken behavior. So there!
2752 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2753 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2757 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2758 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2759 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2764 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2765 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2766 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2767 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2768 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2769 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2770 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2771 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2772 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2776 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2777 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2778 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2780 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2783 @cindex total-expire
2784 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2785 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2786 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2787 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2790 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2794 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2795 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2796 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2797 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2798 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2799 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2800 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2803 @cindex score file group parameter
2804 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2805 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2806 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2809 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2810 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2811 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2812 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2815 @cindex admin-address
2816 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2817 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2818 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2819 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2823 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2824 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2828 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2831 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2832 entering the group with C-u @var{integer}.
2835 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2839 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2841 Here are some examples:
2845 Display only unread articles.
2848 Display everything except expirable articles.
2850 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2851 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2855 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2856 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2857 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2858 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2859 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2863 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2864 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2865 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2869 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2870 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2871 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2875 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2876 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2877 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2879 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2881 @item ignored-charsets
2882 @cindex ignored-charset
2883 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2884 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2885 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2887 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2890 @cindex posting-style
2891 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2892 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2893 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2894 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2895 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2897 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2898 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2899 like this in the group parameters:
2904 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2905 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2910 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2911 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2915 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2916 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2917 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2918 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2919 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2923 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2924 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2925 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2926 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2928 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2929 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2930 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2931 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2934 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2935 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2939 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2942 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2943 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2944 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2945 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2946 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2947 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2948 @code{eval}ed there.
2950 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2951 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2952 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2953 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2954 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2955 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2956 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2957 parameters for the group.
2960 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2961 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2962 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2963 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2964 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2968 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2969 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2970 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2971 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2972 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2974 @vindex gnus-parameters
2975 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2976 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2980 (setq gnus-parameters
2982 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2983 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2984 (gnus-summary-line-format
2985 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2989 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2993 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2997 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3000 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3001 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3004 @node Listing Groups
3005 @section Listing Groups
3006 @cindex group listing
3008 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3016 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3017 List all groups that have unread articles
3018 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3019 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3020 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3021 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3028 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3029 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3030 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3031 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3032 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3033 unsubscribed groups).
3037 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3038 List all unread groups on a specific level
3039 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3040 with no unread articles.
3044 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3045 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3046 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3047 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3052 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3053 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3057 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3058 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3059 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3063 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3064 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3068 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3069 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3070 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3071 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3072 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3073 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3074 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3075 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3079 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3080 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3081 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3085 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3086 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3087 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3091 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3092 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3096 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3097 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3101 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3102 List groups limited within the current selection
3103 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3107 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3108 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3112 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3113 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3117 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3118 @cindex visible group parameter
3119 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3120 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3121 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3122 get the same effect.
3124 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3125 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3126 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3127 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3128 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3131 @node Sorting Groups
3132 @section Sorting Groups
3133 @cindex sorting groups
3135 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3136 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3137 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3138 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3139 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3140 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3145 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3146 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3147 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3149 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3150 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3151 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3153 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3154 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3155 Sort by group level.
3157 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3158 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3159 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3161 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3162 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3163 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3164 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3166 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3167 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3168 Sort by number of unread articles.
3170 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3171 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3172 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3174 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3175 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3176 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3181 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3182 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3186 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3187 some sorting criteria:
3191 @kindex G S a (Group)
3192 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3193 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3194 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3197 @kindex G S u (Group)
3198 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3199 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3200 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3203 @kindex G S l (Group)
3204 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3205 Sort the group buffer by group level
3206 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3209 @kindex G S v (Group)
3210 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3211 Sort the group buffer by group score
3212 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3215 @kindex G S r (Group)
3216 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3217 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3218 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3221 @kindex G S m (Group)
3222 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3223 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3224 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3227 @kindex G S n (Group)
3228 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3229 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3230 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3234 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3235 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3237 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3238 commands will sort in reverse order.
3240 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3244 @kindex G P a (Group)
3245 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3246 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3247 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3250 @kindex G P u (Group)
3251 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3252 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3253 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3256 @kindex G P l (Group)
3257 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3258 Sort the groups by group level
3259 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3262 @kindex G P v (Group)
3263 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3264 Sort the groups by group score
3265 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3268 @kindex G P r (Group)
3269 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3270 Sort the groups by group rank
3271 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3274 @kindex G P m (Group)
3275 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3276 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3277 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3280 @kindex G P n (Group)
3281 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3282 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3283 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3286 @kindex G P s (Group)
3287 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3288 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3292 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3296 @node Group Maintenance
3297 @section Group Maintenance
3298 @cindex bogus groups
3303 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3304 Find bogus groups and delete them
3305 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3309 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3310 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3311 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3312 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3313 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3317 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3318 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3319 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3320 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3321 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3322 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3325 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3326 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3327 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3328 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3333 @node Browse Foreign Server
3334 @section Browse Foreign Server
3335 @cindex foreign servers
3336 @cindex browsing servers
3341 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3342 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3343 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3344 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3347 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3348 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3349 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3350 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3352 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3357 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3358 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3362 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3363 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3366 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3367 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3368 Enter the current group and display the first article
3369 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3372 @kindex RET (Browse)
3373 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3374 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3378 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3379 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3380 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3386 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3387 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3391 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3392 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3396 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3397 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3398 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3403 @section Exiting Gnus
3404 @cindex exiting Gnus
3406 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3411 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3412 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3413 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3414 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3418 @findex gnus-group-exit
3419 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3420 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3424 @findex gnus-group-quit
3425 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3426 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3429 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3430 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3431 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3432 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3433 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3434 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3440 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3441 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3442 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3448 @section Group Topics
3451 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3452 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3453 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3454 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3455 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3456 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3460 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3461 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3472 2: alt.religion.emacs
3475 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3477 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3478 13: comp.sources.unix
3481 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3483 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3484 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3485 is a toggling command.)
3487 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3488 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3489 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3490 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3493 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3494 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3495 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3498 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3502 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3503 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3504 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3505 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3506 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3510 @node Topic Commands
3511 @subsection Topic Commands
3512 @cindex topic commands
3514 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3515 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3516 definitions slightly.
3518 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3519 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3520 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3521 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3522 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3523 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3525 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3532 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3533 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3534 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3538 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3540 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3541 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3542 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3543 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3546 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3547 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3548 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3549 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3553 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3554 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3555 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3556 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3562 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3563 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3564 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3568 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3569 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3570 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3573 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3574 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3575 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3576 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3577 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3579 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3580 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3584 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3585 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3592 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3594 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3595 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3596 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3597 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3598 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3599 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3603 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3609 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3610 Move the current group to some other topic
3611 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3612 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3616 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3617 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3621 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3622 Copy the current group to some other topic
3623 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3624 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3628 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3629 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3630 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3634 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3635 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3636 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3640 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3641 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3642 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3643 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3644 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3645 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3646 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3649 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3650 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3654 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3655 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3656 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3660 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3661 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3662 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3666 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3667 Toggle hiding empty topics
3668 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3672 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3673 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3674 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3675 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3678 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3679 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3680 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3681 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3682 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3685 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3686 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3687 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3688 expiry process (if any)
3689 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3693 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3694 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3697 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3698 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3699 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3703 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3704 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3705 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3708 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3709 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3710 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3713 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3714 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3715 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3719 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3720 @cindex group parameters
3721 @cindex topic parameters
3723 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3724 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3729 @node Topic Variables
3730 @subsection Topic Variables
3731 @cindex topic variables
3733 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3734 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3736 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3737 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3738 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3751 Number of groups in the topic.
3753 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3755 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3758 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3759 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3760 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3763 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3764 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3766 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3767 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3768 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3772 @subsection Topic Sorting
3773 @cindex topic sorting
3775 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3781 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3782 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3783 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3784 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3787 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3788 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3789 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3790 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3793 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3794 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3795 Sort the current topic by group level
3796 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3799 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3800 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3801 Sort the current topic by group score
3802 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3805 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3806 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3807 Sort the current topic by group rank
3808 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3811 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3812 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3813 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3814 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3817 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3818 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3819 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3820 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3824 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3825 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3826 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3827 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3831 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3832 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3836 @node Topic Topology
3837 @subsection Topic Topology
3838 @cindex topic topology
3841 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3847 2: alt.religion.emacs
3850 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3852 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3853 13: comp.sources.unix
3856 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3857 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3858 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3863 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3864 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3868 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3869 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3870 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3871 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3872 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3873 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3875 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3876 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3877 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3880 @node Topic Parameters
3881 @subsection Topic Parameters
3882 @cindex topic parameters
3884 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3885 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3886 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3888 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3893 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3894 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3895 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3898 @item subscribe-level
3899 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3900 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3901 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3905 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3906 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3907 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3908 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3914 2: alt.religion.emacs
3918 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3920 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3921 13: comp.sources.unix
3925 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3926 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3927 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3928 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3929 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3930 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3932 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3933 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3934 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3935 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3936 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3938 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3939 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3940 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3941 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3942 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3943 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3944 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3945 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3948 @node Misc Group Stuff
3949 @section Misc Group Stuff
3952 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3953 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3954 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3955 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3956 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3963 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3964 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3965 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3969 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3970 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3971 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3972 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3973 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3974 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3975 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3979 @findex gnus-group-mail
3980 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3981 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3982 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3983 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3987 @findex gnus-group-news
3988 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3989 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3990 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3992 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3993 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
3994 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3995 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3996 for this to work though.
4000 Variables for the group buffer:
4004 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4005 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4006 is called after the group buffer has been
4009 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4010 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4011 is called after the group buffer is
4012 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4015 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4016 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4017 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4018 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4020 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4021 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4022 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4023 whether they are empty or not.
4025 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4026 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4027 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4028 non-ASCII group names.
4032 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4033 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4036 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4037 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4038 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4039 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4040 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4041 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is
4046 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4047 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4052 @node Scanning New Messages
4053 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4054 @cindex new messages
4055 @cindex scanning new news
4061 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4062 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4063 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4064 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4065 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4066 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4071 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4072 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4073 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4074 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4075 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4076 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4077 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4079 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4080 @cindex activating groups
4082 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4083 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4088 @findex gnus-group-restart
4089 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4090 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4091 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4095 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4096 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4098 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4099 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4103 @node Group Information
4104 @subsection Group Information
4105 @cindex group information
4106 @cindex information on groups
4113 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4114 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4117 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4118 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4119 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4120 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4121 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4122 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4123 for fetching the file.
4125 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4126 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4130 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4131 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4133 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4134 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4137 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4138 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4139 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4143 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4144 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4145 @cindex control message
4146 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4147 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4148 group if given a prefix argument.
4150 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4151 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4152 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4153 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4155 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4156 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4157 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4161 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4163 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4164 @cindex describing groups
4165 @cindex group description
4166 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4167 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4168 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4172 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4173 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4174 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4181 @findex gnus-version
4182 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4186 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4187 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4190 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4193 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4194 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4198 @node Group Timestamp
4199 @subsection Group Timestamp
4201 @cindex group timestamps
4203 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4204 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4205 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4208 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4211 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4213 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4214 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4217 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4218 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4221 This will result in lines looking like:
4224 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4225 0: custom 19961002T012713
4228 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4229 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4233 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4234 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4237 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4238 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4242 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4243 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4244 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4245 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4247 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4253 @subsection File Commands
4254 @cindex file commands
4260 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4261 @vindex gnus-init-file
4262 @cindex reading init file
4263 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4264 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4268 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4269 @cindex saving .newsrc
4270 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4271 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4272 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4275 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4276 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4277 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4282 @node Sieve Commands
4283 @subsection Sieve Commands
4284 @cindex group sieve commands
4286 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4287 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4288 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4289 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4290 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4292 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4293 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4294 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4295 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4296 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4297 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4298 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4299 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4300 regenerate the Sieve script.
4302 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4303 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4304 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4305 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4306 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4307 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4308 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4309 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4310 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4311 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4314 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4315 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4320 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4326 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4327 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4328 @cindex generating sieve script
4329 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4330 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4334 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4335 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4336 @cindex updating sieve script
4337 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4338 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4339 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4344 @node Summary Buffer
4345 @chapter Summary Buffer
4346 @cindex summary buffer
4348 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4349 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4351 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4352 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4354 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4357 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4358 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4359 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4360 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4361 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4362 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4363 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4364 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4365 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4366 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4367 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4368 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4369 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4370 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4371 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4372 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4373 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4374 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4375 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4376 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4377 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4378 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4379 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4380 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4381 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4382 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4383 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4384 or reselecting the current group.
4385 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4386 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4387 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4388 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4392 @node Summary Buffer Format
4393 @section Summary Buffer Format
4394 @cindex summary buffer format
4398 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4399 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4400 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4406 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4407 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4408 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4409 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4412 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4413 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4414 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4415 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4416 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4417 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4418 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4419 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4420 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4421 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4422 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4425 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4426 'mail-extract-address-components)
4429 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4430 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4431 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4432 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4435 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4436 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4438 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4439 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4440 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4441 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4442 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4444 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4445 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4446 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4447 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4448 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4449 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4451 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4453 The following format specification characters and extended format
4454 specification(s) are understood:
4460 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4461 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4463 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4464 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4465 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4467 Full @code{From} header.
4469 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4471 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4474 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4475 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4476 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4477 may be more thorough.
4479 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4482 Number of lines in the article.
4484 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4485 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4487 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4488 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4490 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4492 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4493 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4506 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4507 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4508 replacing the default ASCII characters with graphic line-drawing
4511 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4512 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4513 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4514 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4516 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4517 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4518 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4519 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4521 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4522 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4523 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4525 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4526 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4527 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4529 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4530 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4531 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4533 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4534 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4535 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4540 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4541 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4543 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4544 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4546 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4547 for adopted articles.
4549 One space for each thread level.
4551 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4553 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4556 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4557 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4558 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4561 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4563 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4564 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4565 default level. If the difference between
4566 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4567 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4575 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4577 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4583 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4584 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4586 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4587 article has any children.
4593 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4594 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4596 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4597 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4598 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4599 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4600 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4601 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4604 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4605 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4606 There can only be one such area.
4608 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4609 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4610 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4611 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4612 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4613 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4615 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4616 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4618 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4621 @node To From Newsgroups
4622 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4626 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4627 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4628 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4629 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4630 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4634 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4635 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4636 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4640 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4641 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4644 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4645 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4648 @findex gnus-extra-header
4649 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4650 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4651 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4654 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4658 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4659 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4660 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4661 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4662 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4663 headers are used instead.
4667 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4668 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4669 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files.
4670 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4671 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4672 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4675 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4676 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4677 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4678 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4680 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4684 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4686 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4687 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4688 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4689 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4693 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4696 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4697 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4700 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4701 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4702 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4708 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4709 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4712 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4713 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4715 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4716 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4717 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4718 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4720 Here are the elements you can play with:
4726 Unprefixed group name.
4728 Current article number.
4730 Current article score.
4734 Number of unread articles in this group.
4736 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4739 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4740 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4741 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4742 and no unselected ones.
4744 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4745 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4747 Subject of the current article.
4749 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4751 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4753 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4755 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4757 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4759 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4763 @node Summary Highlighting
4764 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4768 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4769 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4770 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4771 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4772 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4774 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4775 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4776 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4777 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4779 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4780 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4781 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4782 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4784 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4785 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4786 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4787 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4788 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4789 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4792 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4793 ((> score default) . bold))
4795 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4796 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4800 @node Summary Maneuvering
4801 @section Summary Maneuvering
4802 @cindex summary movement
4804 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4805 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4807 None of these commands select articles.
4812 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4813 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4814 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4815 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4816 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4820 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4821 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4822 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4823 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4824 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4827 @kindex G g (Summary)
4828 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4829 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4830 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4833 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4834 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4835 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4836 to the group buffer.
4838 Variables related to summary movement:
4842 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4843 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4844 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4845 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4846 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4847 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4848 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4849 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4850 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4851 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4852 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4853 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4854 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4855 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4857 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4858 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4859 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4860 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4861 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4862 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4863 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4865 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4867 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4868 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4869 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4870 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4871 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4873 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4874 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4875 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4876 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4877 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4878 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4879 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4880 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4883 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4884 the given number of lines from the top.
4889 @node Choosing Articles
4890 @section Choosing Articles
4891 @cindex selecting articles
4894 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4895 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4899 @node Choosing Commands
4900 @subsection Choosing Commands
4902 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4903 and they all select and display an article.
4905 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4906 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4910 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4911 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4912 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4913 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4915 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4916 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4917 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @pxref{Paging the Article}.
4922 @kindex G n (Summary)
4923 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4924 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4925 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4930 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4931 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4932 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4937 @kindex G N (Summary)
4938 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4939 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4944 @kindex G P (Summary)
4945 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4946 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4949 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4950 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4951 Go to the next article with the same subject
4952 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4955 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4956 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4957 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4958 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4962 @kindex G f (Summary)
4964 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4965 Go to the first unread article
4966 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4970 @kindex G b (Summary)
4972 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4973 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4974 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4975 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4980 @kindex G l (Summary)
4981 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4982 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4985 @kindex G o (Summary)
4986 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4988 @cindex article history
4989 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4990 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4991 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4992 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4993 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4994 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4999 @kindex G j (Summary)
5000 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5001 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5002 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5007 @node Choosing Variables
5008 @subsection Choosing Variables
5010 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5013 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5014 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5015 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5016 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5017 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5018 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5020 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5021 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5022 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5023 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5024 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5025 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5027 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5028 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5029 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5030 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5031 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5032 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5033 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5034 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5035 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5036 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5037 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5038 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5039 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5040 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5045 @node Paging the Article
5046 @section Scrolling the Article
5047 @cindex article scrolling
5052 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5053 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5054 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5055 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5056 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5058 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5059 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5060 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5061 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5062 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5063 what is considered uninteresting with
5064 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5065 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5068 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5069 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5070 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5073 @kindex RET (Summary)
5074 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5075 Scroll the current article one line forward
5076 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5079 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5080 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5081 Scroll the current article one line backward
5082 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5086 @kindex A g (Summary)
5088 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5089 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5090 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5091 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5092 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5093 the way it came from the server.
5095 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5096 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5097 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5100 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5105 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5110 @kindex A < (Summary)
5111 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5112 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5113 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5118 @kindex A > (Summary)
5119 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5120 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5124 @kindex A s (Summary)
5126 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5127 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5128 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5132 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5133 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5138 @node Reply Followup and Post
5139 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5142 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5143 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5144 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5145 * Canceling and Superseding::
5149 @node Summary Mail Commands
5150 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5152 @cindex composing mail
5154 Commands for composing a mail message:
5160 @kindex S r (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5163 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5164 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5165 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5166 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5171 @kindex S R (Summary)
5172 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5173 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5174 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5175 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5176 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5179 @kindex S w (Summary)
5180 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5181 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5182 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5183 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5184 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5187 @kindex S W (Summary)
5188 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5189 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5190 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5191 the process/prefix convention.
5194 @kindex S v (Summary)
5195 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5196 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5197 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5198 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5199 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5200 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5203 @kindex S V (Summary)
5204 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5205 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5206 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5207 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5210 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5211 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5212 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5213 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5216 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5217 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5218 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5219 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5220 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5224 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5225 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5226 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5227 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5228 Forward the current article to some other person
5229 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5230 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5231 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5232 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5233 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5234 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5235 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5236 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5237 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5243 @kindex S m (Summary)
5244 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5245 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5246 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5247 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5248 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5253 @kindex S i (Summary)
5254 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5255 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5256 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5257 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5259 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5260 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5261 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5262 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5263 for this to work though.
5266 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5267 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5268 @cindex bouncing mail
5269 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5270 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5271 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5272 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5273 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5274 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5275 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5276 very well fail, though.
5279 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5280 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5281 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5282 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5283 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5284 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5285 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5286 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5287 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5288 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5290 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5291 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5292 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5293 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5294 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5296 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5297 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5300 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5301 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5302 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5303 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5304 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5307 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5308 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5309 @cindex crossposting
5310 @cindex excessive crossposting
5311 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5312 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5314 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5315 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5316 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5317 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5318 command understands the process/prefix convention
5319 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5323 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5324 Manual}, for more information.
5327 @node Summary Post Commands
5328 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5330 @cindex composing news
5332 Commands for posting a news article:
5338 @kindex S p (Summary)
5339 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5340 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5341 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5342 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5343 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5348 @kindex S f (Summary)
5349 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5350 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5351 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5355 @kindex S F (Summary)
5357 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5358 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5359 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5360 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5361 process/prefix convention.
5364 @kindex S n (Summary)
5365 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5366 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5367 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5370 @kindex S N (Summary)
5371 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5372 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5373 message through mail and include the original message
5374 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5375 the process/prefix convention.
5378 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5379 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5380 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5381 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5382 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5383 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5384 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5385 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5386 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5387 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5388 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5389 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5390 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5393 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5394 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5396 @cindex making digests
5397 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5398 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5399 process/prefix convention.
5402 @kindex S u (Summary)
5403 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5404 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5405 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5406 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5409 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5410 Manual}, for more information.
5413 @node Summary Message Commands
5414 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5418 @kindex S y (Summary)
5419 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5420 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5421 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5422 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5423 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5428 @node Canceling and Superseding
5429 @subsection Canceling Articles
5430 @cindex canceling articles
5431 @cindex superseding articles
5433 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5434 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5436 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5438 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5440 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5441 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5442 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5443 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5444 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5445 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5447 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5448 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5451 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5452 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5453 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5455 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5456 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5457 your original article.
5459 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5461 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5462 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5463 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5466 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5467 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5468 have posted almost the same article twice.
5470 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5471 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5472 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5473 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5474 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5475 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5476 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5477 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5478 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5479 canceled/superseded.
5481 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5483 @node Delayed Articles
5484 @section Delayed Articles
5485 @cindex delayed sending
5486 @cindex send delayed
5488 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5489 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5490 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5491 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5494 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5497 @findex gnus-delay-article
5498 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5499 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5500 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5501 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5505 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5506 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5507 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5508 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5511 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5512 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5513 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5516 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5517 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5518 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5519 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5520 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5521 that means a time tomorrow.
5524 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5525 couple of variables:
5528 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5529 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5530 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5531 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5533 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5534 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5535 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5536 formats described above.
5538 @item gnus-delay-group
5539 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5540 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5541 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5542 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5544 @item gnus-delay-header
5545 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5546 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5547 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5548 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5551 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5552 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5553 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5554 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5555 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5557 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5558 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5559 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5560 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5561 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5562 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5563 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5566 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5567 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5568 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5569 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5570 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5571 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5572 argument is ignored.
5574 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5575 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5576 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5580 @node Marking Articles
5581 @section Marking Articles
5582 @cindex article marking
5583 @cindex article ticking
5586 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5588 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5589 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5590 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5592 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5595 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5596 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5597 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5601 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5605 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5606 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5607 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5611 @node Unread Articles
5612 @subsection Unread Articles
5614 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5619 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5620 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5622 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5623 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5624 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5625 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5626 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5627 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5628 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5631 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5632 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5634 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5635 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5636 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5637 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5641 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5642 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5644 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5649 @subsection Read Articles
5650 @cindex expirable mark
5652 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5657 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5658 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5659 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5662 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5663 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5666 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5667 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5668 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5671 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5672 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5675 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5676 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5679 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5680 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5683 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5684 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5687 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5688 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5691 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5692 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5695 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5696 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5700 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5701 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5702 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5706 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5707 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5709 One more special mark, though:
5713 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5714 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5716 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5717 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5718 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5719 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5725 @subsection Other Marks
5726 @cindex process mark
5729 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5735 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5736 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5737 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5738 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5739 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5742 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5743 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5744 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5745 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5748 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5749 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5750 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5753 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5754 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5755 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5758 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5759 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5760 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5761 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5764 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5765 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5766 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5767 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5768 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5769 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5772 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5773 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5774 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5775 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5778 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5779 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, articles may be
5780 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5781 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5782 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5786 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5787 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might
5788 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5789 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5790 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5791 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5794 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5795 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5796 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5797 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5798 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5799 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5803 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5804 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5805 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5806 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5807 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5810 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5811 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5812 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5813 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5814 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5815 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5819 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5820 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5821 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5823 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5824 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5825 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5829 @subsection Setting Marks
5830 @cindex setting marks
5832 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5837 @kindex M c (Summary)
5838 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5839 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5840 @cindex mark as unread
5841 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5842 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5848 @kindex M t (Summary)
5849 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5850 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5851 @xref{Article Caching}.
5856 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5857 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5858 Mark the current article as dormant
5859 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5863 @kindex M d (Summary)
5865 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5866 Mark the current article as read
5867 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5871 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5872 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5873 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5878 @kindex M k (Summary)
5879 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5880 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5881 and then select the next unread article
5882 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5886 @kindex M K (Summary)
5887 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5888 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5889 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5890 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5893 @kindex M C (Summary)
5894 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5895 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5896 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5899 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5900 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5901 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5902 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5905 @kindex M H (Summary)
5906 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5907 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5908 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5911 @kindex M h (Summary)
5912 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5913 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5914 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5917 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5918 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5919 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5920 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5923 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5924 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5925 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5926 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5930 @kindex M e (Summary)
5932 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5933 Mark the current article as expirable
5934 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5937 @kindex M b (Summary)
5938 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5939 Set a bookmark in the current article
5940 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5943 @kindex M B (Summary)
5944 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5945 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5946 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5949 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5950 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5951 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5952 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5955 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5956 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5957 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5958 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5961 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5962 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5963 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5964 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5965 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5968 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5969 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5970 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5971 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5972 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5973 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5974 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5975 The default is @code{t}.
5978 @node Generic Marking Commands
5979 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5981 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5982 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5983 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5984 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5985 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5988 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5989 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5992 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5993 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5994 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5995 to list in this manual.
5997 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5998 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5999 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6000 article, you could say something like:
6003 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6004 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6005 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6011 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6012 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6016 @node Setting Process Marks
6017 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6018 @cindex setting process marks
6020 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6021 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6022 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6023 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6024 commands into the cache. For more information,
6025 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6032 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6033 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6034 Mark the current article with the process mark
6035 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6036 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6040 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6041 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6042 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6043 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6046 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6047 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6048 Remove the process mark from all articles
6049 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6052 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6053 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6054 Invert the list of process marked articles
6055 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6058 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6059 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6060 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6061 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6064 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6065 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6066 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6067 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6070 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6071 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6072 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6076 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6077 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6080 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6081 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6082 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6083 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6086 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6087 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6088 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6089 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6092 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6093 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6094 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6095 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6098 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6099 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6100 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6103 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6104 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6105 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6106 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6109 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6110 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6111 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6114 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6115 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6116 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6117 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6120 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6121 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6122 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6123 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6126 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6127 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6128 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6129 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6132 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6133 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6134 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6135 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6139 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6140 set process marks based on article body contents.
6147 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6148 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6149 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6152 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6153 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6154 additional articles.
6160 @kindex / / (Summary)
6161 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6162 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6163 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6167 @kindex / a (Summary)
6168 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6169 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6170 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6174 @kindex / x (Summary)
6175 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6176 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6177 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6178 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6183 @kindex / u (Summary)
6185 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6186 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6187 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6188 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6189 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6192 @kindex / m (Summary)
6193 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6194 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6195 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6198 @kindex / t (Summary)
6199 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6200 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6201 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6202 articles younger than that number of days.
6205 @kindex / n (Summary)
6206 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6207 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6208 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6209 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6212 @kindex / w (Summary)
6213 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6214 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6215 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6219 @kindex / . (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6221 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6222 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6225 @kindex / v (Summary)
6226 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6227 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6228 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6231 @kindex / p (Summary)
6232 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6233 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6234 group parameter predicate
6235 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6236 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6240 @kindex M S (Summary)
6241 @kindex / E (Summary)
6242 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6243 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6244 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6247 @kindex / D (Summary)
6248 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6249 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6250 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6253 @kindex / * (Summary)
6254 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6255 Include all cached articles in the limit
6256 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6259 @kindex / d (Summary)
6260 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6261 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6262 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6265 @kindex / M (Summary)
6266 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6267 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6270 @kindex / T (Summary)
6271 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6272 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6275 @kindex / c (Summary)
6276 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6277 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6278 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6281 @kindex / C (Summary)
6282 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6283 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6284 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6285 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6288 @kindex / N (Summary)
6289 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6290 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6291 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6294 @kindex / o (Summary)
6295 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6296 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6297 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6305 @cindex article threading
6307 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6308 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6309 hierarchical fashion.
6311 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6312 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6313 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6314 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6315 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6316 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6317 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6319 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6323 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6326 A tree-like article structure.
6329 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6332 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6333 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6334 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6335 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6336 called loose threads.
6338 @item thread gathering
6339 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6341 @item sparse threads
6342 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6343 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6349 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6350 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6354 @node Customizing Threading
6355 @subsection Customizing Threading
6356 @cindex customizing threading
6359 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6360 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6361 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6362 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6367 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6370 @cindex loose threads
6373 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6374 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6375 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6376 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6377 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6378 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6380 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6381 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6382 There are four possible values:
6386 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6387 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6388 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6389 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6390 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6395 @cindex adopting articles
6400 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6401 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6402 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6403 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6406 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6407 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6408 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6409 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6410 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6411 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6412 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6413 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6414 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6415 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6418 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6419 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6420 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6424 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6425 display them after one another.
6428 Don't gather loose threads.
6431 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6432 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6433 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6434 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6435 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6436 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6437 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6438 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6439 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6440 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6441 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6443 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6444 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6445 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6448 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6449 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6450 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6451 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6452 simplification is used.
6454 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6455 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6456 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6457 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6459 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6461 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6467 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6468 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6469 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6470 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6475 (mapconcat 'identity
6476 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6478 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6481 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6484 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6485 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6486 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6487 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6488 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6489 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6491 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6494 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6495 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6496 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6498 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6499 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6502 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6503 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6504 Remove excessive whitespace.
6506 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6507 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6508 Remove all whitespace.
6511 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6514 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6515 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6516 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6517 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6518 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6519 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6520 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6521 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6523 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6524 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6525 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6526 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6527 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6528 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6529 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6530 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6531 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6535 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6536 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6537 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6538 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6540 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6541 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6542 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6545 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6549 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6550 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6556 @node Filling In Threads
6557 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6560 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6561 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6562 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6563 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6564 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6565 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6566 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6567 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6568 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6569 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6570 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6571 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6574 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6575 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6576 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6578 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6579 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6580 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6581 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6582 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6583 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6584 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6585 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6586 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6587 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6588 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6589 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6590 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6591 @code{nil} by default.
6593 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6594 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6595 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6596 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6597 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6598 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6599 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6601 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6602 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6603 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6608 @node More Threading
6609 @subsubsection More Threading
6612 @item gnus-show-threads
6613 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6614 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6615 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6616 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6617 slower and more awkward.
6619 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6620 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6621 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6624 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6625 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6626 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6631 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6632 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6633 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6636 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6637 unread, but you get my drift.)
6640 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6641 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6642 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6643 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6644 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6645 threads are expunged.
6647 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6648 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6649 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6652 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6653 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6654 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6655 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6656 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6657 result in a new thread.
6659 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6660 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6661 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6664 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6665 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6666 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6667 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6668 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6669 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6670 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6671 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6672 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6673 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6674 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6679 @node Low-Level Threading
6680 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6684 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6685 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6686 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6688 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6689 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6690 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6691 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6692 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6693 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6694 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6695 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6696 meaningful. Here's one example:
6699 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6701 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6702 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6704 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6706 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6713 @node Thread Commands
6714 @subsection Thread Commands
6715 @cindex thread commands
6721 @kindex T k (Summary)
6722 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6723 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6724 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6725 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6726 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6731 @kindex T l (Summary)
6732 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6733 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6734 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6735 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6738 @kindex T i (Summary)
6739 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6740 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6741 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6744 @kindex T # (Summary)
6745 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6746 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6747 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6750 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6751 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6752 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6753 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6756 @kindex T T (Summary)
6757 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6758 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6761 @kindex T s (Summary)
6762 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6763 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6764 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6767 @kindex T h (Summary)
6768 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6769 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6772 @kindex T S (Summary)
6773 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6774 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6777 @kindex T H (Summary)
6778 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6779 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6782 @kindex T t (Summary)
6783 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6784 Re-thread the current article's thread
6785 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6786 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6789 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6790 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6791 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6792 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6796 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6797 understand the numeric prefix.
6802 @kindex T n (Summary)
6804 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6806 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6807 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6808 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6811 @kindex T p (Summary)
6813 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6815 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6816 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6817 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6820 @kindex T d (Summary)
6821 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6822 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6825 @kindex T u (Summary)
6826 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6827 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6830 @kindex T o (Summary)
6831 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6832 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6835 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6836 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6837 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6838 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6839 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6840 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6841 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6842 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6843 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6844 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6845 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6846 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6850 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6851 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6853 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6854 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6855 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6856 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6857 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6858 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6859 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6860 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6861 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6862 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6863 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6864 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6865 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6867 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6868 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6869 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6870 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6871 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6872 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6873 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6874 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6876 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6877 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6878 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6880 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6881 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6882 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6883 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6884 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6885 ascending article order.
6887 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6888 by number, you could do something like:
6891 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6892 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6893 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6894 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6897 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6898 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6899 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6900 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6901 which the articles arrived.
6903 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6907 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6909 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6910 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6913 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6914 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6915 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6916 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6919 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6920 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6921 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6922 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6923 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6924 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6925 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6926 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6927 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6928 variable. It is very similar to the
6929 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6930 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6931 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6932 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6933 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6934 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6935 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6937 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6941 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6942 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6943 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6948 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6949 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6950 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6951 @cindex article pre-fetch
6954 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6955 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6956 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6957 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6958 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6960 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6961 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6963 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6964 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6965 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6966 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6967 connection is blocked.
6969 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6970 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6971 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6972 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6974 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6975 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6976 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6977 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6980 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
6983 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6984 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6985 happen automatically.
6987 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6988 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6989 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6990 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6991 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6992 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6993 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6995 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6996 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6997 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6998 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
6999 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7000 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7001 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7002 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7003 article data structure as the only parameter.
7005 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7006 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7009 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7010 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7011 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7012 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7015 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7018 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7019 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7020 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7022 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7023 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7024 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7025 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7029 Remove articles when they are read.
7032 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7035 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7037 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7038 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7039 @c from the next group.
7042 @node Article Caching
7043 @section Article Caching
7044 @cindex article caching
7047 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
7048 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7049 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7050 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7051 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7053 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7055 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7056 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7057 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7058 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7059 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7060 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7061 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7062 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7064 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7065 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7066 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7067 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7068 as dormant, and don't worry.
7070 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7072 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7073 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7074 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7075 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7076 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7077 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7078 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7079 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7080 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7081 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7083 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7084 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7085 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7086 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7087 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7088 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7089 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7090 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7091 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7092 not then be downloaded by this command.
7094 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7095 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7096 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7097 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7098 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7099 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7101 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7102 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7103 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7104 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7105 variables, the group is not cached.
7107 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7108 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7109 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7110 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7111 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7112 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7113 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7114 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7115 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7118 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7119 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7120 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7121 where, isn't that cool?
7123 @node Persistent Articles
7124 @section Persistent Articles
7125 @cindex persistent articles
7127 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7128 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7129 useful in my opinion.
7131 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7132 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7133 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7134 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7135 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7136 the expiry going on at the news server.
7138 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7139 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7140 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7146 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7147 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7150 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7151 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7152 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7153 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7157 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7159 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7160 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7161 interested in persistent articles:
7164 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7168 @node Article Backlog
7169 @section Article Backlog
7171 @cindex article backlog
7173 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7174 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7175 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7176 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7177 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7178 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7179 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7180 increase memory usage some.
7182 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7183 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7184 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7185 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7186 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7187 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7188 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7190 The default value is 20.
7193 @node Saving Articles
7194 @section Saving Articles
7195 @cindex saving articles
7197 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7198 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7199 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7200 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7201 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7203 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7204 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7205 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7207 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7208 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7209 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7211 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7212 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7213 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7214 deleted before saving.
7220 @kindex O o (Summary)
7222 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7223 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7224 Save the current article using the default article saver
7225 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7228 @kindex O m (Summary)
7229 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7230 Save the current article in mail format
7231 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7234 @kindex O r (Summary)
7235 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7236 Save the current article in rmail format
7237 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7240 @kindex O f (Summary)
7241 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7242 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7243 Save the current article in plain file format
7244 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7247 @kindex O F (Summary)
7248 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7249 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7250 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7253 @kindex O b (Summary)
7254 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7255 Save the current article body in plain file format
7256 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7259 @kindex O h (Summary)
7260 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7261 Save the current article in mh folder format
7262 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7265 @kindex O v (Summary)
7266 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7267 Save the current article in a VM folder
7268 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7272 @kindex O p (Summary)
7274 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7275 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7276 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7277 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7278 complete headers in the piped output.
7281 @kindex O P (Summary)
7282 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7283 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7284 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7285 external program Muttprint (see
7286 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7287 options to use is controlled by the variable
7288 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7292 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7293 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7294 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7295 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7296 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7297 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7298 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7299 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7300 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7301 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7302 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7303 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7307 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7308 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7309 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7310 functions below, or you can create your own.
7314 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7315 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7316 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7317 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7318 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7319 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7320 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7322 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7323 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7324 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7325 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7326 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7327 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7329 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7330 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7331 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7332 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7333 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7334 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7335 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7337 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7338 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7339 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7340 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7341 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7342 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7344 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7345 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7346 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7347 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7348 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7350 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7351 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7352 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7353 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7354 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7357 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7358 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7359 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7360 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7361 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7363 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7364 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7365 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7366 reader to use this setting.
7369 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7370 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7371 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7372 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7375 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7376 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7377 available functions that generate names:
7381 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7382 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7383 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7385 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7386 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7387 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7389 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7390 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7391 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7393 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7394 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7395 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7397 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7398 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7399 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7402 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7403 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7404 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7405 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7406 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7410 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7411 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7412 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7413 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7416 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7417 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7418 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7419 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7420 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7421 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7422 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7423 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7424 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7426 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7427 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7428 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7429 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7431 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7432 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7433 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7436 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7437 lots of mail groups called things like
7438 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7439 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7440 following will do just that:
7443 (defun my-save-name (group)
7444 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7445 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7447 (setq gnus-split-methods
7448 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7453 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7454 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7455 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7456 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7457 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7458 all the files in the top level directory
7459 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7460 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7461 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7462 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7464 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7465 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7466 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7467 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7468 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7471 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7475 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7476 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7477 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7480 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7481 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7482 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7483 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7486 @node Decoding Articles
7487 @section Decoding Articles
7488 @cindex decoding articles
7490 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7491 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7494 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7495 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7496 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7497 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7498 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7499 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7503 @cindex article series
7504 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7505 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7506 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7507 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7508 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7510 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7511 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7512 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7514 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7515 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7516 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7518 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7519 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7520 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7523 @node Uuencoded Articles
7524 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7526 @cindex uuencoded articles
7531 @kindex X u (Summary)
7532 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7533 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7534 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7537 @kindex X U (Summary)
7538 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7539 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7540 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7543 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7544 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7545 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7548 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7549 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7550 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7551 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7555 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7556 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7557 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7558 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7559 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7561 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7562 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7563 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7564 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7567 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7568 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7569 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7570 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7571 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7572 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7576 @node Shell Archives
7577 @subsection Shell Archives
7579 @cindex shell archives
7580 @cindex shared articles
7582 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7583 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7584 some commands to deal with these:
7589 @kindex X s (Summary)
7590 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7591 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7594 @kindex X S (Summary)
7595 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7596 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7599 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7600 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7601 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7604 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7605 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7606 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7607 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7611 @node PostScript Files
7612 @subsection PostScript Files
7618 @kindex X p (Summary)
7619 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7620 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7623 @kindex X P (Summary)
7624 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7625 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7626 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7629 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7630 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7631 View the current PostScript series
7632 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7635 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7636 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7637 View and save the current PostScript series
7638 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7643 @subsection Other Files
7647 @kindex X o (Summary)
7648 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7649 Save the current series
7650 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7653 @kindex X b (Summary)
7654 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7655 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7656 doesn't really work yet.
7660 @node Decoding Variables
7661 @subsection Decoding Variables
7663 Adjective, not verb.
7666 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7667 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7668 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7672 @node Rule Variables
7673 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7674 @cindex rule variables
7676 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7677 variables are of the form
7680 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7687 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7688 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7690 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7691 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7694 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7695 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7698 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7699 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7700 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7701 user and default view rules.
7703 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7704 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7705 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7710 @node Other Decode Variables
7711 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7714 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7716 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7717 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7718 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7719 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7720 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7724 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7725 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7728 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7729 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7730 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7733 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7734 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7735 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7736 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7737 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7740 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7741 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7742 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7744 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7745 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7746 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7747 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7748 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7751 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7752 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7753 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7755 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7756 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7757 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7758 looking for files to display.
7760 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7761 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7762 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7765 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7766 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7767 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7770 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7771 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7772 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7775 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7776 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7777 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7780 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7781 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7782 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7783 decoded articles as unread.
7785 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7786 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7787 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7788 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7790 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7791 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7792 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7794 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7795 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7797 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7798 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7799 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7800 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7802 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7803 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7804 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7805 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7806 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7807 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7808 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7809 simply dropped them.
7814 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7815 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7819 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7820 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7821 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7822 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7823 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7824 for you when you post the article.
7826 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7827 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7828 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7829 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7831 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7832 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7833 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7834 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7835 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7836 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7837 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7839 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7840 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7841 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7842 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7843 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7844 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7845 Default is @code{t}.
7851 @subsection Viewing Files
7852 @cindex viewing files
7853 @cindex pseudo-articles
7855 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7856 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7857 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7858 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7859 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7860 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7861 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7863 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7864 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7865 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7866 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7868 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7869 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7870 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7872 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7873 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7874 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7875 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7876 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7878 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7879 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7880 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7881 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7882 a list of parameters to that command.
7884 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7885 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7886 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7888 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7889 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7890 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7893 @node Article Treatment
7894 @section Article Treatment
7896 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7897 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7898 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7899 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7900 these articles easier.
7903 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7904 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7905 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7906 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7907 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7908 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7909 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
7910 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7911 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7912 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7913 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7917 @node Article Highlighting
7918 @subsection Article Highlighting
7919 @cindex highlighting
7921 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7922 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7927 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7928 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7929 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7930 Do much highlighting of the current article
7931 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7932 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7935 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7936 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7937 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7938 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7939 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7940 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7941 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7942 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7943 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7944 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7945 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7946 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7949 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7950 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7951 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7953 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7956 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7958 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7959 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7960 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7962 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7963 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7964 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7966 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7967 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7968 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7969 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7970 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7971 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7973 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7974 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7975 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7977 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7978 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7979 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7981 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7982 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7983 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7984 that it's a citation.
7986 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7987 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7988 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7990 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7991 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7992 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7994 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7995 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7996 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7997 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8003 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8004 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8005 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8006 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8007 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8008 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8009 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8010 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8015 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8018 @node Article Fontisizing
8019 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8021 @cindex article emphasis
8023 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8024 @kindex W e (Summary)
8025 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8026 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8027 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8028 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8030 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8031 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8032 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8033 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8034 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8035 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8036 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8037 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8041 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8042 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8043 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8052 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8053 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8054 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8055 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8056 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8057 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8058 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8059 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8060 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8061 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8062 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8063 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8064 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8066 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8067 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8068 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8072 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8075 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8077 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8078 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8079 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8080 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8082 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8085 @node Article Hiding
8086 @subsection Article Hiding
8087 @cindex article hiding
8089 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8090 too much cruft in most articles.
8095 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8096 @findex gnus-article-hide
8097 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8098 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8099 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8102 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8103 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8104 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8108 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8109 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8110 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8111 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8114 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8115 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8116 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8120 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8121 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8122 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8123 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8124 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8125 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8126 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8127 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8131 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8132 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8133 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8134 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8139 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8140 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8141 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8142 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8145 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8146 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8147 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8148 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8151 @cindex stripping advertisements
8152 @cindex advertisements
8153 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8154 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8155 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8156 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8157 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8158 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8159 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8160 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8161 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8162 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8165 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8166 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8167 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8171 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8172 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8173 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8174 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8175 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8176 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8177 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8178 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8179 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8180 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8181 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8184 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8190 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8191 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8192 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8193 customizing the hiding:
8197 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8198 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8199 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8200 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8201 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8202 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8203 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8208 Starting point of the hidden text.
8210 Ending point of the hidden text.
8212 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8214 Number of lines of hidden text.
8217 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8218 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8219 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8220 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8221 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8226 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8227 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8229 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8230 following two variables:
8233 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8234 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8235 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8236 50), hide the cited text.
8238 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8239 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8240 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8245 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8246 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8247 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8248 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8249 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8250 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8254 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8255 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8256 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8258 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8259 citation customization.
8261 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8265 @node Article Washing
8266 @subsection Article Washing
8268 @cindex article washing
8270 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8271 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8273 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8274 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8277 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8278 articles by default.
8283 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8284 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8288 Force redisplaying of the current article
8289 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8290 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8291 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8292 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8295 @kindex W l (Summary)
8296 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8297 Remove page breaks from the current article
8298 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8302 @kindex W r (Summary)
8303 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8304 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8305 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8306 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8307 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8308 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8310 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8311 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8312 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8313 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8316 @kindex W m (Summary)
8317 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8318 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8322 @kindex W t (Summary)
8324 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8325 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8326 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8329 @kindex W v (Summary)
8330 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8331 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8332 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8335 @kindex W o (Summary)
8336 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8337 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8340 @kindex W d (Summary)
8341 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8342 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8344 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8346 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8347 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8348 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8349 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8352 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8353 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8354 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8355 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8358 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8359 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8360 @cindex Outlook Express
8361 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8362 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8363 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8366 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8367 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8368 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8369 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8370 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8371 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8372 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8373 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the miminum and
8374 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8375 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8378 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8379 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8380 Repair a broken attribution line.
8381 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8384 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8385 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8386 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8387 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8390 @kindex W w (Summary)
8391 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8392 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8394 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8398 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8399 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8400 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8403 @kindex W C (Summary)
8404 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8405 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8406 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8409 @kindex W c (Summary)
8410 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8411 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8412 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8413 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8414 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8417 @kindex W q (Summary)
8418 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8419 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8420 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8421 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8422 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8423 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8424 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8425 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8426 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8429 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8430 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8431 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8432 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8433 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8434 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8435 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8437 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8440 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8441 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8442 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8443 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8444 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8447 @kindex W u (Summary)
8448 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8449 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8450 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8451 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8452 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8455 @kindex W h (Summary)
8456 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8457 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8458 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8459 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8461 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8463 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8464 The default is to use the function specified by
8465 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8466 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8467 @sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
8468 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8476 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8480 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8483 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8486 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8491 @kindex W b (Summary)
8492 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8493 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8494 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8497 @kindex W B (Summary)
8498 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8499 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8500 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8503 @kindex W p (Summary)
8504 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8505 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8506 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8507 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8508 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8509 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8510 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8513 @kindex W s (Summary)
8514 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8515 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8516 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8519 @kindex W a (Summary)
8520 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8521 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8522 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8525 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8526 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8527 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8528 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8531 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8532 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8533 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8534 lines with a single empty line.
8535 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8538 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8539 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8540 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8541 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8544 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8545 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8546 Do all the three commands above
8547 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8550 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8551 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8552 Remove all blank lines
8553 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8556 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8557 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8558 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8559 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8562 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8563 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8564 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8565 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8569 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8572 @node Article Header
8573 @subsection Article Header
8575 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8580 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8581 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8582 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8585 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8586 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8587 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8588 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8591 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8592 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8593 Fold all the message headers
8594 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8598 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8599 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8600 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8605 @node Article Buttons
8606 @subsection Article Buttons
8609 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8610 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8611 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8612 button on these references.
8614 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8615 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8616 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8617 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8618 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8622 @item gnus-button-alist
8623 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8624 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8627 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8633 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8634 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8635 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8636 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8637 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8640 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8641 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8642 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8645 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8646 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8647 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8648 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8649 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8651 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8654 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8657 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8658 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8662 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8665 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8668 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8669 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8670 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8671 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8672 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8675 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8678 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8680 @subsubheading Related variables and functions
8682 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8683 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8685 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8687 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8688 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8689 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8690 default values of the variables above.
8692 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8694 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8695 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8696 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8697 argument with a string naming the man page.
8699 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8701 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8702 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8703 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8705 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8706 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8707 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8708 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8709 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8710 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8711 a mail address, respectivly. If this variable is set to the symbol
8712 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8713 function will be called with the string as it's only argument. The
8714 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8715 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8716 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8718 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8719 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8720 Function that guesses whether it's argument is a message ID or a mail
8721 address. Returns @code{mid} it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if it's a
8722 mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the string is
8725 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8726 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8727 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8728 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8730 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8732 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8733 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8734 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8735 argument, the string naming the URL.
8738 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8739 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8740 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8744 @item gnus-article-button-face
8745 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8746 Face used on buttons.
8748 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8749 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8750 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8754 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8757 @node Article Button Levels
8758 @subsection Article button levels
8759 @cindex button levels
8760 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8761 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8762 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8763 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8764 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8765 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8766 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8767 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8770 ;; increase `gnus-button-*-level' in some groups:
8771 (setq gnus-parameters
8772 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8773 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8774 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8779 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8780 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8781 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8782 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8783 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8784 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8786 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8787 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8788 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8789 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8790 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8791 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8792 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8793 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8794 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8795 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8796 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8797 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8798 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8800 @item gnus-button-man-level
8801 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8802 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8803 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8805 @item gnus-button-message-level
8806 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8807 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8808 Related variables and functions include
8809 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8810 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8811 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8812 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8814 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8815 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8816 Controls the display of references to TeX or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8817 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8818 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler} and
8819 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8825 @subsection Article Date
8827 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8828 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8829 when the article was sent.
8834 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8835 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8836 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8837 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8840 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8841 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8843 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8844 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8847 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8848 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8849 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8852 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8853 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8854 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8855 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8858 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8859 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8860 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8861 @findex format-time-string
8862 Display the date using a user-defined format
8863 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8864 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8865 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8866 for a list of possible format specs.
8869 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8870 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8871 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8872 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8873 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8874 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8877 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8880 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8881 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8882 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8885 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8886 into wonderful absurdities.
8888 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8891 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8894 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8895 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8899 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8900 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8901 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8902 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8903 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8904 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8905 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8909 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8910 preferred format automatically.
8913 @node Article Display
8914 @subsection Article Display
8919 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8920 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8922 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8923 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8925 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8926 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8928 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8929 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8931 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8936 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8937 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8938 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8939 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8942 @kindex W D d (Summary)
8943 @findex gnus-article-display-face
8944 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
8945 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
8948 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8949 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8950 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8953 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8954 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8955 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8958 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8959 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8960 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8961 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8964 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8965 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8966 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8967 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8970 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8971 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8972 Remove all images from the article buffer
8973 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8979 @node Article Signature
8980 @subsection Article Signature
8982 @cindex article signature
8984 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8985 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8986 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8987 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8988 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8989 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8990 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8991 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8992 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8995 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8996 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8997 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8998 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8999 ; line of dashes. Shame!
9000 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
9001 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
9002 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
9005 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9008 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9009 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9010 signature when displaying articles.
9014 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9017 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9020 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9021 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9023 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9024 in question is not a signature.
9027 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9028 listed above. Here's an example:
9031 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9032 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9035 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9036 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9037 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9038 signature after all.
9041 @node Article Miscellania
9042 @subsection Article Miscellania
9046 @kindex A t (Summary)
9047 @findex gnus-article-babel
9048 Translate the article from one language to another
9049 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9055 @section MIME Commands
9056 @cindex MIME decoding
9058 @cindex viewing attachments
9060 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9061 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
9067 @kindex K v (Summary)
9068 View the @sc{mime} part.
9071 @kindex K o (Summary)
9072 Save the @sc{mime} part.
9075 @kindex K c (Summary)
9076 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
9079 @kindex K e (Summary)
9080 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
9083 @kindex K i (Summary)
9084 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
9087 @kindex K | (Summary)
9088 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
9091 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9096 @kindex K b (Summary)
9097 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9098 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9102 @kindex K m (Summary)
9103 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9104 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9105 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9106 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9107 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9110 @kindex X m (Summary)
9111 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9112 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
9113 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9114 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9117 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9118 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9119 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9120 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9123 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9124 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9125 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9126 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9129 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9130 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9131 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9132 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9134 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9135 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9136 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9137 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9138 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9139 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9142 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9143 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9144 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
9145 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9152 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9153 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9154 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9155 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9158 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9161 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9165 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9166 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9167 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't required the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9168 before interpreting the message as a @sc{mime} message. This helps
9169 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9170 default is @code{nil}.
9172 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9173 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9174 There are other, non-@sc{mime} encoding methods used. The most common
9175 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9176 This variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9177 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9178 Gnus @sc{mime} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9180 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9181 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9182 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9183 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9184 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9185 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9186 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9187 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
9189 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9190 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9191 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9192 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9193 displayed. This variable overrides
9194 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9195 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9198 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9199 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9200 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9202 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9203 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9204 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
9205 value is @code{nil}.
9207 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9208 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9209 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
9210 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9211 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9212 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9213 save all jpegs into some directory).
9215 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9218 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9219 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9221 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9222 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9223 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9224 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9225 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9228 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9229 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9230 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9232 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9233 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9234 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
9235 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9237 Ready-made functions include@*
9238 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9239 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9240 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9241 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9242 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9243 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9244 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9245 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9246 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9247 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9248 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9249 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9251 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9252 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9254 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9255 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9256 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9259 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9260 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9261 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9262 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9266 to your @file{.gnus.el} file.
9275 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9276 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9277 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9278 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9279 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9280 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9281 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9283 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9284 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9285 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9286 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9288 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9289 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9290 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9291 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9292 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9293 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9294 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9295 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9296 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9298 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9299 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9300 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9301 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9302 quoted-printable header encoding.
9304 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9305 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9306 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9310 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9313 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9314 means encode all charsets),
9316 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9317 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9318 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9325 @cindex coding system aliases
9326 @cindex preferred charset
9328 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9330 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9331 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9334 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9335 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9338 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9339 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9341 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9344 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9347 This will almost do the right thing.
9349 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9353 (codepage-setup 1251)
9354 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9358 @node Article Commands
9359 @section Article Commands
9366 @kindex A P (Summary)
9367 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9368 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9369 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9370 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9371 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9372 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9377 @node Summary Sorting
9378 @section Summary Sorting
9379 @cindex summary sorting
9381 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9382 can't really see why you'd want that.
9387 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9388 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9389 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9392 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9393 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9394 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9397 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9398 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9399 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9402 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9403 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9404 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9407 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9408 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9409 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9412 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9413 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9414 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9417 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9418 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9419 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9422 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9423 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9424 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9427 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9428 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9429 Sort using the default sorting method
9430 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9433 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9434 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9435 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9436 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9437 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9441 @node Finding the Parent
9442 @section Finding the Parent
9443 @cindex parent articles
9444 @cindex referring articles
9449 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9450 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9451 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9452 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9453 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9454 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9455 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9456 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9457 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9459 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9460 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9461 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9462 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9463 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9467 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9468 @kindex A R (Summary)
9469 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9470 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9473 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9474 @kindex A T (Summary)
9475 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9476 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9477 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9478 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9479 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9480 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9481 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9483 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9484 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9485 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9486 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9487 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9488 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9491 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9492 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9494 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9495 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9496 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9497 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9498 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9499 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9500 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9503 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9504 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9505 by giving this command a prefix.
9507 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9508 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9509 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9510 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9511 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9512 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9515 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9516 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9517 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9520 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9521 then ask Google if that fails:
9524 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9526 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9529 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9530 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9531 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9532 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9533 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9534 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9535 support this at all.
9538 @node Alternative Approaches
9539 @section Alternative Approaches
9541 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9542 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9545 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9546 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9551 @subsection Pick and Read
9552 @cindex pick and read
9554 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9555 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9556 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9557 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9559 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9560 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9561 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9562 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9563 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9564 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9566 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9571 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9572 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9573 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9574 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9575 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9576 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9577 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9578 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9581 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9582 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9583 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9584 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9588 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9589 Unpick the thread or article
9590 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9591 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9592 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9593 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9594 the thread or article at that line.
9598 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9599 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9600 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9601 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9602 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9603 will still be visible when you are reading.
9607 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9608 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9609 which is mapped to the same function
9610 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9612 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9615 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9618 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9619 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9621 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9622 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9623 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9625 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9626 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9627 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9628 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9629 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9630 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9631 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9635 @subsection Binary Groups
9636 @cindex binary groups
9638 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9639 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9640 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9641 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9642 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9643 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9644 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9647 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9648 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9649 command, when you have turned on this mode
9650 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9652 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9653 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9657 @section Tree Display
9660 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9661 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9662 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9663 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9666 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9669 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9670 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9671 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9673 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9674 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9675 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9676 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9677 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9679 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9680 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9681 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9682 default is @code{modeline}.
9684 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9685 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9686 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9687 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9688 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9689 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9690 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9696 The name of the poster.
9698 The @code{From} header.
9700 The number of the article.
9702 The opening bracket.
9704 The closing bracket.
9709 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9711 Variables related to the display are:
9714 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9715 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9716 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9717 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9718 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9719 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9721 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9722 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9723 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9724 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9728 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9729 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9730 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9731 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9732 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9733 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9734 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9735 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9736 other windows displayed next to it.
9738 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9742 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9743 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9746 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9747 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9748 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9749 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9750 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9751 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9752 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9756 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9759 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9769 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9773 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9774 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9776 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9778 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9783 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9784 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9785 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9788 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9789 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9790 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9791 (gnus-add-configuration
9795 (summary 0.75 point)
9800 @xref{Window Layout}.
9803 @node Mail Group Commands
9804 @section Mail Group Commands
9805 @cindex mail group commands
9807 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9808 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9810 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9811 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9816 @kindex B e (Summary)
9817 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9818 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9819 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9820 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9821 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9824 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9825 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9826 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9827 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9828 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9829 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9832 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9833 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9834 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9835 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9836 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9837 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9840 @kindex B m (Summary)
9842 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9843 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9844 Move the article from one mail group to another
9845 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9846 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9849 @kindex B c (Summary)
9851 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9852 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9853 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9854 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9855 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9858 @kindex B B (Summary)
9859 @cindex crosspost mail
9860 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9861 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9862 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9863 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9864 be properly updated.
9867 @kindex B i (Summary)
9868 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9869 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9870 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9871 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9874 @kindex B I (Summary)
9875 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9876 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9877 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9878 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9881 @kindex B r (Summary)
9882 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9883 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9884 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9885 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9886 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9887 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9888 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9889 (which is the default).
9893 @kindex B w (Summary)
9895 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9896 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9897 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9898 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9899 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9900 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9901 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9904 @kindex B q (Summary)
9905 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9906 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9907 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9908 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9911 @kindex B t (Summary)
9912 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9913 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9914 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9917 @kindex B p (Summary)
9918 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9919 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
9920 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9921 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9922 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9923 article from your news server (or rather, from
9924 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9925 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9926 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9927 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9928 just not have arrived yet.
9931 @kindex K E (Summary)
9932 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9933 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9934 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9935 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9936 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9940 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9941 @cindex moving articles
9942 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9943 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9944 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9945 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9946 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9947 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9948 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9951 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9952 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9953 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9954 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9958 @node Various Summary Stuff
9959 @section Various Summary Stuff
9962 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9963 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9964 * Summary Generation Commands::
9965 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9969 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
9970 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
9971 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
9972 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
9973 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
9974 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
9976 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9977 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9978 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9980 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9981 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9982 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9983 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9984 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9985 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9988 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9989 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9990 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9991 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9992 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9994 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9995 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9996 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9999 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10000 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10001 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10002 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10003 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10004 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10005 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10006 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10007 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10008 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10010 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10011 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10012 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10013 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10014 list of articles to be selected.
10016 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10017 the list in one particular group:
10020 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10021 (if (string= group "some.group")
10022 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10026 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10027 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10028 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10029 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
10030 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
10031 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10032 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10033 buffers. For example:
10036 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10037 '(message-use-followup-to
10038 (gnus-visible-headers .
10039 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10045 @node Summary Group Information
10046 @subsection Summary Group Information
10051 @kindex H f (Summary)
10052 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10053 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10054 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
10055 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
10056 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
10057 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
10058 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
10059 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
10060 be used for fetching the file.
10063 @kindex H d (Summary)
10064 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10065 Give a brief description of the current group
10066 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10067 rereading the description from the server.
10070 @kindex H h (Summary)
10071 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10072 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10073 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10076 @kindex H i (Summary)
10077 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10078 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10082 @node Searching for Articles
10083 @subsection Searching for Articles
10088 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10089 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10090 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10091 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10094 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10095 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10096 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10097 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10100 @kindex & (Summary)
10101 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10102 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10103 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10104 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10105 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10106 search backward instead.
10108 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
10109 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10112 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10113 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10114 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10115 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10118 @node Summary Generation Commands
10119 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10124 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10125 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10126 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10129 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10130 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10131 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10132 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10135 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10136 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10137 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10138 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10143 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10144 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10150 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10151 @kindex A D (Summary)
10152 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10153 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10154 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10155 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10156 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10157 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10158 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10159 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10163 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10164 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10165 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10166 several documents into one biiig group
10167 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10168 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10169 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10170 command understands the process/prefix convention
10171 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10174 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10175 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10176 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10177 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10178 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10179 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10182 @kindex = (Summary)
10183 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10184 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10185 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10188 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10189 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10190 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10191 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10194 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10195 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10196 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10197 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10202 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10203 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10204 @cindex summary exit
10205 @cindex exiting groups
10207 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10208 group and return you to the group buffer.
10214 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10215 @kindex q (Summary)
10216 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10217 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10218 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10219 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10220 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10221 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10222 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10223 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10224 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10225 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10226 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10227 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10231 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10232 @kindex Q (Summary)
10233 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10234 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10235 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10239 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10240 @kindex c (Summary)
10241 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10242 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10243 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10244 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10247 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10248 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10249 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10250 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10253 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10254 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10255 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10256 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10259 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10260 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10261 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10262 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10263 all articles, both read and unread.
10267 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10268 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10269 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10270 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10271 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10272 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10273 articles, both read and unread.
10276 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10277 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10278 Exit the group and go to the next group
10279 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10282 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10283 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10284 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10285 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10288 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10289 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10290 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10291 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10292 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10293 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10296 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10297 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10298 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10299 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10301 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10302 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10303 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10304 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10305 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10306 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10307 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10308 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10309 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10310 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10311 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10312 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10314 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10316 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10317 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10318 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10319 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10320 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10321 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10322 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10323 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10324 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10327 @node Crosspost Handling
10328 @section Crosspost Handling
10332 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10333 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10334 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10335 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10336 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10337 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10340 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10341 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10342 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10343 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10344 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10346 @cindex cross-posting
10349 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10350 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10351 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10352 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10353 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10354 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10355 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10356 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10357 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10358 the cross reference mechanism.
10360 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10361 @cindex overview.fmt
10362 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10363 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10364 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10365 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10366 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10367 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10370 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10371 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10372 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10377 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10380 @node Duplicate Suppression
10381 @section Duplicate Suppression
10383 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10384 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10385 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10386 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10391 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10392 is evil and not very common.
10395 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10396 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10399 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10400 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10403 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10406 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10407 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10409 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10410 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10411 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10412 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10413 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10414 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10415 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10418 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10419 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10420 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10421 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10422 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10423 saw the article in.
10426 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10427 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10428 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10430 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10431 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10432 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10433 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10434 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10435 session are suppressed.
10437 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10438 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10439 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10440 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10442 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10443 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10444 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10445 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10448 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10449 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10450 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10451 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10452 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10453 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10454 to you to figure out, I think.
10459 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10460 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10461 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10465 To handle PGP and PGP/MIME messages, you have to install an OpenPGP
10466 implementation such as GnuPG. The lisp interface to GnuPG included
10467 with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG Manual}), but
10468 Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10471 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10472 or newer is recommended.
10476 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10477 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10480 @item mm-verify-option
10481 @vindex mm-verify-option
10482 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10483 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10484 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10486 @item mm-decrypt-option
10487 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10488 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10489 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10490 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10493 @vindex mml1991-use
10494 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for PGP
10495 messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt} and
10496 @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10499 @vindex mml2015-use
10500 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10501 PGP/MIME messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt}
10502 and @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10507 @section Mailing List
10509 @kindex A M (summary)
10510 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10511 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10512 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10513 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10516 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10521 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10522 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10523 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10526 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10527 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10528 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10531 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10532 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10533 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10537 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10538 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10539 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10542 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10543 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10544 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10547 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10548 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10549 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10553 @node Article Buffer
10554 @chapter Article Buffer
10555 @cindex article buffer
10557 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10558 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10559 tell Gnus otherwise.
10562 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10563 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10564 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10565 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10566 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10570 @node Hiding Headers
10571 @section Hiding Headers
10572 @cindex hiding headers
10573 @cindex deleting headers
10575 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10576 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10578 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10579 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10580 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10581 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10582 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10583 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10584 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10585 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10586 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10588 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10592 @item gnus-visible-headers
10593 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10594 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10595 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10596 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10598 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10599 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10602 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10605 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10608 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10609 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10610 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10611 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10612 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10613 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10615 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10616 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10619 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10622 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10625 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10626 variable will have no effect.
10630 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10631 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10632 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10633 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10634 the headers are to be displayed.
10636 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10637 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10640 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10643 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10644 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10646 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10647 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10648 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10649 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10650 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10651 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10652 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10655 These conditions are:
10658 Remove all empty headers.
10660 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10661 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10663 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10664 @code{From} header.
10666 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10669 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10670 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10672 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10673 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10675 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10676 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10678 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10681 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10683 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10686 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10689 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10690 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10693 This is also the default value for this variable.
10697 @section Using MIME
10700 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10701 while people stand around yawning.
10703 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10704 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10706 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10707 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10708 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10710 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10711 @findex gnus-display-mime
10712 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10713 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10714 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10715 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10717 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10721 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10722 @item RET (Article)
10723 @kindex RET (Article)
10724 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10725 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10726 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10727 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10728 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10729 object is displayed inline.
10731 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10732 @item M-RET (Article)
10733 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10735 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10736 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10738 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10740 @kindex t (Article)
10741 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10742 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10744 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10746 @kindex C (Article)
10747 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10748 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10750 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10752 @kindex o (Article)
10753 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10754 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10756 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10757 @item C-o (Article)
10758 @kindex C-o (Article)
10759 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10760 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10761 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10762 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10763 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10764 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10766 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
10768 @kindex d (Article)
10769 Delete the @sc{mime} object from the article and replace it with some
10770 information about the removed @sc{mime} object
10771 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
10773 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10775 @kindex c (Article)
10776 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10777 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
10778 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
10779 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
10780 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
10782 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10784 @kindex p (Article)
10785 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10786 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10787 @file{.mailcap} file.
10789 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10791 @kindex i (Article)
10792 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10793 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10794 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10795 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10796 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10799 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10801 @kindex E (Article)
10802 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10803 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10804 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10806 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10808 @kindex e (Article)
10809 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10810 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10812 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10814 @kindex | (Article)
10815 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10817 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10819 @kindex . (Article)
10820 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10821 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10825 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10826 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10829 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10830 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10831 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10832 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10833 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10834 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10835 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10836 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10837 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10839 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10841 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10844 @node Customizing Articles
10845 @section Customizing Articles
10846 @cindex article customization
10848 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10849 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10850 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10851 called automatically when you select the articles.
10853 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10854 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10855 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10856 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10858 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10859 for sensible values.
10863 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10866 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10869 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10872 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10875 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10879 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10880 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10881 regexps in the list.
10884 A list where the first element is not a string:
10886 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10887 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10888 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10892 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10897 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10898 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10899 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10900 considered to contain just a single part.
10902 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10903 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10904 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10905 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10906 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10907 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10908 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10910 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10911 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10912 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10913 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10916 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10917 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10919 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10921 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10922 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10923 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10924 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10925 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10926 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10927 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10928 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10929 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10930 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10932 @xref{Article Washing}.
10934 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10935 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10936 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10937 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10938 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10939 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10940 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10942 @xref{Article Date}.
10944 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10945 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10946 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10950 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10952 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10954 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10955 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10956 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10960 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10964 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10965 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10966 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10967 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10968 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10969 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10970 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10971 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10972 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
10973 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
10975 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10977 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10978 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10979 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10981 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10983 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10984 @item gnus-treat-translate
10985 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10987 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10988 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10989 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10990 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10992 @xref{Article Header}.
10997 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10998 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10999 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11000 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11001 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11005 @node Article Keymap
11006 @section Article Keymap
11008 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11009 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11010 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11011 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11014 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11019 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11020 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11021 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11022 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11025 @kindex DEL (Article)
11026 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11027 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11028 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11031 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11032 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11033 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11034 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11035 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11038 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11039 @findex gnus-article-mail
11040 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11041 given a prefix, include the mail.
11044 @kindex s (Article)
11045 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11046 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11047 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11050 @kindex ? (Article)
11051 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11052 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11053 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11056 @kindex TAB (Article)
11057 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11058 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11059 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11062 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11063 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11064 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11067 @kindex R (Article)
11068 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11069 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11070 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11071 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11075 @kindex F (Article)
11076 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11077 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11078 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11079 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11087 @section Misc Article
11091 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11092 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11093 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11094 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11097 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11098 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11100 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
11101 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11103 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11104 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11105 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11106 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11107 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11108 the contents of the article buffer.
11110 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11111 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11112 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11114 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11115 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11116 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11117 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11119 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11120 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11121 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11122 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
11123 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11129 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11130 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11131 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11136 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11139 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11142 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11143 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11144 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11147 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11150 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11153 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11158 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
11162 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11164 @item gnus-break-pages
11165 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11166 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11167 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11168 paging will not be done.
11170 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11171 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11172 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11176 @cindex internationalized domain names
11177 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11178 @item gnus-use-idna
11179 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11180 internationalized domain names inside @sc{From:}, @sc{To:} and
11181 @sc{Cc:} headers. This requires GNU Libidn
11182 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}, and this variable is only
11183 enabled if you have installed it.
11188 @node Composing Messages
11189 @chapter Composing Messages
11190 @cindex composing messages
11193 @cindex sending mail
11198 @cindex using s/mime
11199 @cindex using smime
11201 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11202 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11203 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11204 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11205 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11206 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11209 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11210 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11211 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11212 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11213 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11214 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11215 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11216 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11219 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11220 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11226 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11229 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11230 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11231 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11232 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11233 @code{nil} include all headers.
11235 @item gnus-add-to-list
11236 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11237 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11238 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11240 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11241 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11242 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11243 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11244 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11245 confirmation is should be asked for.
11247 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11248 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11250 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11251 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11252 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11253 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11254 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11259 @node Posting Server
11260 @section Posting Server
11262 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11263 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11265 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11267 It can be quite complicated.
11269 @vindex gnus-post-method
11270 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11271 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11272 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11273 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11274 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11275 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11276 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11277 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11278 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11281 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11284 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11285 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11286 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11287 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11289 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11290 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11292 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11293 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11296 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11297 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11299 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11300 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11301 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11302 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11303 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
11304 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11305 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11306 package correctly. An example:
11309 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11310 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11313 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
11314 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
11315 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11317 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11318 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11319 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11321 @node Mail and Post
11322 @section Mail and Post
11324 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11328 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11329 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11330 @cindex mailing lists
11332 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11333 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11334 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11335 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11336 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11337 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11338 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11339 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11340 still a pain, though.
11342 @item gnus-user-agent
11343 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11346 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11347 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11348 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11349 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11350 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11351 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11352 use a valid format, see RFC 2616."
11356 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11357 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11358 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11361 @findex ispell-message
11363 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11366 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11367 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11370 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11374 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11375 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11377 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11380 Modify to suit your needs.
11383 @node Archived Messages
11384 @section Archived Messages
11385 @cindex archived messages
11386 @cindex sent messages
11388 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11389 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11390 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11391 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11394 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11395 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11398 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11399 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11400 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11403 (nnfolder "archive"
11404 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11405 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11406 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11407 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11410 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11411 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11412 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11413 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11416 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11417 '(nnfolder "archive"
11418 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11419 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11420 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11423 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11425 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11426 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11427 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11429 This variable can be used to do the following:
11434 Messages will be saved in that group.
11436 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11437 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11438 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11439 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11440 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11441 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11442 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11443 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11447 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11449 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11450 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11453 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11458 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11460 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11463 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11465 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11468 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11470 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11471 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11472 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11473 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11476 More complex stuff:
11478 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11479 '((if (message-news-p)
11484 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11485 messages in one file per month:
11488 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11489 '((if (message-news-p)
11491 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11494 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11495 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11497 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11498 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11499 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11500 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11501 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11502 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11503 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11504 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11505 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11506 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11508 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11509 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11510 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11511 this will disable archiving.
11514 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11515 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11516 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11517 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11518 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11521 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11522 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11523 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11526 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11527 but the latter is the preferred method.
11529 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11530 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11531 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11533 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11534 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11535 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11536 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11537 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11538 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11539 changed in the future.
11544 @node Posting Styles
11545 @section Posting Styles
11546 @cindex posting styles
11549 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11551 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11552 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11553 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11556 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11557 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11558 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11559 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11560 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11565 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11566 (organization "What me?"))
11568 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11569 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11570 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11573 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11574 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11575 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11576 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11577 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11578 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11579 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11580 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11582 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11583 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11584 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11585 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11586 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11587 @var{regexp} are strings. (There original article is the one you are
11588 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11589 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11590 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11591 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11592 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11593 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11594 said to @dfn{match}.
11596 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11597 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11598 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11599 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11600 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11601 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11602 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11603 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11604 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11605 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11608 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11609 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11610 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11611 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11612 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11613 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11614 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11615 references chars lines xref extra.
11617 @vindex message-reply-headers
11619 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11620 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11621 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11623 @findex message-mail-p
11624 @findex message-news-p
11626 So here's a new example:
11629 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11631 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11633 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11634 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11636 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11637 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11638 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11639 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11640 (signature my-news-signature))
11641 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11642 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11643 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11644 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11645 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11646 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11647 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11648 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11649 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11650 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11652 (From (save-excursion
11653 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11654 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11656 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11659 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11660 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11661 if you fill many roles.
11668 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11669 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11670 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11671 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11672 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11674 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11675 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11676 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11677 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11678 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11682 @vindex nndraft-directory
11683 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11684 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11685 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11686 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11687 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11688 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11690 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11691 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11692 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11693 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11694 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11695 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11696 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11697 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11698 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11700 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11701 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11702 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11703 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11704 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11705 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11706 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11707 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11708 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11709 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11710 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11711 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11712 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11713 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11715 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11716 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11717 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11719 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11720 @kindex D e (Draft)
11721 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11722 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11723 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11725 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11728 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11729 @kindex D s (Draft)
11730 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11731 @kindex D S (Draft)
11732 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11733 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11734 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11735 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11736 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11739 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11740 @kindex D t (Draft)
11741 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11742 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11743 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11746 @node Rejected Articles
11747 @section Rejected Articles
11748 @cindex rejected articles
11750 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11751 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11752 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11753 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11755 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11756 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11757 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11758 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11759 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11761 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11762 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11763 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11765 @node Signing and encrypting
11766 @section Signing and encrypting
11768 @cindex using s/mime
11769 @cindex using smime
11771 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11772 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11773 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11774 (@pxref{Security}).
11776 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11777 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11778 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11779 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11780 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11781 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11782 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11783 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11784 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11785 automatically encrypted messages.
11787 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11788 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11789 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11794 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11795 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11797 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11800 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11801 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11803 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11806 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11807 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11809 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11812 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11813 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11815 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11818 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11819 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11821 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11824 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11825 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11827 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11830 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11831 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11832 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11836 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11838 @node Select Methods
11839 @chapter Select Methods
11840 @cindex foreign groups
11841 @cindex select methods
11843 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11844 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11845 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11846 personal mail group.
11848 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11849 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11850 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11851 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11852 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11853 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11855 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11856 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11858 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11861 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11862 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11863 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11864 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11865 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11867 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11870 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11871 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11872 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11873 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11874 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11875 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11876 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11877 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11881 @node Server Buffer
11882 @section Server Buffer
11884 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11885 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11886 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11887 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11888 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11889 back end represents a virtual server.
11891 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11892 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11893 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11894 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11896 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11897 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11898 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11899 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11900 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11901 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11902 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11904 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11905 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11908 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11909 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11910 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11911 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11912 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11913 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11914 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11917 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11918 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11921 @node Server Buffer Format
11922 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11923 @cindex server buffer format
11925 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11926 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11927 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11928 variable, with some simple extensions:
11933 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11936 The name of this server.
11939 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11942 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11945 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11946 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11947 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11948 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11958 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11961 @node Server Commands
11962 @subsection Server Commands
11963 @cindex server commands
11969 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11970 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11974 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11975 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11978 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11979 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11980 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11984 @findex gnus-server-exit
11985 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11989 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11990 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11994 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11995 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11999 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12000 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12004 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12005 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12009 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12010 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12011 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12016 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12017 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12018 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12019 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12024 @node Example Methods
12025 @subsection Example Methods
12027 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12030 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12033 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12039 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12040 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12043 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12044 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12046 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12047 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12051 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12054 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12055 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12057 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12058 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12059 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12063 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12066 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12069 Here's the method for a public spool:
12073 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12074 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12080 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
12081 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12082 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
12083 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12084 should probably look something like this:
12088 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12089 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12090 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12091 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12094 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12095 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12096 configuration to the example above:
12099 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12102 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12104 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12105 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12106 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12110 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12111 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12112 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12113 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12116 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12117 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12118 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12119 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12122 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12123 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12125 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12126 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12128 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12129 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
12130 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12132 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
12134 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
12135 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12136 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12137 will contain the following:
12147 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
12148 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
12149 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12152 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12153 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12154 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12157 @node Server Variables
12158 @subsection Server Variables
12160 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12161 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12162 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12163 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12164 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12166 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12167 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12168 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12169 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12170 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12171 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12172 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12173 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12174 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12178 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12179 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12180 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12184 @node Servers and Methods
12185 @subsection Servers and Methods
12187 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12188 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12189 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12190 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12194 @node Unavailable Servers
12195 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12197 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12198 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12199 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12200 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12201 actually the case or not.
12203 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12204 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12205 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12206 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12207 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12208 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12209 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12210 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12212 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12213 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12215 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12216 with the following commands:
12222 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12223 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12224 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12228 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12229 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12230 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12234 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12235 Mark the current server as unreachable
12236 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12239 @kindex M-o (Server)
12240 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12241 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12242 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12245 @kindex M-c (Server)
12246 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12247 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12248 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12252 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12253 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12254 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12258 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12259 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12265 @section Getting News
12266 @cindex reading news
12267 @cindex news back ends
12269 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12270 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
12271 or it can read from a local spool.
12274 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
12275 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12283 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
12284 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
12285 server as the, uhm, address.
12287 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12288 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12289 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12290 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12292 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12293 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12294 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12296 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12301 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12302 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12303 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12305 @cindex authentification
12306 @cindex nntp authentification
12307 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12308 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12309 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12310 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
12311 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12312 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12313 present in this hook.
12315 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12316 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12317 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12318 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12319 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
12320 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12321 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12322 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12323 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12324 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12325 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12326 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12330 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12333 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12335 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12336 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12337 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12338 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12339 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12340 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12341 @samp{force} is explained below.
12345 Here's an example file:
12348 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12349 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12352 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12353 have to be first, for instance.
12355 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12356 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12357 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12358 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12359 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12360 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12361 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12363 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12364 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12370 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12371 previously mentioned.
12373 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12375 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12376 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12377 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12378 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12379 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12382 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12383 '(("innd" (ding))))
12386 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12388 The default value is
12391 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12392 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12393 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12396 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12397 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12399 @item nntp-maximum-request
12400 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12401 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12402 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12403 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12404 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12405 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12406 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12408 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12409 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12410 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12411 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12412 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12413 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12414 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12415 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12416 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12417 no timeouts are done.
12419 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12420 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12421 @c @cindex PPP connections
12422 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12423 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12424 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12425 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12426 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12427 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12428 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12429 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12430 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12431 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12433 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12434 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12435 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12436 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12437 @c described above.
12439 @item nntp-server-hook
12440 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12441 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12444 @item nntp-buggy-select
12445 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12446 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12448 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12449 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12450 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12451 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12454 @item nntp-xover-commands
12455 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12458 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12459 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12463 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12464 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12465 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12466 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12467 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12468 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12469 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12470 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12471 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12472 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12473 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12475 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12476 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12477 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12479 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12480 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12481 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12482 server closes connection.
12484 @item nntp-record-commands
12485 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12486 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12487 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12488 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12489 that doesn't seem to work.
12491 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12492 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12493 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12494 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12495 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12496 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12497 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12498 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12500 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12501 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12502 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12503 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12504 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12505 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12506 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12509 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12512 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12513 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12515 @item nntp-read-timeout
12516 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12517 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12518 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12519 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12520 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12526 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12527 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12528 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12532 @node Direct Functions
12533 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12534 @cindex direct connection functions
12536 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12537 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12538 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12539 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12542 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12543 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12544 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12547 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12548 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12549 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12550 this you must have GNUTLS installed (see
12551 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}). You then define a server
12555 ;; "nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12556 ;; however, gnutls-cli -p doesn't like named ports.
12558 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12559 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12560 (nntp-port-number )
12561 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12564 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12565 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12566 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
12567 you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12568 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}. You then
12569 define a server as follows:
12572 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12573 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports.
12575 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12576 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12577 (nntp-port-number 563)
12578 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12581 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12582 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12583 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12584 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12585 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12586 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12587 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12588 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12592 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12593 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12594 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12597 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12598 session, which is not a good idea.
12602 @node Indirect Functions
12603 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12604 @cindex indirect connection functions
12606 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12607 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12608 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12609 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12610 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12611 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12614 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12615 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12616 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12617 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12618 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12620 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12623 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12624 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12625 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12626 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12628 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12629 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12630 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12631 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12632 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12633 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12634 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12635 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12638 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12639 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12640 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12641 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12643 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12646 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12647 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12648 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12651 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12652 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12653 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12654 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12656 @item nntp-via-user-password
12657 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12658 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12660 @item nntp-via-envuser
12661 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12662 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12663 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12664 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12666 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12667 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12668 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12669 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12676 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12681 @item nntp-via-user-name
12682 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12683 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12685 @item nntp-via-address
12686 @vindex nntp-via-address
12687 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12692 @node Common Variables
12693 @subsubsection Common Variables
12695 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12696 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12701 @item nntp-pre-command
12702 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12703 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12704 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12705 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12706 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12709 @vindex nntp-address
12710 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12712 @item nntp-port-number
12713 @vindex nntp-port-number
12714 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is
12715 @samp{nntp}. If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{tls}/@sc{ssl}, you may
12716 want to use integer ports rather than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563}
12717 instead of @samp{snews} or @samp{nntps}), because external TLS/SSL
12718 tools may not work with named ports.
12720 @item nntp-end-of-line
12721 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12722 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12723 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12724 using a non native connection function.
12726 @item nntp-telnet-command
12727 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12728 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12729 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12730 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12732 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12733 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12734 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12741 @subsection News Spool
12745 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12746 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12747 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12750 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12751 anything else) as the address.
12753 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12754 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12755 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12756 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12760 @item nnspool-inews-program
12761 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12762 Program used to post an article.
12764 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12765 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12766 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12768 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12769 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12770 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12771 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12773 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12774 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12775 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12776 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12778 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12779 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12780 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12782 @item nnspool-active-file
12783 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12784 The name of the active file.
12786 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12787 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12788 The name of the group descriptions file.
12790 @item nnspool-history-file
12791 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12792 The name of the news history file.
12794 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12795 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12796 The name of the active date file.
12798 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12799 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12800 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12803 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12804 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12806 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12807 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12808 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12814 @section Getting Mail
12815 @cindex reading mail
12818 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12822 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12823 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12824 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12825 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12826 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12827 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12828 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12829 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12830 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12831 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12832 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12833 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12834 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12838 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12839 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12841 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12842 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12843 of a culture shock.
12845 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12846 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12848 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12849 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12850 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12851 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12853 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12855 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12856 deleted? How awful!
12858 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12859 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12860 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12861 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12864 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12865 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12866 they want to treat a message.
12868 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12869 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12870 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12871 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12872 archived somewhere else.
12874 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12875 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12876 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12877 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12878 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12880 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12881 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12882 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12884 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12885 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12888 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12889 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12890 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12891 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12892 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12894 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12895 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12896 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12897 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12898 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12899 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12903 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12904 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12906 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12907 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12908 and things will happen automatically.
12910 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
12911 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12914 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12917 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12918 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12919 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12920 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12921 like any other group.
12923 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12926 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12927 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12928 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12932 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12933 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12934 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12937 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12938 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12939 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12942 @node Splitting Mail
12943 @subsection Splitting Mail
12944 @cindex splitting mail
12945 @cindex mail splitting
12947 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12948 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12949 to be split into groups.
12952 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12953 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12954 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12955 ("mail.other" "")))
12958 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12959 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12960 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12961 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12962 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12963 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12964 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12967 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12970 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12971 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12972 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12973 mail belongs in that group.
12975 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12976 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
12977 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12978 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12979 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
12980 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
12982 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12983 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12984 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12985 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12986 thinks should carry this mail message.
12988 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12989 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12990 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12991 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12993 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12994 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12995 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12996 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12997 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
12999 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13002 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13003 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13004 links. If that's the case for you, set
13005 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13006 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13008 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13009 @kindex nnmail-split-history
13010 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13011 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13012 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13013 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13016 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13017 Header lines longer than the value of
13018 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13021 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13022 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13023 By default the splitting codes @sc{mime} decodes headers so you can match
13024 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
13025 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
13026 can be turned off completely by binding
13027 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
13028 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13030 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13031 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
13032 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
13033 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
13034 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13035 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
13036 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
13039 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13040 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13041 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13042 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13043 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13044 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13045 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13046 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13047 month's rent money.
13051 @subsection Mail Sources
13053 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
13054 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
13058 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13059 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13060 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13064 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13065 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13067 @cindex mail server
13070 @cindex mail source
13072 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13073 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13078 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13081 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13082 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13083 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13086 The following mail source types are available:
13090 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13096 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
13097 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13098 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13102 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13105 An example file mail source:
13108 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13111 Or using the default file name:
13117 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
13118 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
13119 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
13122 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13126 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13129 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13133 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13136 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13138 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13141 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13145 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13146 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
13147 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
13148 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
13149 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
13150 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
13151 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13152 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
13153 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
13154 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13156 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13157 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13158 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
13159 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13165 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13169 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13173 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13174 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13175 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13176 predicate are considered.
13180 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13184 An example directory mail source:
13187 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13192 Get mail from a POP server.
13198 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
13199 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13202 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
13203 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13204 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13205 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13206 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13209 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
13213 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
13217 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
13218 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13221 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13224 The valid format specifier characters are:
13228 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13229 included in this string.
13232 The name of the server.
13235 The port number of the server.
13238 The user name to use.
13241 The password to use.
13244 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13245 corresponding keywords.
13248 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13249 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13252 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13253 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13256 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
13257 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
13260 @item :authentication
13261 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13262 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13267 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13268 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13270 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
13271 default user name, and default fetcher:
13277 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13280 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13281 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13284 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13287 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13291 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13292 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13293 contains exactly one mail.
13299 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13300 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13303 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13304 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13306 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13307 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13308 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13311 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13312 from locking problems).
13316 Two example maildir mail sources:
13319 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13320 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13324 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13329 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
13330 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
13331 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
13332 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
13335 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, TLS/SSL and STARTTLS support you
13336 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13342 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
13343 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13346 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13347 @samp{993} for TLS/SSL connections.
13350 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13354 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13358 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13359 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13360 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13361 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13363 @item :authentication
13364 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13365 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13366 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13367 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13370 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13371 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13372 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13378 The valid format specifier characters are:
13382 The name of the server.
13385 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13388 The port number of the server.
13391 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13392 corresponding keywords.
13395 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13396 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13399 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13400 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13401 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13402 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13403 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13404 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13407 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13408 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13409 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13410 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13413 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13414 after finishing the fetch.
13418 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13421 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13423 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13427 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13428 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13429 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13431 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13432 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13434 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13440 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13441 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13444 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13448 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13452 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13453 folder after finishing the fetch.
13457 An example webmail source:
13460 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13462 :password "secret")
13467 @item Common Keywords
13468 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13474 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13475 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13479 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13484 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13485 useful when you use local mail and news.
13490 @subsubsection Function Interface
13492 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13493 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13494 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13495 consider the following mail-source setting:
13498 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13499 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13502 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13503 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13504 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13505 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13506 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13508 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13511 @node Mail Source Customization
13512 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13514 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13515 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13519 @item mail-source-crash-box
13520 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13521 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13522 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13524 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13525 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13526 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13527 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13528 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13529 (This will only happen, when reveiving new mail). You may also set
13530 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13531 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13533 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13534 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13535 If @code{non-nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13536 files. This variable only applies when
13537 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13539 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13540 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13541 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13543 @item mail-source-directory
13544 @vindex mail-source-directory
13545 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13546 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13547 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13550 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13551 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13552 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13553 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13554 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13555 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13557 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13558 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13559 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13561 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13562 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13563 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13564 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13569 @node Fetching Mail
13570 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13572 @vindex mail-sources
13573 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13574 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13575 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13576 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13578 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13579 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13582 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13583 mail server, you'd say something like:
13588 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13589 :password "secret")))
13592 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13596 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13597 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13600 :password "secret")))
13604 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13605 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13606 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13607 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13608 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13609 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13613 @node Mail Back End Variables
13614 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13616 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13620 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13621 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13622 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13623 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13625 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13626 @item nnmail-split-hook
13627 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13628 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13629 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13630 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13631 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13632 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13633 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13634 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13635 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13638 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13639 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13640 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13641 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13642 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13643 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13644 starting to handle the new mail) and
13645 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13646 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13647 default file modes the new mail files get:
13650 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13651 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13653 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13654 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13657 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13658 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13659 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13660 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13661 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13662 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13663 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13665 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13666 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13667 @findex delete-file
13668 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13670 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13671 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13672 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13673 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13674 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13676 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13677 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13678 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13679 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13680 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13682 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13683 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13684 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13689 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13690 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13691 @cindex mail splitting
13692 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13694 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13695 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13696 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13697 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13698 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13699 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13701 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13704 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13705 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13706 ;; from real errors.
13707 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13709 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13710 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13711 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13712 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13713 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13714 ;; Other mailing lists...
13715 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13716 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13717 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13718 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13719 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13720 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13721 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13722 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13724 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13725 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13729 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13730 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13731 the five possible split syntaxes:
13736 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13737 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13741 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13742 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13743 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13744 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13745 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13746 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13747 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13748 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13751 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13752 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13753 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13754 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13757 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13758 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13761 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13762 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13765 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13766 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13767 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13768 function should return a @var{split}.
13771 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13772 body of the messages:
13775 (defun split-on-body ()
13777 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13778 (goto-char (point-min))
13779 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13783 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13784 when the @code{:} function is run.
13787 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the
13788 first element is @code{!}, then @var{split} will be processed, and
13789 @var{func} will be called as a function with the result of @var{split}
13790 as argument. @var{func} should return a split.
13793 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13797 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13798 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13799 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13800 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13801 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13803 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13804 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13805 are expanded as specified by the variable
13806 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13807 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13810 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13811 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13812 when all this splitting is performed.
13814 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13815 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13816 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13819 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13822 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13823 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13825 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13826 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13827 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13828 groupings 1 through 9.
13830 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13831 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13832 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13833 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13834 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13835 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13836 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13837 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13838 it once per thread.
13840 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13841 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13842 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13845 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13846 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13848 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13849 ;; other splits go here
13853 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13854 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13855 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13856 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13857 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13858 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13859 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13860 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13861 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13862 unless the group name matches the regexp
13863 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13864 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13865 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13866 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13867 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13868 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13869 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13870 messages goes into the new group.
13872 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13873 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13874 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13875 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13876 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13880 @node Group Mail Splitting
13881 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13882 @cindex mail splitting
13883 @cindex group mail splitting
13885 @findex gnus-group-split
13886 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13887 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13888 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13889 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13890 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13891 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13892 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13893 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13895 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13896 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13897 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13898 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13900 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13901 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13902 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13903 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13904 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13905 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13906 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13908 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13909 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13910 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13911 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13912 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13913 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13914 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13916 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13917 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13918 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13919 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13920 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13921 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13922 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13923 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13924 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13925 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13926 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13927 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13928 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13930 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13935 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13936 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13938 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13939 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13940 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13941 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13943 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13946 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13947 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13948 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13951 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13952 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13953 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13957 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13958 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13959 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13963 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13966 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13967 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13968 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13969 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13970 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13971 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13972 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13973 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13974 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13976 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13977 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13978 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13979 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13980 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13981 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13982 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13983 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13984 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13986 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13987 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13988 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13989 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13990 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13991 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus.el}:
13994 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13997 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13998 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13999 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14000 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14001 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14004 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14005 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14006 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14007 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14009 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14010 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14011 @cindex incorporating old mail
14012 @cindex import old mail
14014 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14015 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14016 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14019 Doing so can be quite easy.
14021 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14022 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14023 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14024 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14025 your @code{nnml} groups.
14031 Go to the group buffer.
14034 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14035 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14038 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14041 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14042 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14045 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14046 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14049 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14050 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14051 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14052 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14053 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14055 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14056 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14057 using the new mail back end.
14060 @node Expiring Mail
14061 @subsection Expiring Mail
14062 @cindex article expiry
14064 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14065 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14066 different approach to mail reading.
14068 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14069 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14070 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14071 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14072 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14073 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14076 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14077 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
14078 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14079 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14080 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14081 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14082 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14083 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14084 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14086 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14087 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
14088 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14089 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
14090 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14091 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14092 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14095 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14096 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14097 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14098 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14099 into its own group.)
14101 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14102 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14103 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14104 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14105 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14106 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14107 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
14108 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14111 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14112 Groups that match the regular expression
14113 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14114 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14115 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14117 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14118 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14119 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14120 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14121 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14123 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14125 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14126 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14127 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14130 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14131 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14132 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14133 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14134 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14136 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14137 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14140 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14141 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14144 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14145 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14147 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14148 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14149 don't really mix very well.
14151 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14152 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14153 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14154 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14157 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14158 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14159 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14160 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14163 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14165 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14167 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14169 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14171 ((string= group "important")
14177 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14178 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14180 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14181 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14182 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14185 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14186 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14188 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14189 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14190 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14191 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14192 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14193 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14194 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14195 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14196 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14197 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14198 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14199 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
14200 name or @code{delete}.
14202 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14204 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14207 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14208 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14209 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14210 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14211 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14214 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14215 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14216 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14217 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14218 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14221 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14222 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14223 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14224 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14225 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14226 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14228 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14229 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14230 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14231 easier for procmail users.
14233 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14234 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14235 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14236 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14237 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14238 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14239 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14240 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14241 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14242 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14243 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14244 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14245 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14248 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14250 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14251 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14252 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14253 auto-expire turned on.
14257 @subsection Washing Mail
14258 @cindex mail washing
14259 @cindex list server brain damage
14260 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14262 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14263 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14264 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14265 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14266 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14267 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14269 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14270 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14271 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14274 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14275 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14276 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14277 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14280 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14281 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14282 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14283 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14284 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14287 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14288 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14289 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14290 Emacs running on MS machines.
14294 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14295 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14296 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14297 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14300 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14301 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14302 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14303 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14305 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14306 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14307 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14308 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14309 into a feature by documenting it.)
14311 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14312 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14313 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14314 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14315 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14316 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14317 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14320 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14321 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14324 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14325 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14328 This can also be done non-destructively with
14329 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14331 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14332 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14333 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14335 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14336 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14338 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14339 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14340 @code{References} headers.
14344 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14345 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14346 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14350 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14351 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14352 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14359 @subsection Duplicates
14361 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14362 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14363 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14364 @cindex duplicate mails
14365 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14366 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14367 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14368 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14369 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14370 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14371 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14372 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14373 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14374 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14375 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14376 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14377 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14379 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14380 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14381 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14382 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14384 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14387 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14388 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14392 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14393 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14394 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14395 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14396 (any mail "mail.misc")
14403 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14404 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14409 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14410 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14411 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14412 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14413 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14416 @node Not Reading Mail
14417 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14419 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14420 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14421 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14423 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14424 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14425 mail, which should help.
14427 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14428 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14429 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14430 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14431 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14432 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14433 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14434 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14435 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14436 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14437 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14439 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14440 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14444 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14445 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14447 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14448 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14449 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14451 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14452 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14453 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14457 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14458 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14459 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14460 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14461 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14462 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14463 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14467 @node Unix Mail Box
14468 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14470 @cindex unix mail box
14472 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14473 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14474 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14475 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14476 which group it belongs in.
14478 Virtual server settings:
14481 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14482 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14483 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14486 @item nnmbox-active-file
14487 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14488 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14489 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14491 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14492 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14493 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14494 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14499 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14503 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14504 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14505 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14506 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14507 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14509 Virtual server settings:
14512 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14513 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14514 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14516 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14517 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14518 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14519 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14521 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14522 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14523 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14529 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14531 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14533 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14534 format. It should be used with some caution.
14536 @vindex nnml-directory
14537 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14538 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14539 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14540 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14542 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14545 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14546 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14547 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14548 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14549 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14550 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14551 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14552 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14554 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14555 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14556 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14557 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14559 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14561 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14562 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14563 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14564 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14565 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14566 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14567 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14568 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14571 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14572 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14573 them next time it starts.
14575 Virtual server settings:
14578 @item nnml-directory
14579 @vindex nnml-directory
14580 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14581 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14584 @item nnml-active-file
14585 @vindex nnml-active-file
14586 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14587 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14589 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14590 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14591 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14592 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14594 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14595 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14596 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14599 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14600 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14601 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14602 default is @code{nil}.
14604 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14605 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14606 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14608 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14609 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14610 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14612 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14613 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14614 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14615 default is @code{nil}.
14617 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14618 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14619 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14621 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14622 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14623 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14628 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14629 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14630 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14631 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14632 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14633 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14634 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14639 @subsubsection MH Spool
14641 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14643 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14644 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14645 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14646 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14648 Virtual server settings:
14651 @item nnmh-directory
14652 @vindex nnmh-directory
14653 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14654 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14657 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14658 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14659 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14663 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14664 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14665 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14666 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14667 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14668 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14669 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14674 @subsubsection Maildir
14678 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14679 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14680 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14681 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14682 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14685 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14686 reading, without needing locks. With other backends, you would have
14687 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14688 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14689 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14690 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14693 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14694 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14695 data in the filesystem.
14697 nnmaildir stores article marks and NOV data in each maildir. So you
14698 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14701 Virtual server settings:
14705 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14706 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14707 maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
14708 directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
14709 represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
14710 symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
14711 starting with `.' are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
14712 first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
14713 if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
14716 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14717 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14718 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14719 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14720 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14721 don't worry - a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14722 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14723 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14724 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14725 if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
14727 @item target-prefix
14728 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14729 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14730 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14733 When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
14734 with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14735 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14736 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14737 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14738 the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
14739 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14740 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14741 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14743 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14744 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14745 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14746 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14747 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14749 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14750 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14751 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14752 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14753 @code{force} argument.
14755 @item directory-files
14756 This should be a function with the same interface as
14757 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14758 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14759 parameter is optional; the default is
14760 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14761 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14762 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14763 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14764 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14765 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14768 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14769 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14770 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14771 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14772 value is @code{nil}.
14774 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14775 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14776 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14777 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14778 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14781 @subsubsection Group parameters
14783 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14784 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14785 behavior for other mail backends: articles are deleted after one week,
14786 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14787 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14788 duplicate the behavior you already have with another backend.
14790 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14791 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
14792 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
14793 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
14794 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
14795 backends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
14796 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
14797 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
14798 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
14802 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
14803 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
14804 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
14805 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
14806 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overridable by
14807 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
14808 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
14809 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
14810 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
14811 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
14812 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
14813 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
14816 If this is set to a string (a full Gnus group name, like
14817 @code{"backend+server.address.string:group.name"}), and if it is not
14818 the name of the same group that the parameter belongs to, then
14819 articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry before
14820 being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
14821 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
14822 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
14823 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
14824 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
14825 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
14826 article. So that form can refer to
14827 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
14828 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, nnmaildir does not fall
14829 back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
14830 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
14833 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
14834 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
14835 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
14836 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
14837 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
14838 directory of another maildir - e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
14839 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
14840 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
14841 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
14842 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
14843 extra copies of the articles.
14845 @item directory-files
14846 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
14847 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
14848 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
14849 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
14851 @item distrust-Lines:
14852 If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
14853 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
14854 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
14857 A list of mark symbols, such as
14858 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
14859 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
14860 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
14861 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
14862 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14863 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14866 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
14867 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
14868 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
14869 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
14870 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
14871 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14872 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14874 @item nov-cache-size
14875 An integer specifying the size of the NOV memory cache. To speed
14876 things up, nnmaildir keeps NOV data in memory for a limited number of
14877 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
14878 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
14879 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened - i.e.,
14880 when you first start Gnus, typically. The NOV cache is never resized
14881 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
14882 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
14883 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
14884 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
14887 @subsubsection Article identification
14888 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
14889 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
14890 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
14891 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
14892 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
14893 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
14894 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
14895 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
14896 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
14897 request the article in the summary buffer.
14899 @subsubsection NOV data
14900 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its NOV data (used to
14901 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
14902 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
14903 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
14904 need for it - an article's NOV data is updated automatically when the
14905 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
14906 nnmaildir to regenerate the NOV data for a single article simply by
14907 deleting the corresponding NOV file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
14908 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
14909 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
14911 @subsubsection Article marks
14912 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
14913 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
14914 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
14915 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
14916 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
14917 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
14918 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
14919 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
14921 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
14922 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
14923 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
14924 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
14925 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
14926 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
14927 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
14928 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
14929 changes, and might undo them.
14933 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14935 @cindex mbox folders
14936 @cindex mail folders
14938 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14939 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14940 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14943 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14945 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14946 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14947 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14948 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14949 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14950 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14951 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14952 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14953 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14954 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14956 Virtual server settings:
14959 @item nnfolder-directory
14960 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14961 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14962 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14965 @item nnfolder-active-file
14966 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14967 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14969 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14970 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14971 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14972 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
14974 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14975 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14976 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14979 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14980 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14981 @cindex backup files
14982 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14983 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14984 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14985 your @file{.emacs} file:
14988 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14989 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14991 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14994 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14995 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14996 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14997 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14998 extract some information from it before removing it.
15000 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15001 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15002 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
15003 default is @code{nil}.
15005 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15006 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15007 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15009 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15010 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15011 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
15012 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15014 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15015 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15016 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15017 default is @code{nil}.
15019 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15020 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15021 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15023 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15024 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15025 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
15026 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15031 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15032 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15033 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15034 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15035 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15036 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15039 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15040 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15042 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15043 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15044 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15045 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15046 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15048 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15049 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15050 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15051 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
15052 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15053 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15054 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15055 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15058 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15059 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15060 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15061 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15066 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15067 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15068 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15069 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15070 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15071 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15072 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15073 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15074 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15075 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15076 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15077 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15078 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15083 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15084 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15085 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15086 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15087 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15088 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15089 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15090 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15091 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
15092 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15093 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15094 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15095 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
15096 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15098 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15099 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15104 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15105 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15106 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15107 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15108 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15109 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15110 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15111 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15112 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15113 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15114 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15115 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15116 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15117 provided by the active file and overviews.
15119 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15120 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15121 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15122 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15123 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15126 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15127 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15132 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15133 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15134 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
15135 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15136 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15137 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15138 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15142 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15143 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15144 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15145 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15146 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15147 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15148 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15149 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15150 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15152 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15153 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15154 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15155 friendly mail back end all over.
15159 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15160 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15163 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15164 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15165 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15166 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15167 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15168 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15169 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
15170 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
15173 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15174 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15175 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
15176 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15177 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15178 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15179 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15180 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15181 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15182 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15183 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15185 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15186 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15187 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15188 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15189 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15192 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15193 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15194 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15195 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15196 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15197 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15198 removed in the future.
15200 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15201 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15202 on your file system.
15204 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15205 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15210 @node Browsing the Web
15211 @section Browsing the Web
15213 @cindex browsing the web
15217 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15218 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15219 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15220 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15221 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15222 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15223 even know what a news group is.
15225 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15226 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15227 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15228 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15229 you mad in the end.
15231 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15234 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15235 interfaces to these sources.
15239 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15240 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15241 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15242 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15243 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15244 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15247 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15249 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15250 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
15251 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15252 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15253 though, you should be ok.
15255 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15256 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15257 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15258 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15259 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15261 @node Archiving Mail
15262 @subsection Archiving Mail
15263 @cindex archiving mail
15264 @cindex backup of mail
15266 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15267 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15268 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15269 marks is fairly simple.
15271 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15272 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15275 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15276 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15277 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15278 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15279 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15280 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15281 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15282 before you restore the data.
15284 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15285 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15286 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15287 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15288 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15289 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15290 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15291 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15292 is unnecessary in that case.
15295 @subsection Web Searches
15300 @cindex Usenet searches
15301 @cindex searching the Usenet
15303 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15304 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15305 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15306 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15307 searches without having to use a browser.
15309 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15310 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15311 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15312 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15313 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15315 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15316 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15317 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15318 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15319 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15320 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15321 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15322 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15323 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15324 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15327 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15328 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15329 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15330 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15331 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15332 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15334 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15335 to use @code{nnweb}.
15337 Virtual server variables:
15342 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15343 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15344 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15347 @vindex nnweb-search
15348 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15350 @item nnweb-max-hits
15351 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15352 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15355 @item nnweb-type-definition
15356 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15357 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15358 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15363 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15367 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15370 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15373 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15377 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15384 @subsection Slashdot
15388 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
15389 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15390 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15392 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15393 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
15396 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15397 '((nnslashdot "")))
15400 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15401 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15402 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15403 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15404 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15407 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15408 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15410 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15411 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
15412 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15413 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
15414 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
15415 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15418 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15421 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15422 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15423 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15424 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15425 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15426 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15427 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15429 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15430 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15431 The login name to use when posting.
15433 @item nnslashdot-password
15434 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15435 The password to use when posting.
15437 @item nnslashdot-directory
15438 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15439 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15440 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15442 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15443 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15444 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15445 news articles and comments. The default is
15446 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15448 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15449 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15450 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15452 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15454 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15455 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15456 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15458 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15460 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15461 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15462 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15464 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15465 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15466 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15467 updated. The default is 0.
15474 @subsection Ultimate
15476 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15478 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
15479 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15480 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15481 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15483 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15484 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15485 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15486 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15487 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15488 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15489 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15491 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15494 @item nnultimate-directory
15495 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15496 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
15497 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15502 @subsection Web Archive
15504 @cindex Web Archive
15506 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15507 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15508 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15509 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15512 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15513 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15514 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15515 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
15516 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
15517 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15518 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15519 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15521 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15524 @item nnwarchive-directory
15525 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15526 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
15527 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15529 @item nnwarchive-login
15530 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15531 The account name on the web server.
15533 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15534 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15535 The password for your account on the web server.
15543 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15544 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15545 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15548 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15549 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15552 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15555 @item nnrss-directory
15556 @vindex nnrss-directory
15557 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15558 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15562 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15563 the summary buffer.
15566 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15567 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15569 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15571 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15572 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15575 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15578 (require 'browse-url)
15580 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15582 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15585 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15586 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15589 (browse-url (cdr url))
15590 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15591 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15593 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15594 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15595 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15596 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15599 @node Customizing w3
15600 @subsection Customizing w3
15606 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15607 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15608 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15610 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15611 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15612 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15615 (eval-after-load "w3"
15617 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15618 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15619 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15620 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15622 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15625 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15626 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15635 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15636 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15637 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15638 specify the network address of the server.
15640 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15641 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15642 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15643 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15644 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15646 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15647 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15648 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15649 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15651 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15652 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15653 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15654 usage explained in this section.
15656 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15657 might look something like the following. (Note that for TLS/SSL, you
15658 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15661 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15662 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15663 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15665 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15666 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15667 ; a UW server running on localhost
15669 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15670 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15671 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15672 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15673 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15674 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15675 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15676 (nnimap-stream network))
15677 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15679 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15680 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15681 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15684 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15685 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15686 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15687 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15689 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15694 @item nnimap-address
15695 @vindex nnimap-address
15697 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15698 server name if not specified.
15700 @item nnimap-server-port
15701 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15702 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for TLS/SSL.
15704 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15707 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15708 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15711 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15712 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15713 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15714 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15715 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15716 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15717 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15719 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15720 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15721 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15724 Example server specification:
15727 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15728 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15729 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15732 @item nnimap-stream
15733 @vindex nnimap-stream
15734 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15735 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15736 of TLS/SSL. (@sc{imap} over TLS/SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15737 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15739 Example server specification:
15742 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15743 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15746 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15750 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15751 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
15753 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15755 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15756 TLS/SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15759 @dfn{tls:} Connect through TLS. Requires GNUTLS (the program
15760 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
15762 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15763 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15765 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15767 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15770 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15771 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15772 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15773 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15774 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15775 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15776 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15777 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15778 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15781 For TLS connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
15782 needed. It is available from
15783 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
15785 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
15786 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
15787 authenticated IMAP stream in a subshell. They are tried sequentially
15788 until a connection is made, or the list has been exhausted. By
15789 default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
15790 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
15791 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
15794 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15795 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15796 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15797 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15798 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15799 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15800 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15803 @vindex imap-shell-program
15804 @vindex imap-shell-host
15805 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15806 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15808 @item nnimap-authenticator
15809 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15811 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15812 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15814 Example server specification:
15817 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15818 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15821 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15825 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15826 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
15828 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15831 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15832 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15834 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15836 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15838 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15841 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15843 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15844 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15845 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15846 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15847 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15848 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15851 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15852 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15853 running in circles yet?
15855 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15856 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15859 The possible options are:
15864 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
15867 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15868 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15869 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15870 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15872 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15877 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15878 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15880 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15881 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15882 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15883 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15884 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15887 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15888 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15891 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15892 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15893 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15894 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15897 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15898 as ticked for other users.
15900 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15902 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15904 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15905 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15906 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15907 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15909 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15910 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15911 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15912 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15914 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15915 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15917 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15918 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15919 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15925 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15926 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15927 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15928 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
15929 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15934 @node Splitting in IMAP
15935 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15936 @cindex splitting imap mail
15938 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15939 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15940 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15941 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15942 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15946 Here are the variables of interest:
15950 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15951 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15953 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15955 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15956 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15958 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15960 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15961 @cindex splitting, inbox
15963 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15965 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15966 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15970 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15971 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15974 No nnmail equivalent.
15976 @item nnimap-split-rule
15977 @cindex Splitting, rules
15978 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15980 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15983 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15984 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15985 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15986 Neither did I, we need examples.
15989 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15991 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15992 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15993 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15996 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15997 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15998 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16000 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
16001 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16005 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16008 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16009 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16011 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16012 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16013 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
16014 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16016 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16017 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16018 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16019 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16020 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16021 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16023 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16024 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16025 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16027 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16028 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16029 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16031 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16033 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16034 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16035 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16038 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16039 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16040 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
16041 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16042 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16043 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
16046 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16047 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16048 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16049 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16050 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16051 group/function elements.
16053 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16055 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16057 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16059 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16060 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16062 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
16063 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16064 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16067 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16068 @cindex splitting, fancy
16069 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16070 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16072 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16073 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16074 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16076 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16077 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16078 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16079 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16084 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16085 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16088 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16090 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16091 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16092 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16094 Set to non-nil to download entire articles during splitting. This is
16095 generally not required, and will slow things down considerably. You
16096 may need it if you want to use an advanced splitting function that
16097 analyses the body to split the article.
16101 @node Expiring in IMAP
16102 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16103 @cindex expiring imap mail
16105 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16106 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16107 Mail}). Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do
16108 not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16109 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16110 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16113 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
16114 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16115 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16116 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16117 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16118 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16119 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16120 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16124 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16125 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16127 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16128 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16130 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16132 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16133 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16134 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
16135 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16139 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16140 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16141 @cindex editing imap acls
16142 @cindex Access Control Lists
16143 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
16145 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16147 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
16148 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16149 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16152 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16153 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
16154 editing window with detailed instructions.
16156 Some possible uses:
16160 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16161 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16162 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16164 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16165 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16166 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
16170 @node Expunging mailboxes
16171 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16175 @cindex Manual expunging
16177 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16179 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16180 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16181 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16183 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16186 @node A note on namespaces
16187 @subsection A note on namespaces
16188 @cindex IMAP namespace
16191 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
16192 following text in the RFC:
16195 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16197 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16198 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16199 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16200 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16202 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16203 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16204 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16205 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16206 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16207 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16210 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
16211 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
16212 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16214 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
16215 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
16216 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
16217 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
16218 the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
16219 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
16220 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
16221 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
16223 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16224 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16225 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16227 @node Other Sources
16228 @section Other Sources
16230 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16231 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16235 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16236 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16237 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16238 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16239 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16243 @node Directory Groups
16244 @subsection Directory Groups
16246 @cindex directory groups
16248 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16249 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16252 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16253 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16254 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16255 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16257 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16258 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16259 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16260 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16261 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16263 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
16265 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16266 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16267 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16268 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16271 @node Anything Groups
16272 @subsection Anything Groups
16275 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16276 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16277 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16280 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16281 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16282 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16283 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16284 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16285 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16286 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16287 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16288 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16289 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16292 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16293 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16294 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16295 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16297 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16298 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16299 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16300 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16302 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16303 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16304 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16305 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16306 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16307 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16308 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16309 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16314 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16315 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16316 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16317 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16319 @item nneething-exclude-files
16320 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16321 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16322 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16324 @item nneething-include-files
16325 @vindex nneething-include-files
16326 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16327 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16329 @item nneething-map-file
16330 @vindex nneething-map-file
16331 Name of the map files.
16335 @node Document Groups
16336 @subsection Document Groups
16338 @cindex documentation group
16341 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16342 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16349 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
16354 The standard Unix mbox file.
16356 @cindex MMDF mail box
16358 The MMDF mail box format.
16361 Several news articles appended into a file.
16364 @cindex rnews batch files
16365 The rnews batch transport format.
16366 @cindex forwarded messages
16369 Forwarded articles.
16372 Netscape mail boxes.
16375 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
16377 @item standard-digest
16378 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16381 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
16383 @item lanl-gov-announce
16384 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16386 @item rfc822-forward
16387 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16390 The Outlook mail box.
16393 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16396 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16399 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16402 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16408 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16411 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16417 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16418 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16419 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16422 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16423 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16424 group. And that's it.
16426 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16427 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16428 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16429 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16430 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16431 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16432 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16433 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16434 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16435 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16437 Virtual server variables:
16440 @item nndoc-article-type
16441 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16442 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16443 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16444 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16445 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16446 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16448 @item nndoc-post-type
16449 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16450 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16451 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16456 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16460 @node Document Server Internals
16461 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16463 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16464 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16465 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16466 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16468 First, here's an example document type definition:
16472 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16473 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16476 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16477 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16478 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16479 types can be defined with very few settings:
16482 @item first-article
16483 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16484 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16487 @item article-begin
16488 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16489 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16491 @item head-begin-function
16492 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16495 @item nndoc-head-begin
16496 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16499 @item nndoc-head-end
16500 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16501 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16503 @item body-begin-function
16504 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16508 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16511 @item body-end-function
16512 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16516 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16519 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16520 regexp will be totally ignored.
16524 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16525 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16526 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16527 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16528 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16531 @item prepare-body-function
16532 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16533 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16534 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16536 @item article-transform-function
16537 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16538 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16539 body of the article.
16541 @item generate-head-function
16542 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16543 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16544 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16545 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16549 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16554 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16555 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16556 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16557 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16558 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16559 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16560 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16561 (subtype digest guess))
16564 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16565 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16566 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16567 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16568 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16570 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16571 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16572 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16573 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16574 The alist is traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is
16575 called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is
16576 called to see whether a document is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on.
16577 These type predicates should return @code{nil} if the document is not
16578 of the correct type; @code{t} if it is of the correct type; and a
16579 number if the document might be of the correct type. A high number
16580 means high probability; a low number means low probability with
16581 @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16589 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16590 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16591 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16593 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16594 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16595 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16598 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16599 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16600 that interested in doing things properly.
16602 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16603 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16606 First some terminology:
16611 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16612 get news and/or mail from.
16615 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16616 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16619 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16623 @item message packets
16624 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16625 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16626 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16628 @item response packets
16629 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16630 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16631 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16641 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16642 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16643 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16644 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16647 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16650 You put the packet in your home directory.
16653 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16654 the native or secondary server.
16657 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16658 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16661 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16665 You transfer this packet to the server.
16668 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16671 You then repeat until you die.
16675 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16676 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16679 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16680 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16681 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16685 @node SOUP Commands
16686 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16688 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16692 @kindex G s b (Group)
16693 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16694 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16695 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16696 process/prefix convention.
16699 @kindex G s w (Group)
16700 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16701 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16704 @kindex G s s (Group)
16705 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16706 Send all replies from the replies packet
16707 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16710 @kindex G s p (Group)
16711 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16712 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16715 @kindex G s r (Group)
16716 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16717 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16720 @kindex O s (Summary)
16721 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16722 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16723 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16724 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16729 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16734 @item gnus-soup-directory
16735 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16736 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16737 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16739 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16740 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16741 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16742 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16744 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16745 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16746 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16747 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16749 @item gnus-soup-packer
16750 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16751 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16752 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16754 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16755 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16756 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16757 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16759 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16760 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16761 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16763 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16764 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16765 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16766 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16772 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16775 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16776 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16777 you can read them at leisure.
16779 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16783 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16784 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16785 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16786 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16788 @item nnsoup-directory
16789 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16790 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16791 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16793 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16794 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16795 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16796 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16798 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16799 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16800 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16801 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16802 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16804 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16805 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16806 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16807 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16809 @item nnsoup-active-file
16810 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16811 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16812 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16813 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16814 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16816 @item nnsoup-packer
16817 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16818 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16819 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16821 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16822 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16823 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16824 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16826 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16827 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16828 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16831 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16832 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16833 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16836 @item nnsoup-always-save
16837 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16838 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16844 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16846 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16847 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16848 more for that to happen.
16850 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16851 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16852 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16855 In specific, this is what it does:
16858 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16859 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16862 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16863 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16864 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16867 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16868 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16869 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16872 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16873 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16874 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16876 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16882 @item nngateway-address
16883 @vindex nngateway-address
16884 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16886 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16887 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16888 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16889 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16890 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16891 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16892 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16895 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16896 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16897 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16900 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16903 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16906 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16909 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16911 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16914 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16915 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16916 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16918 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16920 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16921 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16922 @code{nngateway-address}.
16927 (setq gnus-post-method
16929 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16930 (nngateway-header-transformation
16931 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16939 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16942 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16947 @node Combined Groups
16948 @section Combined Groups
16950 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16954 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16955 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16959 @node Virtual Groups
16960 @subsection Virtual Groups
16962 @cindex virtual groups
16963 @cindex merging groups
16965 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16968 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16969 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16970 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16972 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16973 regexp to match component groups.
16975 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16976 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16977 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16978 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16979 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16980 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16981 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16982 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16984 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16985 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16988 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16991 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16992 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16994 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16995 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16996 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16997 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17000 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17003 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17004 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17005 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17007 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17008 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17009 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17010 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17011 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17013 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17014 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17015 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17017 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17018 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17019 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17020 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17021 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17022 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17023 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17024 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17025 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17026 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17027 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17029 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17030 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17031 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17032 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17033 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17034 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17035 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17037 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17038 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17040 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17041 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17045 @node Kibozed Groups
17046 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17050 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
17051 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
17052 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
17053 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17055 @kindex G k (Group)
17056 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17059 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17060 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17061 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
17062 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17064 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
17065 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
17066 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17068 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17069 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17070 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17071 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
17072 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
17073 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
17074 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
17075 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17077 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17078 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17079 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17080 Stranger things have happened.
17082 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17083 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17085 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17086 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17087 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
17088 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
17089 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
17090 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
17092 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17093 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
17096 @node Gnus Unplugged
17097 @section Gnus Unplugged
17102 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
17104 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17105 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17106 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17107 read news. Believe it or not.
17109 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17110 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17111 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17112 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17113 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17115 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17116 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17117 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17118 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17119 reading news on a machine.
17121 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17122 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
17124 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17127 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17128 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17129 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17130 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17131 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17132 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17133 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
17134 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17135 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17136 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17137 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17138 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17143 @subsection Agent Basics
17145 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17147 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17148 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17149 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17150 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17152 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17153 connected to the net continuously.
17155 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17156 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17158 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17163 @findex gnus-unplugged
17164 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17165 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17166 already fetched while in this mode.
17169 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17170 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17171 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17172 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
17173 Source Specifiers}).
17176 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
17177 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
17178 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
17179 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
17180 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
17183 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17184 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17185 then you read the news offline.
17188 And then you go to step 2.
17191 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17197 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17198 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17199 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17200 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17201 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17202 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17203 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17204 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17208 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17209 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17210 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17211 is probably best to start with a category @xref{Agent Categories}.
17213 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17214 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17215 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17216 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17217 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17218 your policy, you can use grou parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17222 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17226 @node Agent Categories
17227 @subsection Agent Categories
17229 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17230 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17231 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17232 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17233 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17234 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17235 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17237 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17238 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17239 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17240 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17241 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17243 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17244 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17245 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17246 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17247 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17250 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17251 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17252 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17253 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17254 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17255 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17259 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17260 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17261 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17265 @node Category Syntax
17266 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17268 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17269 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17270 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17274 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17275 The name of the category.
17277 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17278 The list of groups that are in this category.
17280 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17281 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17282 are eligible for downloading; and
17284 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17285 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17286 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17287 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17289 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17290 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17291 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17292 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17293 only groups that should not be expired.
17295 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17296 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17297 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17299 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17300 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17302 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17303 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17305 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17306 an integer that overrides the value of
17307 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17309 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17310 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17313 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17316 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17317 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17318 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17321 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17322 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17323 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17324 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17326 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17327 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17328 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17330 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17331 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17332 operators sprinkled in between.
17334 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17336 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17337 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17343 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17344 short (for some value of ``short'').
17346 Here's a more complex predicate:
17355 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17356 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17359 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17360 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17361 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17363 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17364 you want to do, you can write your own.
17366 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17367 bound to the value determined by calling
17368 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17369 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17370 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17371 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17372 predicate to individual groups.
17376 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17377 lines; default 100.
17380 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17381 lines; default 200.
17384 True iff the article has a download score less than
17385 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17388 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17389 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17392 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17393 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17394 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17403 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17404 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17405 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17408 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17409 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17410 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17411 something along the lines of the following:
17414 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17415 "Say whether an article is old."
17416 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17417 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17420 with the predicate then defined as:
17423 (not my-article-old-p)
17426 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17427 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17431 (require 'gnus-agent)
17432 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17433 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17434 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17437 and simply specify your predicate as:
17443 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17444 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17445 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17446 just don't give a damn.
17448 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17449 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17450 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17451 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
17452 parameters like so:
17455 (agent-predicate . short)
17458 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17459 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17460 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17462 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17465 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17468 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17469 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17470 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17473 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17474 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17475 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17476 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17477 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17478 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17480 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17481 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17482 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17483 if it's to be specific to that group.
17485 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17492 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
17493 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17499 Category specification
17503 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17509 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17512 (agent-score ("from"
17513 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17518 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17524 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17525 keywords stated above.
17531 Category specification
17534 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17540 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17544 Group Parameter specification
17547 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17550 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17555 Use @code{normal} score files
17557 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17558 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17559 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17560 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17562 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17563 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17564 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17565 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17569 Category Specification
17576 Group Parameter specification
17579 (agent-score . file)
17584 @node Category Buffer
17585 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17587 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17588 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17589 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17591 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17595 @kindex q (Category)
17596 @findex gnus-category-exit
17597 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17600 @kindex e (Category)
17601 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17602 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17603 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17606 @kindex k (Category)
17607 @findex gnus-category-kill
17608 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17611 @kindex c (Category)
17612 @findex gnus-category-copy
17613 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17616 @kindex a (Category)
17617 @findex gnus-category-add
17618 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17621 @kindex p (Category)
17622 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17623 Edit the predicate of the current category
17624 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17627 @kindex g (Category)
17628 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17629 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17630 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17633 @kindex s (Category)
17634 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17635 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17636 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17639 @kindex l (Category)
17640 @findex gnus-category-list
17641 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17645 @node Category Variables
17646 @subsubsection Category Variables
17649 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17650 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17651 Hook run in category buffers.
17653 @item gnus-category-line-format
17654 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17655 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17656 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17660 The name of the category.
17663 The number of groups in the category.
17666 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17667 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17668 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17670 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17671 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17672 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17674 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17675 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17676 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17678 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17679 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17680 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17683 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17684 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17685 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17688 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
17689 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17690 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
17691 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
17692 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
17693 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
17694 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
17695 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
17699 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17700 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17701 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
17702 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
17703 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
17704 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
17705 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
17710 @node Agent Commands
17711 @subsection Agent Commands
17712 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17713 @kindex J j (Agent)
17715 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17716 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17717 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17721 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17722 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17723 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17729 @node Group Agent Commands
17730 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17734 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17735 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17736 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17737 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17740 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17741 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17742 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17745 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17746 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17747 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17748 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17751 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17752 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17753 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17754 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17757 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17758 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17759 Add the current group to an Agent category
17760 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17761 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17764 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17765 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17766 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17767 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17768 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17771 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17772 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17773 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17779 @node Summary Agent Commands
17780 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17784 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17785 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17786 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17789 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17790 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17791 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17792 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17796 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17797 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17798 Toggle whether to download the article
17799 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The dowload mark is @samp{%} by
17803 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17804 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17805 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
17808 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
17809 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
17810 Download all eligible (See @pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
17811 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
17814 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
17815 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
17816 Download all processable articles in this group.
17817 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
17820 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17821 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17822 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17823 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17828 @node Server Agent Commands
17829 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17833 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17834 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17835 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17836 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17839 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17840 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17841 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17842 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17847 @node Agent as Cache
17848 @subsection Agent as Cache
17850 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17851 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17852 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17853 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17854 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17855 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17856 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17857 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17858 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17860 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17861 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
17862 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
17863 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
17864 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap backend.
17867 @subsection Agent Expiry
17869 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17870 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17871 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17872 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
17873 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
17874 @cindex Agent expiry
17875 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17878 The Agent backend, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
17879 least it doesn't handle it like other backends. Instead, there are
17880 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
17881 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
17882 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
17883 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
17884 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
17885 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
17887 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
17888 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
17889 synchronized with the group.
17891 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
17892 prevent expiration in selected groups.
17894 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17895 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
17896 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
17897 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
17898 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
17899 be kept indefinitely.
17901 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17902 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
17903 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
17904 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
17906 @node Agent Regeneration
17907 @subsection Agent Regeneration
17909 @cindex Agent Regeneration
17910 @cindex Gnus Agent Regeneration
17911 @cindex regeneration
17913 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
17914 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
17915 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
17916 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
17917 internal inconsistencies.
17919 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
17920 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
17921 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
17922 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
17923 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
17924 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
17926 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17927 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
17928 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
17929 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
17930 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
17931 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
17933 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17934 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17935 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
17936 of individual articles to repair the local NOV(header) database. It
17937 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
17938 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
17941 @node Agent and IMAP
17942 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17944 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17945 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17946 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17947 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17949 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17950 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
17951 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17952 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17954 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17955 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17956 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17957 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17959 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17960 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17961 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17962 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17963 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17964 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17966 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17967 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17968 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17969 in the group buffer.
17971 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17972 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17977 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17980 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17984 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
17985 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17986 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17987 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17988 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17989 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
17990 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17991 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17994 @node Outgoing Messages
17995 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17997 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17998 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17999 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18001 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
18002 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
18003 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
18004 messages in the draft group.
18008 @node Agent Variables
18009 @subsection Agent Variables
18012 @item gnus-agent-directory
18013 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18014 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18015 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18017 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18018 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18019 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18020 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18021 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18024 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18025 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18026 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18028 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18029 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18030 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18032 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18033 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18034 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18036 @item gnus-agent-cache
18037 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18038 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
18039 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18040 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18042 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18043 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18044 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18045 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18046 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18047 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18048 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18051 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18052 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18053 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18054 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18055 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18056 read. The default is t.
18058 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18059 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18060 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18061 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
18062 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
18064 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18065 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18066 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18067 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18068 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18069 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18070 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18071 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18072 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18073 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18074 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18075 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18078 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18079 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18080 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18081 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18082 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18083 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18084 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18085 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18086 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18088 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18089 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18090 Another variable that isn't a Agent variable, yet so closely related
18091 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18092 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18093 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18095 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18096 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18097 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18098 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18099 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18104 @node Example Setup
18105 @subsection Example Setup
18107 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18108 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18109 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
18112 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
18113 ;;; from your ISP's server.
18114 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18116 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
18117 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
18118 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18120 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
18121 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18123 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
18124 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
18125 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
18128 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18129 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18132 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18133 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18134 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18135 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18136 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18139 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18140 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18141 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18142 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18143 back all the killed groups.)
18145 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18146 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18147 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18150 @node Batching Agents
18151 @subsection Batching Agents
18152 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18154 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18155 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18156 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18158 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18159 following incantation:
18163 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18167 @node Agent Caveats
18168 @subsection Agent Caveats
18170 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18171 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18175 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18177 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18178 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18179 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18181 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18182 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18184 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18188 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18189 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18190 locally stored articles.
18197 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18198 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18199 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18202 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18203 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18204 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18205 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18206 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18208 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18209 before generating the summary buffer.
18211 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18212 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18213 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18215 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18216 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18217 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18218 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18221 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18222 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18223 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18224 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18225 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18226 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18227 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18228 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18229 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18230 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18231 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18232 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18233 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18234 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18235 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18236 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18237 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18241 @node Summary Score Commands
18242 @section Summary Score Commands
18243 @cindex score commands
18245 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18246 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18247 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18248 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18249 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18251 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18252 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18253 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18254 score file the current one.
18256 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18261 @kindex V s (Summary)
18262 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18263 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18266 @kindex V S (Summary)
18267 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18268 Display the score of the current article
18269 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18272 @kindex V t (Summary)
18273 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18274 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18275 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
18278 @kindex V w (Summary)
18279 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18280 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18283 @kindex V R (Summary)
18284 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18285 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18286 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18287 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18288 effect you're having.
18291 @kindex V c (Summary)
18292 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18293 Make a different score file the current
18294 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18297 @kindex V e (Summary)
18298 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18299 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18300 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18304 @kindex V f (Summary)
18305 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18306 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18307 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18310 @kindex V F (Summary)
18311 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18312 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18313 after editing score files.
18316 @kindex V C (Summary)
18317 @findex gnus-score-customize
18318 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18319 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18323 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18328 @kindex V m (Summary)
18329 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18330 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18331 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18334 @kindex V x (Summary)
18335 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18336 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18337 expunge all articles below this score
18338 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18341 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18342 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18345 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18346 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18350 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18351 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18353 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18354 keys are available:
18358 Score on the author name.
18361 Score on the subject line.
18364 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18367 Score on the @code{References} line.
18373 Score on the number of lines.
18376 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18379 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18380 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18383 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18384 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18385 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18394 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18400 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18401 what headers you are scoring on.
18413 Substring matching.
18416 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18445 Greater than number.
18450 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18451 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18452 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18457 Temporary score entry.
18460 Permanent score entry.
18463 Immediately scoring.
18467 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18468 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18469 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18473 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18474 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18475 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18476 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18478 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18479 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18480 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18481 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18482 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18484 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18485 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18486 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18487 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18488 current score file.
18490 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18491 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18492 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18495 @node Group Score Commands
18496 @section Group Score Commands
18497 @cindex group score commands
18499 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18504 @kindex W f (Group)
18505 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18506 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18507 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18508 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18512 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18514 @findex gnus-batch-score
18515 @cindex batch scoring
18517 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18521 @node Score Variables
18522 @section Score Variables
18523 @cindex score variables
18527 @item gnus-use-scoring
18528 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18529 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18530 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18532 @item gnus-kill-killed
18533 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18534 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18535 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18536 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18537 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18538 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18539 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18541 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18542 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18543 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18544 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18545 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18547 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18548 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18549 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18550 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18552 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18553 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18554 @cindex score cache
18555 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18556 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18557 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18558 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18559 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18560 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18561 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18564 @item gnus-save-score
18565 @vindex gnus-save-score
18566 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18567 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18568 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18570 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18571 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18572 across group visits.
18574 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18575 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18576 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18577 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18578 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18579 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18580 manually entered data.
18582 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18583 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18584 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18586 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18587 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18588 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18589 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18590 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18591 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18593 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18594 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18595 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18596 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18598 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18599 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18600 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18601 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18603 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18604 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18605 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18606 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18608 Predefined functions available are:
18611 @item gnus-score-find-single
18612 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18613 Only apply the group's own score file.
18615 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18616 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18617 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18618 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18619 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18620 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18621 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18622 then a regexp match is done.
18624 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18625 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18627 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18628 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18629 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18630 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18632 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18633 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18634 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18635 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18636 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18640 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18641 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18642 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18643 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18644 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18645 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18646 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18649 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18650 overall score file, you could use the value
18652 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18653 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18656 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18657 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18658 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18659 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18660 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18662 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18663 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18664 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18665 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18666 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18667 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18668 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18669 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18671 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18672 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18673 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18675 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18676 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18677 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
18678 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18679 threading---according to the current value of
18680 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
18681 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18682 simplified in this manner.
18687 @node Score File Format
18688 @section Score File Format
18689 @cindex score file format
18691 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18692 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18693 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18695 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18699 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18701 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18703 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18705 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18710 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18714 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18715 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18716 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18717 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18721 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
18722 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
18724 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
18725 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18726 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18728 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18733 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18734 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18735 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18736 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18737 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18738 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
18739 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
18740 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
18741 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
18742 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
18743 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
18744 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
18745 to articles that matches these score entries.
18747 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
18748 score entry has one to four elements.
18752 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
18753 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
18757 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
18758 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
18759 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
18760 is successful. If this element is not present, the
18761 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
18762 instead. This is 1000 by default.
18765 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
18766 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
18767 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
18768 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
18769 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
18772 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
18773 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
18774 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
18775 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
18778 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
18779 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
18780 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
18781 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
18782 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
18783 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
18784 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
18785 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
18786 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
18787 instead, if you feel like.
18790 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
18791 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
18792 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
18793 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
18794 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
18795 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
18798 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
18802 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
18803 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
18805 These predicates are true if
18808 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
18811 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
18812 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
18819 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
18820 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
18821 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
18822 it's not. I think.)
18824 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
18825 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
18826 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
18827 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
18830 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
18831 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
18832 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
18833 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
18834 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
18835 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
18836 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
18840 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
18841 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
18842 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18843 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18844 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18845 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18846 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18847 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18850 @item Head, Body, All
18851 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18855 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18856 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18857 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18858 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18859 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18860 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18861 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18865 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18866 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18867 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18868 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18869 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18870 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18871 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18872 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18873 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18874 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18875 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18879 @cindex Score File Atoms
18881 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18882 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18885 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18886 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18888 @item mark-and-expunge
18889 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18890 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18893 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18894 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18895 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18896 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18897 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18900 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18901 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18904 @item exclude-files
18905 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18906 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18910 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18911 ignored when handling global score files.
18914 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18915 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18916 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18917 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18920 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18921 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18922 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18923 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18925 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18929 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18932 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18933 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18934 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18935 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18936 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18938 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18939 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18940 scoring rules exist.
18943 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18944 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18945 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18946 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18947 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18948 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18949 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18950 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18951 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18952 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18953 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18957 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18958 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18959 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18960 file for a number of groups.
18963 @cindex local variables
18964 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
18965 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
18966 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
18967 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
18968 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
18973 @node Score File Editing
18974 @section Score File Editing
18976 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18977 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18978 with a mode for that.
18980 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18981 additional commands:
18986 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18987 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18988 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18989 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18992 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18993 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18994 Insert the current date in numerical format
18995 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18996 you were wondering.
18999 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19000 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19001 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19002 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19003 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19008 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19010 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19011 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19013 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
19014 e} to begin editing score files.
19017 @node Adaptive Scoring
19018 @section Adaptive Scoring
19019 @cindex adaptive scoring
19021 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19022 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19023 stupidity, to be precise.
19025 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19026 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19027 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19028 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19029 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19030 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19031 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19032 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19033 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19035 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19036 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19037 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19038 might look something like this:
19041 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19042 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19043 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19044 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19045 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19046 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19047 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19048 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19049 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19050 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19051 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19052 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19055 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19056 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19057 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19058 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19059 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19060 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19063 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19064 will be applied to each article.
19066 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19067 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19068 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19069 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19071 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19072 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19073 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19074 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19076 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19077 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19078 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19079 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19081 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19082 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19083 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19084 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19085 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19086 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19088 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19089 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19090 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19092 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19093 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19094 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19096 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19097 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19098 let you use different rules in different groups.
19100 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19101 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19102 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19105 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19106 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19107 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19108 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19109 the length of the match is less than
19110 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19111 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19114 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19115 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19116 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19117 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19118 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19121 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19122 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19123 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19124 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19125 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19128 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19129 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19130 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19131 score with 30 points.
19133 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19134 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19135 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19136 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19137 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19139 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19140 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19141 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19142 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19143 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19145 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19146 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19147 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19148 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19150 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19151 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19152 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19153 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19155 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19156 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19157 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19158 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19159 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19161 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19162 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19163 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19165 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19166 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19167 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19168 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19171 @node Home Score File
19172 @section Home Score File
19174 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19175 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19176 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19177 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19179 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19180 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19181 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19183 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19184 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19189 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19193 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19194 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19198 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19202 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19203 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19206 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
19207 the home score file.
19210 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19213 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19218 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19221 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19222 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19225 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19226 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19228 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19230 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19231 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19234 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19235 Other functions include
19238 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19239 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19240 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19241 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19245 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19246 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19247 their own home score files:
19250 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19251 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
19252 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19253 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
19254 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19257 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19258 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19259 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19260 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19261 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19263 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19264 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19265 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19266 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19267 precedence over this variable.
19270 @node Followups To Yourself
19271 @section Followups To Yourself
19273 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19274 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19275 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19276 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19277 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19278 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19282 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19283 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19284 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19287 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19288 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19289 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19293 @vindex message-sent-hook
19294 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19295 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19297 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19301 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19302 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19306 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19307 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19310 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19311 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19316 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19320 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19321 is system-dependent.
19324 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19325 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19326 @cindex scoring on other headers
19328 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19329 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19330 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19331 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19332 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19334 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19335 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
19336 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
19337 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
19338 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19340 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
19343 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19344 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19347 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19348 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19349 time if you have much mail.
19351 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19352 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19358 @section Scoring Tips
19359 @cindex scoring tips
19365 @cindex scoring crossposts
19366 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19367 the @code{Xref} header.
19369 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19372 @item Multiple crossposts
19373 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19374 more than, say, 3 groups:
19377 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19381 @item Matching on the body
19382 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19383 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19384 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19385 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19386 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19387 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19388 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19391 @item Marking as read
19392 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19393 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19394 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19398 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19400 @item Negated character classes
19401 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19402 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19403 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19407 @node Reverse Scoring
19408 @section Reverse Scoring
19409 @cindex reverse scoring
19411 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19412 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19413 like this in your score file:
19417 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19422 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19423 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19426 @node Global Score Files
19427 @section Global Score Files
19428 @cindex global score files
19430 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19431 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19432 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19434 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19435 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19436 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19438 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19439 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19440 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19441 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19442 files are applicable to which group.
19444 To use the score file
19445 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19446 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19450 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19451 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19452 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19455 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19457 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19458 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19459 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19460 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19462 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19463 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19465 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19466 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19467 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19468 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19469 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19470 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19472 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19478 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19480 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19482 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19484 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19485 lowered out of existence.
19487 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19488 articles completely.
19491 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19492 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19493 old articles for a long time.
19496 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19497 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19498 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19499 holding our breath yet?
19503 @section Kill Files
19506 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19507 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19508 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19510 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19511 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19512 files into score files.
19514 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19515 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19516 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19517 that isn't a very good idea.
19519 Normal kill files look like this:
19522 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19523 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19527 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19528 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19530 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19531 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19534 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
19539 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19540 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19541 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19544 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19545 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19546 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19549 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19554 @kindex M-k (Group)
19555 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19556 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19559 @kindex M-K (Group)
19560 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19561 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19564 Kill file variables:
19567 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19568 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19569 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19570 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19571 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19572 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19573 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19575 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19576 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19577 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19578 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19581 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19582 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19583 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19584 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19585 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19586 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19587 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19588 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19589 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19591 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19592 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19593 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19598 @node Converting Kill Files
19599 @section Converting Kill Files
19601 @cindex converting kill files
19603 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19604 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19605 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19608 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19609 You can fetch it from
19610 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19612 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19613 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19614 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19622 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
19623 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19624 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19625 news articles generated every day.
19627 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19628 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19629 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19630 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19631 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19632 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19633 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19634 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19637 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19638 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19641 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19642 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19643 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19644 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19648 @node Using GroupLens
19649 @subsection Using GroupLens
19651 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
19653 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
19654 better bit in town at the moment.
19656 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19660 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19661 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19662 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19663 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19665 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19666 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19667 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19668 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19670 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19671 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19672 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19676 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19677 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19678 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19679 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19680 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19681 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19684 @node Rating Articles
19685 @subsection Rating Articles
19687 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19688 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19689 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19690 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19693 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19698 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19699 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19700 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19703 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19704 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19705 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19706 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19707 threads in rec.humor.
19711 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19712 the score of the article you're reading.
19717 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19718 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19719 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19722 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19723 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19724 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19728 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19729 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19732 @node Displaying Predictions
19733 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19735 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19736 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19737 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19738 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19739 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
19741 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
19742 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
19743 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
19744 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
19745 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
19746 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
19747 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
19748 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
19749 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
19750 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
19751 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
19752 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
19753 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
19755 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
19756 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
19757 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
19758 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
19760 The following are valid values for that variable.
19763 @item prediction-spot
19764 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
19767 @item confidence-interval
19768 A numeric confidence interval.
19770 @item prediction-bar
19771 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
19773 @item confidence-bar
19774 Numerical confidence.
19776 @item confidence-spot
19777 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
19779 @item prediction-num
19780 Plain-old numeric value.
19782 @item confidence-plus-minus
19783 Prediction +/- confidence.
19788 @node GroupLens Variables
19789 @subsection GroupLens Variables
19793 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
19794 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
19795 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
19796 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
19799 @item grouplens-bbb-host
19800 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
19803 @item grouplens-bbb-port
19804 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
19806 @item grouplens-score-offset
19807 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
19808 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
19811 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
19812 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
19813 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
19818 @node Advanced Scoring
19819 @section Advanced Scoring
19821 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
19822 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
19823 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
19824 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
19825 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
19827 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
19831 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
19832 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
19833 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19837 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19838 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19840 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19841 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19842 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19843 non-@code{nil} value.
19845 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19846 operator, and various match operators.
19853 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19854 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19855 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19860 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19861 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19862 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19867 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19868 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19872 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19873 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19874 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19875 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19876 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19877 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19878 the ancestry you want to go.
19880 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19881 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19882 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19883 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19884 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19887 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19888 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19890 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19891 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19894 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19895 when he's talking about Gnus:
19899 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19900 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19906 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19910 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19917 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19918 really don't want to read what he's written:
19922 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19923 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19927 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19928 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19929 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19936 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19937 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19938 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19939 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19943 The possibilities are endless.
19946 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19947 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19949 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19950 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19951 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19952 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19953 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19954 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19955 @samp{subject}) first.
19957 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19958 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19969 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19970 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19976 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19983 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19984 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19989 @section Score Decays
19990 @cindex score decays
19993 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19994 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19995 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19996 use them in any sensible way.
19998 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19999 @findex gnus-decay-score
20000 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20001 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20002 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20003 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20004 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20005 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20006 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20007 definition of that function:
20010 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20012 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20013 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20016 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
20018 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20020 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20023 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20024 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20025 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20026 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20030 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20033 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20036 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20040 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20041 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20042 the new score, which should be an integer.
20044 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20045 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20050 @include message.texi
20051 @chapter Emacs MIME
20052 @include emacs-mime.texi
20054 @include sieve.texi
20064 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20065 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20066 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20067 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20068 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20069 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20070 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20071 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20072 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20073 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20074 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20075 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20076 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20077 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20078 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20079 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20080 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20081 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20082 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20086 @node Process/Prefix
20087 @section Process/Prefix
20088 @cindex process/prefix convention
20090 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20091 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20093 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20094 command to be performed on.
20098 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20099 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20100 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20101 with the current one.
20103 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20104 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20105 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20107 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20108 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20111 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20112 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20114 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20117 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20118 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20119 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20120 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20122 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20123 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20124 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20125 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20126 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20127 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20128 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20129 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20131 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20132 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20133 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20134 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20135 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20139 @section Interactive
20140 @cindex interaction
20144 @item gnus-novice-user
20145 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20146 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20147 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20148 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20149 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20152 @item gnus-expert-user
20153 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20154 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20155 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20156 matter how strange.
20158 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20159 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20160 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20161 is @code{t} by default.
20163 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20164 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20165 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20170 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20171 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20172 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20174 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20175 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20176 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20177 rule of 900 to the current article.
20179 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20180 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20181 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20182 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20183 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20184 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20185 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20187 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20188 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20189 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20190 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20191 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20192 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20193 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20194 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20195 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20197 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20198 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20199 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20201 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20205 @node Formatting Variables
20206 @section Formatting Variables
20207 @cindex formatting variables
20209 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20210 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20211 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20212 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20213 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20216 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20217 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20218 lots of percentages everywhere.
20221 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20222 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20223 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20224 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20225 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20226 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20227 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20228 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20231 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20232 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20233 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20234 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20235 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20236 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20237 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20238 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20240 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20241 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20243 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20244 @findex gnus-update-format
20245 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20246 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20247 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20248 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20252 @node Formatting Basics
20253 @subsection Formatting Basics
20255 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20256 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20257 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20259 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20260 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20261 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20262 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20263 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20266 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20267 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20268 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20269 less than 4 characters wide.
20271 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20272 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20275 @node Mode Line Formatting
20276 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20278 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20279 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20280 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20281 with the following two differences:
20286 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20289 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20290 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20291 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20292 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20293 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20294 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20295 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20300 @node Advanced Formatting
20301 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20303 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20304 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20305 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20306 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20308 These are the valid modifiers:
20313 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20317 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20322 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20325 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20330 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20333 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20336 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20339 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20345 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20350 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20351 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20352 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20353 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20354 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20355 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20356 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20358 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20359 last operation, padding.
20361 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
20362 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
20363 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
20364 @xref{Compilation}.
20367 @node User-Defined Specs
20368 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20370 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20371 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20372 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20373 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20374 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20375 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20376 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20377 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20378 should protect against that.
20380 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20381 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20383 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20384 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20385 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20386 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20390 @node Formatting Fonts
20391 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20393 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20394 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20395 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20396 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20399 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20400 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20401 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20402 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20403 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20404 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20406 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20407 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20408 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20409 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20410 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20411 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20412 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20413 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20414 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20415 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20416 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20419 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20422 ;; Create three face types.
20423 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20424 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20426 ;; We want the article count to be in
20427 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
20428 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
20429 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20431 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20432 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20434 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
20435 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20436 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20439 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20440 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20442 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20443 mode-line variables.
20445 @node Positioning Point
20446 @subsection Positioning Point
20448 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20449 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20450 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20452 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20454 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20455 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20456 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20458 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20459 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20460 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20465 @subsection Tabulation
20467 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20468 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20469 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20470 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20472 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
20473 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20475 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20476 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20477 This is the soft tabulator.
20479 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20480 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20481 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20484 @node Wide Characters
20485 @subsection Wide Characters
20487 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20488 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20489 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20491 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20492 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20493 these countries, that's not true.
20495 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20496 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20497 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20498 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20502 @node Window Layout
20503 @section Window Layout
20504 @cindex window layout
20506 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20508 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20509 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20510 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20511 @code{t} by default.
20513 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20514 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20516 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20517 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20518 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20521 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20522 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20523 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20527 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20528 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20529 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20530 possible names is listed below.
20532 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20533 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20536 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20540 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20541 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20542 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20543 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20544 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20545 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20546 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20547 size spec per split.
20549 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20550 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20551 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20552 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20553 present) gets focus.
20555 Here's a more complicated example:
20558 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20559 (summary 0.25 point)
20560 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20564 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20565 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20566 occupy, not a percentage.
20568 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20569 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20570 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20571 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20572 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20575 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20578 (article (horizontal 1.0
20583 (summary 0.25 point)
20588 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20589 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20591 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20592 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20593 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20594 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20595 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20597 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20598 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20599 lines from the splits.
20601 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20605 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20606 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20607 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20608 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20609 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20610 size = number | frame-params
20611 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20614 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20615 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20616 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20617 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20619 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20620 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20621 @cindex window height
20622 @cindex window width
20623 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20624 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20625 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20626 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20627 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20628 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20630 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20631 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20632 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20633 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20635 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20636 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20637 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20638 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20639 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20640 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20641 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20642 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20643 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20644 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20645 configuration list.
20648 (gnus-configure-frame
20652 (article 0.3 point))
20660 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20661 @code{frame} split:
20664 (gnus-configure-frame
20667 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20669 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20670 (user-position . t)
20671 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20676 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20677 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20678 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20679 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20680 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20681 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20682 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20683 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20685 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20686 be found in its default value.
20688 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20689 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20690 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20694 (message (horizontal 1.0
20695 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20697 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20702 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20703 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20704 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20709 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20710 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20711 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20712 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20713 (name . "Message"))
20714 (message 1.0 point))))
20717 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20718 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20719 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20720 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20721 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20724 (gnus-add-configuration
20725 '(article (vertical 1.0
20727 (summary .25 point)
20731 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20732 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20733 Gnus has been loaded.
20735 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
20736 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
20737 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
20738 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
20739 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
20741 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
20742 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
20743 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
20746 @subsection Example Window Configurations
20750 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
20751 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
20766 (gnus-add-configuration
20769 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20771 (summary 0.16 point)
20774 (gnus-add-configuration
20777 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20778 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
20784 @node Faces and Fonts
20785 @section Faces and Fonts
20790 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
20791 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
20792 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
20797 @section Compilation
20798 @cindex compilation
20799 @cindex byte-compilation
20801 @findex gnus-compile
20803 Remember all those line format specification variables?
20804 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
20805 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
20806 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
20807 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
20808 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
20811 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
20812 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
20813 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
20814 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
20815 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
20816 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
20817 them into the @file{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
20821 @section Mode Lines
20824 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
20825 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
20826 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
20827 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
20828 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
20829 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
20830 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
20833 @cindex display-time
20835 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
20836 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
20837 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
20838 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20839 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20840 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20841 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20842 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20845 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20847 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20848 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20850 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20851 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20852 (length display-time-string)))))
20855 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20856 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20857 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20858 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20859 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20862 @node Highlighting and Menus
20863 @section Highlighting and Menus
20865 @cindex highlighting
20868 @vindex gnus-visual
20869 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20870 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20871 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20874 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20875 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20878 @item group-highlight
20879 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20880 @item summary-highlight
20881 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20882 @item article-highlight
20883 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20885 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20887 Create menus in the group buffer.
20889 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20891 Create menus in the article buffer.
20893 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20895 Create menus in the server buffer.
20897 Create menus in the score buffers.
20899 Create menus in all buffers.
20902 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20903 buffers, you could say something like:
20906 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20909 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20912 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20915 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20916 in all Gnus buffers.
20918 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20921 @item gnus-mouse-face
20922 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20923 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20924 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20928 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20932 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20933 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20934 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20936 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20937 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20938 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20940 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20941 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20942 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20944 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20945 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20946 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20948 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20949 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20950 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20952 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20953 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20954 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20965 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20966 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20967 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20968 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20969 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20973 @vindex gnus-carpal
20974 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20975 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20976 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20981 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20982 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20983 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20985 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20986 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20987 Face used on buttons.
20989 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20990 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20991 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20993 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20994 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20995 Buttons in the group buffer.
20997 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20998 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20999 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21001 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21002 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21003 Buttons in the server buffer.
21005 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21006 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21007 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21010 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21011 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21012 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21020 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21021 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21022 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21023 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21024 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21026 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21027 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21028 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21030 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21031 been idle for thirty minutes:
21034 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21037 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
21041 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21044 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
21045 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21046 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21048 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21049 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21050 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21051 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21053 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21054 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21055 @var{idle} minutes.
21057 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21058 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21061 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21062 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21063 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21065 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21066 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21067 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21068 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21070 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21071 your @file{.gnus.el} file:
21073 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21075 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21078 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21079 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21080 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21081 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21082 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21083 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21084 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21085 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21086 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21087 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21088 @file{.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21090 @findex gnus-demon-init
21091 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21092 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21093 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21094 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21095 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21097 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21098 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21099 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21108 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21109 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21111 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21112 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21113 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21114 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21117 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21118 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21119 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21120 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21122 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21123 this will make spam disappear.
21125 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21128 @item gnus-use-nocem
21129 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21130 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21133 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21134 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21135 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21136 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21137 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
21139 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21140 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21141 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21142 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
21143 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
21144 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21146 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
21147 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21149 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21150 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21151 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21152 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21153 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21154 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21155 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21156 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21157 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21158 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21160 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21161 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21164 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21167 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21168 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21171 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21174 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21177 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21178 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21180 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21181 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21182 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21183 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21185 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21186 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21189 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21191 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21199 This might be dangerous, though.
21201 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21202 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21203 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
21204 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21206 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21207 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21208 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21209 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21210 might then see old spam.
21212 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21213 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21214 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21215 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21216 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21219 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21220 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21221 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21222 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21226 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21227 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21228 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21229 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21236 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21237 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21238 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21240 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21241 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21242 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21243 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21244 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21245 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21246 @code{undo} function.
21248 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21249 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21250 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21251 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21252 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21253 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21254 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21255 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21256 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21257 never be totally undoable.
21259 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21260 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21262 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21263 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21264 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21265 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21269 @node Predicate Specifiers
21270 @section Predicate Specifiers
21271 @cindex predicate specifiers
21273 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21274 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21275 to type all that much.
21277 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21282 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21283 gnus-article-unread-p)
21286 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21287 functions all take one parameter.
21289 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21290 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21291 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21292 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21297 @section Moderation
21300 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21301 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21302 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21305 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21309 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21312 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
21314 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21319 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21320 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21321 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21324 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21325 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21328 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21329 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21333 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21336 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21337 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21341 @node Image Enhancements
21342 @section Image Enhancements
21344 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
21345 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
21348 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21349 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21350 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21351 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21364 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21365 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
21366 over your shoulder as you read news.
21368 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21377 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21378 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21379 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21380 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21381 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21382 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21383 @code{GIF} formats.
21386 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21387 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21388 point your Web browser at
21389 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21391 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21392 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21394 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21395 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21398 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21402 @item gnus-picon-databases
21403 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21404 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21405 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21406 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21407 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21409 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21410 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21411 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21412 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21414 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21415 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21416 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21417 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21419 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21420 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21421 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21422 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21423 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21425 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21426 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
21427 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
21428 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your Emacs.
21433 @subsection Smileys
21438 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21443 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21444 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21446 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21447 @file{.gnus.el} file:
21450 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21453 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21454 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21455 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21456 text and maps that to file names.
21458 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21459 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21460 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21461 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21462 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21465 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21470 @item smiley-data-directory
21471 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21472 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21474 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21475 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21476 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21485 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21486 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21487 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21491 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21492 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
21493 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21494 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21502 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21503 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21504 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21505 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21507 The variable that controls this is the
21508 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21509 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21510 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21511 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21512 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21514 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21515 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21516 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21517 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21520 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21521 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21522 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21523 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21524 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21525 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21526 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21527 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21529 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21532 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21533 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21535 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21536 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21537 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21538 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21539 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21540 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21541 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21542 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21543 header data as a string.
21545 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21546 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21547 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21548 randomly generated data.
21550 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21551 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21552 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21553 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21554 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21556 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21557 like the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
21560 (setq message-required-news-headers
21561 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21562 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21565 Using the last function would be something like this:
21568 (setq message-required-news-headers
21569 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21570 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21571 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21572 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21577 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21580 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21581 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21582 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21583 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21584 unusual directory structure.
21586 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21587 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21588 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21589 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21591 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21592 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21593 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21594 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21595 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21596 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21598 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21599 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21600 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21605 @subsubsection Toolbar
21609 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21610 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21611 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21612 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21613 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21615 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21616 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21617 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21619 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21620 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21621 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21623 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21624 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21625 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21636 @node Fuzzy Matching
21637 @section Fuzzy Matching
21638 @cindex fuzzy matching
21640 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21641 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21643 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21644 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21645 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21647 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21648 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21649 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21650 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21651 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21654 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21655 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21659 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21661 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21662 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21663 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21664 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21665 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21666 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21667 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21668 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21671 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21672 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21673 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21674 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21675 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21676 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21678 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21681 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21682 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21683 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21684 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21685 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21686 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
21689 @node The problem of spam
21690 @subsection The problem of spam
21692 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21693 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21695 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21697 First, some background on spam.
21699 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21700 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21701 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21702 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21703 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21704 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21705 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21706 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21708 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21709 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21710 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21711 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21712 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21713 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21714 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21715 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21716 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21719 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21720 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21721 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21722 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21723 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21724 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21725 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21726 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21727 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21728 mail can be useful.
21730 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21731 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21732 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21733 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21734 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21735 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21736 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21737 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21738 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21740 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21741 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21742 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21743 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21744 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21745 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21746 because of the incident.
21748 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21749 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21750 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21751 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21752 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21753 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21754 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21755 to store the database of spam analyses.
21757 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21758 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21762 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21764 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21765 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21767 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21768 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21769 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21770 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21771 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21772 part of the mail address.)
21775 (setq message-default-news-headers
21776 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21779 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21780 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21785 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21786 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21787 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21793 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21794 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21795 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21796 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21798 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21799 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21800 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21801 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21802 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21803 your fancy split rule in this way:
21808 (to "larsi" "misc")
21812 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21813 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21814 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21815 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21816 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21818 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21819 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21820 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21821 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21822 cosmic balance somewhat.
21824 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21825 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21826 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21827 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21832 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21833 @cindex SpamAssassin
21834 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21837 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21838 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21839 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21840 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21841 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21842 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21843 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21845 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21846 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21847 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21848 Specifiers}) follows.
21852 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21855 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21858 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21859 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21860 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21863 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21867 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21870 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21871 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21875 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21876 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21877 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21878 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21881 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21883 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21885 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21886 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21888 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21890 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21891 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21895 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21896 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21897 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21900 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21901 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21903 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21904 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21905 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21909 @subsection Hashcash
21912 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21913 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21914 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21915 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21916 in smaller communities.
21918 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21919 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21920 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21921 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21922 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21923 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21924 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21925 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21926 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21927 one of them separately.
21930 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21931 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21932 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21933 header. For more details, and for the external application
21934 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21935 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21936 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21938 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21942 (require 'hashcash)
21943 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21946 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21947 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21948 development contrib directory.
21950 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21954 @item hashcash-default-payment
21955 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21956 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21957 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21958 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21960 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21961 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21962 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21963 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
21964 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
21965 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
21966 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
21967 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
21968 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21972 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21976 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21977 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21978 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21979 a useful contribution, however.
21981 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21982 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21983 @cindex spam filtering
21986 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21987 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21988 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
21989 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
21992 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21993 the following keyboard commands:
22003 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22004 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22006 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22007 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22008 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22009 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22015 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22016 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22018 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22024 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22025 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22028 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22029 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22030 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22031 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22032 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22033 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22034 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22035 will be detected later.
22037 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22038 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22039 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22040 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22041 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22042 by customizing the corresponding variable
22043 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22044 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22045 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22046 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22047 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22048 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22049 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22052 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22053 they get the @samp{$} mark when you enter the group. You must review
22054 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{$} mark for
22055 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
22056 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
22057 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
22058 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
22059 will study them as spam samples.
22061 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22062 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
22063 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22064 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22065 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22066 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22067 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22068 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
22070 @defvar spam-ham-marks
22071 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
22072 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
22073 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
22076 @defvar spam-spam-marks
22077 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
22078 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
22081 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22082 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22083 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22084 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22085 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22086 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22089 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22090 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22091 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22092 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22093 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22094 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22095 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22096 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
22097 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
22098 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
22099 parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
22101 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22102 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22104 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22105 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22106 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22107 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22108 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22109 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
22110 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
22111 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
22112 the spam articles are only expired.
22114 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22115 must add the following to your fancy split list
22116 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22122 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22123 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22124 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22126 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22127 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22128 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22129 but you can customize it.
22131 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22133 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22134 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22135 the headers. By default, the nnimap backend will only retrieve the
22136 message headers. If you use spam-check-bogofilter, spam-check-ifile,
22137 or spam-check-stat (the splitters that can benefit from the full
22138 message body), you should set this variable. It is not set by default
22139 because it will slow IMAP down.
22141 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22143 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
22144 into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
22145 longer spam or ham.}
22147 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22148 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22151 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
22152 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
22155 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22156 * BBDB Whitelists::
22158 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22160 * ifile spam filtering::
22161 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22162 * Extending the spam elisp package::
22165 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
22166 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
22167 @cindex spam filtering
22168 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
22169 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
22172 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
22174 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
22175 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
22176 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
22177 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
22182 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
22184 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
22185 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
22186 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22187 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
22188 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22192 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
22194 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
22195 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22196 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
22200 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
22202 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22203 customizing the group parameters or the
22204 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22205 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22206 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
22210 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
22212 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22213 customizing the group parameters or the
22214 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22215 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22216 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22217 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22218 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22222 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
22223 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
22224 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
22225 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
22226 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
22228 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
22229 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
22230 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
22231 Emacs regular expression syntax.
22233 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
22234 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
22235 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
22236 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
22237 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
22238 @file{blacklist} respectively.
22240 @node BBDB Whitelists
22241 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
22242 @cindex spam filtering
22243 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
22244 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
22247 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
22249 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22250 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
22251 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
22252 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
22253 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22254 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
22255 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22259 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
22261 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
22262 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22263 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
22264 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
22265 classified as spammers.
22269 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
22271 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22272 customizing the group parameters or the
22273 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22274 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22275 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22276 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22277 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22282 @subsubsection Blackholes
22283 @cindex spam filtering
22284 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
22287 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
22289 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
22290 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
22291 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
22292 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
22293 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
22294 contains outdated servers.
22296 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
22297 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
22298 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
22299 time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
22300 performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
22301 but you can try it and see if it works for you.
22305 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
22307 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
22311 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
22313 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
22314 blackhole server list. When set to nil, it has no effect.
22318 @defvar spam-use-dig
22320 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
22321 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
22325 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
22326 ham processor for blackholes.
22328 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
22329 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
22330 @cindex spam filtering
22331 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
22334 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
22336 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
22337 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
22338 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
22339 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
22340 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
22341 message is spam or ham, respectively.
22345 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
22347 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22348 the message, positively identify it as spam.
22352 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
22354 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22355 the message, positively identify it as ham.
22359 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
22360 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
22363 @subsubsection Bogofilter
22364 @cindex spam filtering
22365 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
22368 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
22370 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22373 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
22374 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
22375 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
22376 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
22377 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
22378 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
22380 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on an internal
22381 threshold, set at compilation time. That threshold can't be
22384 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
22385 processing will be turned off.
22387 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
22391 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
22393 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22394 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
22395 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
22396 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
22397 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
22398 installation documents for details.
22400 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
22404 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
22405 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22406 customizing the group parameters or the
22407 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22408 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
22409 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
22412 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
22413 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22414 customizing the group parameters or the
22415 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22416 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22417 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
22418 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22419 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22422 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
22424 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
22425 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
22426 database directory.
22430 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to ifile in intent and
22431 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22432 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
22433 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
22434 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
22435 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
22437 @node ifile spam filtering
22438 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
22439 @cindex spam filtering
22440 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
22443 @defvar spam-use-ifile
22445 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
22446 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
22450 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
22452 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
22453 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
22454 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
22458 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
22460 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
22461 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
22462 the default value of @samp{spam}.
22465 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
22467 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
22468 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
22472 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
22473 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22474 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
22475 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
22478 @node spam-stat spam filtering
22479 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
22480 @cindex spam filtering
22481 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
22485 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
22487 @defvar spam-use-stat
22489 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
22490 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
22494 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
22495 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22496 customizing the group parameters or the
22497 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22498 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22499 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
22502 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
22503 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22504 customizing the group parameters or the
22505 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22506 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22507 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
22508 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22509 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22512 This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
22513 provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
22514 Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
22515 processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
22518 @node Extending the spam elisp package
22519 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
22520 @cindex spam filtering
22521 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
22522 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
22524 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
22525 incoming mail, provide the following:
22533 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
22534 "True if blackbox should be used.")
22539 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
22541 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
22546 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
22547 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
22548 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
22550 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
22551 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
22552 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
22556 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
22563 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
22564 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
22567 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22568 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
22569 Only applicable to spam groups.")
22571 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22572 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
22573 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
22581 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
22582 (spam-generic-register-routine
22583 ;; the spam function
22585 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22586 (when (stringp from)
22587 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
22588 ;; the ham function
22591 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
22592 (spam-generic-register-routine
22593 ;; the spam function
22595 ;; the ham function
22597 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22598 (when (stringp from)
22599 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
22602 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
22603 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
22604 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
22605 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
22606 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
22607 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
22612 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22613 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22614 @cindex Paul Graham
22615 @cindex Graham, Paul
22616 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
22617 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
22618 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
22620 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
22621 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
22622 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
22623 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
22624 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
22625 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
22626 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
22627 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
22628 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
22631 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
22632 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
22633 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
22634 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
22635 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
22636 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
22637 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
22638 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
22640 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
22641 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
22642 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
22643 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
22644 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
22647 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
22648 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
22649 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
22652 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22653 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22655 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
22656 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
22657 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
22658 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
22659 need several hundred emails in both collections.
22661 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
22662 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
22663 per mail. Use the following:
22665 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
22666 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
22667 is treated as one spam mail.
22670 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
22671 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
22672 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
22675 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
22676 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
22677 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
22678 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
22679 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
22680 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
22682 When you are using IMAP, you won't have the mails available locally,
22683 so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent to cache
22684 the articles. Then you can use directories such as
22685 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
22686 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
22689 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
22690 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
22691 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
22692 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
22695 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
22696 reset the dictionary.
22698 @defun spam-stat-reset
22699 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
22702 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
22703 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
22704 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
22705 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
22706 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
22707 only non-spam mails.
22709 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
22710 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
22711 to update the dictionary incrementally.
22714 @defun spam-stat-save
22715 Save the dictionary.
22718 @defvar spam-stat-file
22719 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
22720 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
22723 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
22724 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
22726 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
22727 following to your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22730 (require 'spam-stat)
22734 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
22737 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
22738 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
22739 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
22740 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
22742 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
22743 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
22744 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
22745 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
22748 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22749 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22753 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
22754 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
22757 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
22758 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
22759 expression are considered potential spam.
22762 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22763 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22764 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22768 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
22769 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
22770 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
22771 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
22772 mails, when creating the dictionary!
22775 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22776 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22777 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22781 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
22782 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
22783 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
22784 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
22785 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
22789 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22790 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
22791 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22792 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22797 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22798 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22800 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
22802 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
22803 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
22804 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22807 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
22808 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
22809 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22812 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
22813 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
22814 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
22815 already been processed as non-spam.
22818 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
22819 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
22820 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
22821 been processed as spam.
22824 @defun spam-stat-save
22825 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
22826 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22829 @defun spam-stat-load
22830 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
22831 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22834 @defun spam-stat-score-word
22835 Return the spam score for a word.
22838 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
22839 Return the spam score for a buffer.
22842 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
22843 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
22844 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22847 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
22848 following in your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22851 (require 'spam-stat)
22855 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
22858 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22859 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22860 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22861 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22862 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22863 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22864 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22865 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22866 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22867 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22868 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22869 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22870 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22871 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22874 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
22877 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22878 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22879 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22880 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
22881 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22882 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22885 @node Various Various
22886 @section Various Various
22892 @item gnus-home-directory
22893 @vindex gnus-home-directory
22894 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
22895 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
22897 @item gnus-directory
22898 @vindex gnus-directory
22899 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
22900 this variable, which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment
22901 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
22903 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
22904 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
22905 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
22906 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
22908 @item gnus-default-directory
22909 @vindex gnus-default-directory
22910 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
22911 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
22912 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
22913 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
22914 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
22915 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
22918 @vindex gnus-verbose
22919 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
22920 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
22921 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
22922 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
22923 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
22925 @item gnus-verbose-backends
22926 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
22927 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
22928 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
22930 @item nnheader-max-head-length
22931 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
22932 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
22933 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
22934 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
22935 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
22936 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
22937 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
22938 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
22939 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
22941 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
22942 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
22943 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
22944 read when doing the operation described above.
22946 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22947 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22949 @cindex invalid characters in file names
22950 @cindex characters in file names
22951 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
22952 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
22953 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
22956 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22960 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
22961 Windows (phooey) systems.
22963 @item gnus-hidden-properties
22964 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
22965 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
22966 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
22967 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
22969 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
22970 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
22971 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
22972 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
22973 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
22975 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
22976 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
22977 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
22979 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22980 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22982 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
22983 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
22984 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
22985 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
22988 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
22996 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
22997 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
22999 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
23001 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
23007 Not because of victories @*
23010 but for the common sunshine,@*
23012 the largess of the spring.
23016 but for the day's work done@*
23017 as well as I was able;@*
23018 not for a seat upon the dais@*
23019 but at the common table.@*
23024 @chapter Appendices
23027 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
23028 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
23029 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
23030 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
23031 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
23032 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
23033 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
23034 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
23035 * Frequently Asked Questions::
23042 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
23044 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
23045 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
23046 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
23047 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
23048 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
23049 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
23056 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
23057 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
23059 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
23060 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
23061 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
23062 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
23063 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
23065 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
23066 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
23067 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
23068 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
23069 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
23070 appropriate name, don't you think?)
23072 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
23073 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
23074 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
23075 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
23078 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
23079 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
23080 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
23081 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
23082 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
23083 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
23084 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
23085 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
23086 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
23090 @node Gnus Versions
23091 @subsection Gnus Versions
23093 @cindex September Gnus
23095 @cindex Quassia Gnus
23096 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
23100 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
23101 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
23102 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
23104 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
23105 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
23107 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
23108 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
23110 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
23111 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
23113 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
23114 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
23117 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
23119 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
23120 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
23121 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
23122 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
23123 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
23124 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
23127 @node Other Gnus Versions
23128 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
23131 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
23132 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
23133 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
23134 @sc{mime} capabilities.
23136 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
23137 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
23138 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
23139 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
23146 What's the point of Gnus?
23148 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
23149 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
23150 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
23151 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
23152 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
23153 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
23154 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
23155 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
23156 keep track of millions of people who post?
23158 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
23159 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
23160 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
23161 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
23162 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
23163 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
23164 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
23165 every one of you to explore and invent.
23167 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
23168 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
23171 @node Compatibility
23172 @subsection Compatibility
23174 @cindex compatibility
23175 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
23176 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
23177 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
23182 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
23186 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
23189 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
23192 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
23193 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
23194 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
23195 important variables have their values copied into their global
23196 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
23197 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
23199 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
23200 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
23201 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
23202 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
23203 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
23207 @cindex highlighting
23208 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
23209 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
23210 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
23211 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
23212 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
23213 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
23216 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
23217 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
23218 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
23219 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
23221 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
23222 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
23223 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
23224 to stop doing it the old way.
23226 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
23228 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23230 @cindex reporting bugs
23232 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
23233 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
23234 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
23236 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
23237 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
23238 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
23239 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
23244 @subsection Conformity
23246 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
23247 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
23255 There are no known breaches of this standard.
23259 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
23261 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
23262 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
23263 We do have some breaches to this one.
23269 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
23270 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
23271 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
23272 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
23273 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
23278 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
23279 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
23280 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
23281 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
23283 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
23285 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
23287 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
23288 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
23290 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
23293 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
23294 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
23295 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
23296 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
23297 decoding (verification and decryption).
23299 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
23300 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
23301 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
23302 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
23304 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
23305 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
23307 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
23308 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
23309 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
23310 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
23311 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
23312 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
23313 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
23317 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
23318 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
23323 @subsection Emacsen
23329 Gnus should work on :
23337 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
23341 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
23342 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
23345 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
23346 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
23347 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
23351 @node Gnus Development
23352 @subsection Gnus Development
23354 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
23355 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
23356 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
23357 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
23358 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
23359 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
23360 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
23361 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
23363 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
23364 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
23365 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
23366 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
23367 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
23370 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
23371 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
23372 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
23373 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
23374 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
23376 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
23377 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
23378 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
23379 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
23380 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
23381 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
23382 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
23383 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
23384 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
23385 can't be assumed to do so.
23390 @subsection Contributors
23391 @cindex contributors
23393 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
23394 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
23395 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
23396 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
23397 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
23398 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
23399 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
23400 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
23401 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
23402 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
23404 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
23410 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
23413 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
23414 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
23415 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
23416 functionality and stuff.
23419 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
23420 well as numerous other things).
23423 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
23426 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
23429 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
23432 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
23435 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
23436 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
23439 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
23442 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
23443 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23446 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
23449 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
23452 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
23455 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
23458 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
23459 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
23462 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
23465 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
23468 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
23471 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
23475 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
23478 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
23481 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
23484 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
23485 well as autoconf support.
23489 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
23490 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
23492 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
23501 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
23505 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
23515 Alexei V. Barantsev,
23530 Massimo Campostrini,
23535 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
23536 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
23540 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
23543 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
23549 Michael Welsh Duggan,
23554 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
23558 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
23566 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
23568 Michelangelo Grigni,
23572 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
23574 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
23576 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
23583 François Felix Ingrand,
23584 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
23585 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
23587 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
23598 Peter Skov Knudsen,
23599 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
23601 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
23602 Thor Kristoffersen,
23605 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
23623 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
23624 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
23631 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
23636 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
23640 John McClary Prevost,
23646 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
23651 Christian von Roques,
23654 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
23661 Philippe Schnoebelen,
23663 Randal L. Schwartz,
23677 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
23682 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
23698 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
23703 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
23704 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
23705 (550kB and counting).
23707 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
23710 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
23711 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
23715 @subsection New Features
23716 @cindex new features
23719 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
23720 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
23721 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
23722 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
23723 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
23726 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
23727 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
23728 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
23731 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
23733 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
23738 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
23739 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
23742 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
23743 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
23746 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
23749 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
23750 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
23751 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
23754 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
23755 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
23756 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
23757 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23760 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
23761 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23764 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
23765 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
23766 (@pxref{The Active File}).
23769 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
23770 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
23773 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
23774 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
23775 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23778 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
23779 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
23780 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
23783 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus.el}) to avoid cluttering up
23784 the @file{.emacs} file.
23787 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
23788 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
23791 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
23792 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
23795 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
23796 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23799 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
23800 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
23803 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
23804 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23807 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
23810 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
23811 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
23814 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
23815 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
23818 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
23819 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
23822 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
23825 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
23826 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23829 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
23833 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
23837 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
23838 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
23841 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
23847 @node September Gnus
23848 @subsubsection September Gnus
23852 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
23856 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
23861 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
23862 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
23866 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
23867 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
23871 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
23875 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
23876 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
23879 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
23883 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23886 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
23889 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
23892 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
23896 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
23897 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
23900 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
23904 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
23908 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
23912 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
23916 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
23919 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
23920 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
23923 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
23927 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
23928 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
23931 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
23934 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
23935 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
23936 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23939 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
23943 The Gnus cache is much faster.
23946 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
23950 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
23951 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23954 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
23955 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
23958 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
23959 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
23962 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
23963 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
23964 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
23967 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
23968 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
23971 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
23974 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23977 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
23980 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
23983 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
23984 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
23987 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
23991 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
23994 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
23999 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
24002 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
24006 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24009 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
24013 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
24016 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
24019 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
24020 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24023 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
24024 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
24028 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
24029 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
24032 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
24036 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
24037 buffer to allow easier treatment.
24040 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
24043 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
24047 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
24051 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
24052 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
24055 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
24059 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
24060 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24063 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
24064 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24067 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
24071 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24074 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
24077 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
24083 @subsubsection Red Gnus
24085 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
24089 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
24096 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
24099 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
24100 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24103 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
24104 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
24108 Article washing status can be displayed in the
24109 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
24112 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
24115 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
24116 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
24119 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
24123 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
24124 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
24128 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
24129 Server Internals}).
24132 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
24136 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
24139 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
24140 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
24143 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
24144 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
24145 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
24148 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
24149 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24152 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
24153 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
24156 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
24160 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
24161 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24164 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
24165 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24168 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
24172 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
24175 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
24179 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
24180 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24183 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
24184 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24187 A new command for reading collections of documents
24188 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
24189 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
24192 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
24196 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
24197 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
24200 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
24201 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
24202 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
24205 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
24206 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
24210 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
24214 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
24218 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
24223 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
24227 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
24231 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
24232 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
24235 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
24241 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
24243 New features in Gnus 5.6:
24248 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
24249 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
24250 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
24253 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
24254 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
24255 group, which is created automatically.
24258 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
24262 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
24265 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
24266 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
24269 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
24273 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
24276 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
24277 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
24280 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
24283 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section ``Symbolic
24284 Prefixes'' in the Gnus manual for details.
24287 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
24288 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
24291 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
24292 control over simplification.
24295 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
24298 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
24302 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
24305 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
24308 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
24309 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
24310 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
24313 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
24314 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
24317 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
24321 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
24322 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
24325 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
24326 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
24329 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
24333 A history of where mails have been split is available.
24336 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
24339 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
24340 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
24343 A new function for citing in Message has been
24344 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
24347 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
24350 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
24354 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
24355 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
24358 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
24359 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
24362 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
24365 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
24369 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
24370 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
24372 New features in Gnus 5.8:
24377 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
24378 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
24380 If you used procmail like in
24383 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
24384 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
24385 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
24386 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
24389 this now has changed to
24393 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
24397 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
24398 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
24401 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
24402 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
24405 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
24406 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
24409 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
24410 called to position point.
24413 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
24414 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
24417 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
24418 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
24421 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
24422 subtly different manner.
24425 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
24426 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
24427 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
24430 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
24438 @section The Manual
24442 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
24443 either @code{texi2dvi}
24445 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
24446 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
24448 to get what you hold in your hands now.
24450 The following conventions have been used:
24455 This is a @samp{string}
24458 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
24461 This is a @file{file}
24464 This is a @code{symbol}
24468 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
24472 (setq flargnoze "yes")
24475 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
24478 (setq flumphel 'yes)
24481 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
24482 ever get them confused.
24486 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
24487 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
24488 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
24489 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
24490 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
24491 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
24492 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
24498 @node On Writing Manuals
24499 @section On Writing Manuals
24501 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
24502 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
24503 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
24504 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
24505 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
24506 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
24509 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
24510 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
24511 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
24514 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
24515 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
24520 @section Terminology
24522 @cindex terminology
24527 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
24528 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
24529 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
24530 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
24531 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
24535 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
24536 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
24537 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
24538 not posting, and replying is not following up.
24542 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
24546 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
24551 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
24552 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
24553 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
24554 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
24555 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
24556 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
24557 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
24558 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
24559 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
24561 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
24562 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
24563 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
24564 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
24565 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
24568 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
24569 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
24570 access the articles.
24572 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
24573 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
24574 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
24579 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
24580 default, way of getting news.
24584 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
24585 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
24590 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
24591 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
24595 A message that has been posted as news.
24598 @cindex mail message
24599 A message that has been mailed.
24603 A mail message or news article
24607 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
24612 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
24617 A line from the head of an article.
24621 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
24622 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
24626 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
24627 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
24628 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
24629 normal @sc{head} format.
24633 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
24634 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
24635 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
24636 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
24637 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
24638 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
24640 @item killed groups
24641 @cindex killed groups
24642 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
24643 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
24645 @item zombie groups
24646 @cindex zombie groups
24647 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
24650 @cindex active file
24651 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
24652 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
24653 is rather large, as you might surmise.
24656 @cindex bogus groups
24657 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
24658 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
24659 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
24662 @cindex activating groups
24663 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
24664 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
24665 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
24669 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
24671 @item select method
24672 @cindex select method
24673 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
24676 @item virtual server
24677 @cindex virtual server
24678 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
24679 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
24680 whole is a virtual server.
24684 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
24685 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
24688 @item ephemeral groups
24689 @cindex ephemeral groups
24690 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
24691 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
24692 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
24695 @cindex solid groups
24696 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
24697 group buffer are solid groups.
24699 @item sparse articles
24700 @cindex sparse articles
24701 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
24702 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
24706 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
24707 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
24711 @cindex thread root
24712 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
24713 articles in the thread.
24717 An article that has responses.
24721 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
24725 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
24726 specified by RFC 1153.
24732 @node Customization
24733 @section Customization
24734 @cindex general customization
24736 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
24737 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
24738 for some quite common situations.
24741 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
24742 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
24743 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
24744 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
24748 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
24749 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
24751 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
24752 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
24753 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
24757 @item gnus-read-active-file
24758 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
24759 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
24760 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24761 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
24762 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
24764 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
24765 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
24766 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
24767 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
24771 @node Slow Terminal Connection
24772 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
24774 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
24775 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
24776 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
24780 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
24781 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
24782 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
24783 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
24784 horizontal and vertical recentering.
24786 @item gnus-visible-headers
24787 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
24788 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
24789 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
24790 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
24792 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
24794 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
24795 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
24796 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
24799 @item gnus-use-full-window
24800 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
24801 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
24802 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
24803 want to read them anyway.
24805 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
24806 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
24810 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
24811 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
24812 lines, which might save some time.
24816 @node Little Disk Space
24817 @subsection Little Disk Space
24820 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
24821 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
24825 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
24826 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
24827 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24828 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24831 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
24832 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
24833 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24834 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24837 @item gnus-save-killed-list
24838 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
24839 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
24840 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
24841 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
24847 @subsection Slow Machine
24848 @cindex slow machine
24850 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
24851 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
24853 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24854 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
24856 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
24857 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
24858 summary buffer faster.
24862 @node Troubleshooting
24863 @section Troubleshooting
24864 @cindex troubleshooting
24866 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
24874 Make sure your computer is switched on.
24877 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
24878 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
24882 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
24883 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
24884 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
24885 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
24888 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
24892 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
24893 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
24894 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
24895 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
24896 something like that.
24899 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
24902 @cindex reporting bugs
24904 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24906 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
24907 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
24908 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
24909 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
24911 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
24912 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
24913 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
24914 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
24917 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
24918 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
24919 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
24920 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
24921 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
24922 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
24924 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
24925 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
24926 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
24930 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
24931 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
24934 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
24935 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
24936 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
24937 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
24938 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
24939 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
24940 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
24941 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
24942 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
24943 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
24944 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
24945 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
24946 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
24947 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
24952 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
24953 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
24954 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
24955 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
24956 helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
24957 the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
24958 documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
24959 that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
24960 interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
24961 gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET message}. Then perform
24962 the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
24963 then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
24964 If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
24965 slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
24966 wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
24967 elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
24968 profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
24969 Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
24971 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
24972 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
24974 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
24975 @cindex ding mailing list
24976 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@email{ding@@gnus.org}.
24977 Write to @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
24981 @node Gnus Reference Guide
24982 @section Gnus Reference Guide
24984 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
24985 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
24986 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
24987 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
24990 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
24991 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
24992 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
24993 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
24994 and general methods of operation.
24997 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
24998 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
24999 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
25000 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
25001 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
25002 * Group Info:: The group info format.
25003 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
25004 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
25005 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
25009 @node Gnus Utility Functions
25010 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
25011 @cindex Gnus utility functions
25012 @cindex utility functions
25014 @cindex internal variables
25016 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
25017 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
25018 Below is a list of the most common ones.
25022 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
25023 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
25024 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
25026 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
25027 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
25028 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
25030 @item gnus-group-real-name
25031 @findex gnus-group-real-name
25032 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
25035 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
25036 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
25037 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
25038 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
25040 @item gnus-get-info
25041 @findex gnus-get-info
25042 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
25044 @item gnus-group-unread
25045 @findex gnus-group-unread
25046 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
25050 @findex gnus-active
25051 The active entry for @var{group}.
25053 @item gnus-set-active
25054 @findex gnus-set-active
25055 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
25057 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
25058 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
25059 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
25062 @item gnus-continuum-version
25063 @findex gnus-continuum-version
25064 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
25065 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
25068 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
25069 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
25070 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
25072 @item gnus-news-group-p
25073 @findex gnus-news-group-p
25074 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
25076 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
25077 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
25078 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
25080 @item gnus-server-to-method
25081 @findex gnus-server-to-method
25082 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
25084 @item gnus-server-equal
25085 @findex gnus-server-equal
25086 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
25088 @item gnus-group-native-p
25089 @findex gnus-group-native-p
25090 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
25092 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
25093 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
25094 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
25096 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
25097 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
25098 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
25100 @item group-group-find-parameter
25101 @findex group-group-find-parameter
25102 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
25103 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
25105 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
25106 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
25107 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
25109 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
25110 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
25111 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
25113 @item gnus-check-backend-function
25114 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
25115 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
25116 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
25119 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
25123 @item gnus-read-method
25124 @findex gnus-read-method
25125 Prompts the user for a select method.
25130 @node Back End Interface
25131 @subsection Back End Interface
25133 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
25134 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
25135 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
25136 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
25137 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
25138 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
25140 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
25141 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
25142 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
25143 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
25144 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
25145 been opened, the function should fail.
25147 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
25148 name. Take this example:
25152 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
25153 (nntp-port-number 4324))
25156 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
25157 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
25159 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
25160 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
25161 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
25163 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
25164 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
25165 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
25167 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
25168 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
25169 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
25170 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
25171 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
25172 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
25175 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
25176 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
25177 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
25178 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
25181 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
25182 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
25183 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
25184 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
25185 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
25186 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
25187 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
25188 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
25189 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
25190 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
25192 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
25193 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
25194 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
25195 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
25196 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
25197 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
25198 of numbers as long as possible.
25200 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
25201 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
25202 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
25204 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
25207 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
25210 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
25211 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
25212 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
25213 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
25214 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
25215 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
25219 @node Required Back End Functions
25220 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
25224 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
25226 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
25227 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
25228 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
25229 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
25231 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
25232 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
25233 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
25234 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
25236 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
25237 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
25238 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
25239 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
25240 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
25241 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
25242 number, do maximum fetches.
25244 Here's an example HEAD:
25247 221 1056 Article retrieved.
25248 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
25249 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
25250 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
25251 Subject: Re: Something very droll
25252 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
25253 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
25255 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
25256 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
25257 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
25261 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
25262 these in the data buffer.
25264 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
25268 head = error / valid-head
25269 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
25270 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
25271 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
25272 header = <text> eol
25276 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
25278 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
25279 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
25283 nov-buffer = *nov-line
25284 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
25285 field = <text except TAB>
25288 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
25292 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
25294 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
25295 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
25297 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
25298 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
25299 server. In fact, it should do so.
25301 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
25302 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
25305 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
25307 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
25308 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
25311 There should be no data returned.
25314 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
25316 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
25317 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
25318 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
25319 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
25321 There should be no data returned.
25324 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
25326 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
25327 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
25328 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
25329 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
25331 There should be no data returned.
25334 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
25336 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
25338 There should be no data returned.
25341 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
25343 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
25344 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
25345 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
25346 it would be nice if that were possible.
25348 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
25349 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
25350 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
25351 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
25352 into its article buffer.
25354 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
25355 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
25356 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
25357 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
25358 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
25359 on successful article retrieval.
25362 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
25364 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
25365 making @var{group} the current group.
25367 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
25370 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
25373 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
25376 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
25377 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
25378 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
25379 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
25380 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
25381 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
25382 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
25383 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
25384 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
25388 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
25389 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
25390 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
25394 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
25396 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
25397 a no-op on most back ends.
25399 There should be no data returned.
25402 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
25404 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
25407 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
25410 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
25411 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
25414 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
25415 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
25416 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
25417 and the highest as 0.
25420 active-file = *active-line
25421 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
25423 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
25426 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
25427 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
25428 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
25431 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
25433 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
25434 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
25435 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
25436 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
25437 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
25438 clear if the posting could not be completed.
25440 There should be no result data from this function.
25445 @node Optional Back End Functions
25446 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
25450 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
25452 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
25453 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
25454 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
25456 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
25457 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
25458 former is in the same format as the data from
25459 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
25460 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
25463 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
25467 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
25469 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
25470 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
25471 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
25472 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
25473 should return a non-nil value.
25475 There should be no result data from this function.
25478 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
25480 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
25481 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
25482 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
25483 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
25484 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
25485 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
25486 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
25487 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
25489 There should be no result data from this function.
25492 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
25494 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
25495 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
25496 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
25497 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
25498 propagate the mark information to the server.
25500 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
25503 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
25506 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
25507 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
25508 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
25509 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
25510 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
25511 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
25512 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
25513 possible, not limit itself to these.
25515 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
25516 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
25517 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
25518 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
25520 An example action list:
25523 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
25524 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
25525 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
25528 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
25529 mark on (currently not used for anything).
25531 There should be no result data from this function.
25533 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
25535 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
25536 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
25537 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
25538 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
25539 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
25541 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
25542 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
25543 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
25546 There should be no result data from this function.
25549 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
25551 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
25552 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
25553 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
25554 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
25555 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
25556 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
25557 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
25559 There should be no result data from this function.
25562 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
25564 The result data from this function should be a description of
25568 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
25570 description = <text>
25573 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
25575 The result data from this function should be the description of all
25576 groups available on the server.
25579 description-buffer = *description-line
25583 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
25585 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
25586 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
25587 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
25588 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
25589 in the active buffer format.
25591 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
25592 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
25593 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
25594 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
25595 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
25596 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
25597 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
25600 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
25602 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
25604 There should be no return data.
25607 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
25609 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
25610 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
25611 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
25612 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
25613 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
25616 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
25619 There should be no result data returned.
25622 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
25624 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
25625 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
25627 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
25628 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
25629 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
25630 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
25631 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
25632 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
25634 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
25635 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
25638 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25639 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25641 There should be no data returned.
25644 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
25646 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
25647 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
25648 this function in short order.
25650 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25651 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25653 The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
25654 article for that group.
25656 There should be no data returned.
25659 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
25661 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
25662 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
25664 There should be no data returned.
25667 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
25669 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
25670 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
25671 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
25673 There should be no data returned.
25676 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
25678 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
25679 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
25681 There should be no data returned.
25686 @node Error Messaging
25687 @subsubsection Error Messaging
25689 @findex nnheader-report
25690 @findex nnheader-get-report
25691 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
25692 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
25693 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
25694 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
25695 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
25696 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
25699 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
25701 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
25704 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
25705 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
25706 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
25707 takes one argument---the server symbol.
25709 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
25710 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
25711 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
25714 @node Writing New Back Ends
25715 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
25717 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
25718 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
25719 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
25720 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
25721 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
25724 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
25725 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
25726 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
25728 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
25729 package called @code{nnoo}.
25731 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
25732 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
25738 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
25739 parameters. For instance:
25742 (nnoo-declare nndir
25746 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
25747 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
25750 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
25751 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
25752 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
25754 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
25755 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
25756 a function in those back ends.
25759 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25760 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25761 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25764 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
25765 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
25766 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
25768 @item nnoo-define-basics
25769 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
25773 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25777 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
25778 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
25779 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
25781 @item nnoo-map-functions
25782 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
25783 functions from the parent back ends.
25786 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25787 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25788 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
25791 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
25792 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
25793 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
25794 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
25797 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
25798 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
25799 haven't already been defined.
25805 nnmh-request-newgroups)
25809 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
25810 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
25811 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
25816 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
25819 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
25820 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25824 (require 'nnheader)
25828 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
25830 (nnoo-declare nndir
25833 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25834 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25835 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25837 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
25838 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
25841 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
25843 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
25844 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
25845 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
25847 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
25848 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
25850 ;;; Interface functions.
25852 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25854 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
25855 (setq nndir-directory
25856 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
25858 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
25859 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
25860 (push `(nndir-current-group
25861 ,(file-name-nondirectory
25862 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25864 (push `(nndir-top-directory
25865 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25867 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
25869 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25870 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25871 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25872 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
25873 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
25877 nnmh-status-message
25879 nnmh-request-newgroups))
25885 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25886 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25888 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
25889 @findex gnus-declare-backend
25890 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
25891 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
25892 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
25894 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
25895 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
25900 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
25903 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
25905 The abilities can be:
25909 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
25911 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
25913 This back end supports both mail and news.
25915 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
25918 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
25919 articles and groups.
25921 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
25922 true for almost all back ends.
25923 @item prompt-address
25924 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
25925 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
25926 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
25930 @node Mail-like Back Ends
25931 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
25933 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
25934 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
25935 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
25936 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
25939 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
25940 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
25941 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
25944 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
25945 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
25948 This function takes four parameters.
25952 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
25955 @item exit-function
25956 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
25958 @item temp-directory
25959 Where the temporary files should be stored.
25962 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
25963 performed for one group only.
25966 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
25967 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
25968 find the article number assigned to this article.
25970 The function also uses the following variables:
25971 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
25972 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
25973 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
25974 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
25978 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
25979 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
25983 @node Score File Syntax
25984 @subsection Score File Syntax
25986 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
25987 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
25988 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
25990 Here's a typical score file:
25994 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
26001 BNF definition of a score file:
26004 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
26005 element = rule / atom
26006 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
26007 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
26008 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
26009 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
26011 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
26012 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
26013 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
26014 date-header = "date"
26015 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26016 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26017 score = "nil" / <integer>
26018 date = "nil" / <natural number>
26019 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
26020 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
26021 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
26022 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
26023 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26024 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26025 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
26026 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26027 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
26028 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
26029 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
26030 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
26031 exclude-files / read-only / touched
26032 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
26033 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
26034 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
26035 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
26036 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
26037 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
26038 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
26039 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
26040 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
26041 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
26042 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
26043 eval = "eval" space <form>
26044 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
26047 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
26050 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
26051 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
26052 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
26053 one looong line, then that's ok.
26055 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
26056 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26060 @subsection Headers
26062 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
26063 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
26064 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
26065 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
26067 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
26068 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
26069 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
26070 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
26071 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
26072 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
26073 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
26075 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
26076 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
26077 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
26078 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
26079 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
26081 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
26082 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
26088 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
26089 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
26091 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
26092 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
26093 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
26094 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
26096 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
26100 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
26103 is transformed into
26106 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
26109 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
26110 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
26113 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
26116 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
26117 is slightly tricky:
26120 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
26126 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
26129 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
26135 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
26142 and is equal to the previous range.
26144 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
26145 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
26146 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
26150 range = simple-range / normal-range
26151 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
26152 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
26153 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
26154 number *[ " " contents ]
26157 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
26158 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
26159 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
26160 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
26161 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
26166 @subsection Group Info
26168 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
26169 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
26170 describes the group.
26172 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
26173 second is a more complex one:
26176 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
26178 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
26179 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
26181 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
26184 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
26185 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
26186 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
26187 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
26188 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
26189 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
26190 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
26191 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
26192 this section is about.
26194 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
26195 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
26196 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
26198 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
26201 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
26202 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
26203 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26204 group = quote <string> quote
26205 ralevel = rank / level
26206 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
26207 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
26208 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
26210 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
26211 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
26212 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
26213 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
26216 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
26217 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
26220 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
26221 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
26224 @item gnus-info-group
26225 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
26226 @findex gnus-info-group
26227 @findex gnus-info-set-group
26228 Get/set the group name.
26230 @item gnus-info-rank
26231 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
26232 @findex gnus-info-rank
26233 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
26234 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
26236 @item gnus-info-level
26237 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
26238 @findex gnus-info-level
26239 @findex gnus-info-set-level
26240 Get/set the group level.
26242 @item gnus-info-score
26243 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
26244 @findex gnus-info-score
26245 @findex gnus-info-set-score
26246 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
26248 @item gnus-info-read
26249 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
26250 @findex gnus-info-read
26251 @findex gnus-info-set-read
26252 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
26254 @item gnus-info-marks
26255 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
26256 @findex gnus-info-marks
26257 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
26258 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
26260 @item gnus-info-method
26261 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
26262 @findex gnus-info-method
26263 @findex gnus-info-set-method
26264 Get/set the group select method.
26266 @item gnus-info-params
26267 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
26268 @findex gnus-info-params
26269 @findex gnus-info-set-params
26270 Get/set the group parameters.
26273 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
26274 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
26276 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
26277 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
26278 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
26279 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
26282 @node Extended Interactive
26283 @subsection Extended Interactive
26284 @cindex interactive
26285 @findex gnus-interactive
26287 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
26288 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
26289 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
26292 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
26293 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
26298 The best thing to do would have been to implement
26299 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
26300 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
26301 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
26302 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
26303 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
26304 @code{interactive}.
26306 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
26311 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
26312 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
26316 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
26317 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
26318 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
26321 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
26325 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
26329 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
26335 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
26336 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
26340 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
26341 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
26342 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
26344 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
26345 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
26346 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
26347 Gnus, that's very useful.
26349 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
26350 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
26351 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
26352 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
26353 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
26354 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
26355 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
26356 following function:
26359 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
26363 (,function ,@@args))
26367 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
26368 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
26369 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
26372 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
26373 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
26374 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
26376 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
26377 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
26378 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
26381 @node Various File Formats
26382 @subsection Various File Formats
26385 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
26386 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
26390 @node Active File Format
26391 @subsubsection Active File Format
26393 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
26394 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
26397 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
26400 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
26401 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
26402 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
26403 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
26404 no.general 1000 900 y
26407 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
26410 active = *group-line
26411 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
26412 group = <non-white-space string>
26414 high-number = <non-negative integer>
26415 low-number = <positive integer>
26416 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
26419 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
26420 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
26423 @node Newsgroups File Format
26424 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
26426 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
26427 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
26428 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
26431 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
26432 Here's the definition:
26436 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
26437 group = <non-white-space string>
26439 description = <string>
26444 @node Emacs for Heathens
26445 @section Emacs for Heathens
26447 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
26448 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
26449 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
26450 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
26451 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
26452 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
26453 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
26457 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
26458 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
26463 @subsection Keystrokes
26467 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
26470 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
26473 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
26474 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
26475 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
26476 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
26477 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
26478 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
26480 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
26481 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
26482 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
26483 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
26484 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
26485 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
26486 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
26488 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
26489 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
26490 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
26491 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
26492 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
26493 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
26494 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
26496 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
26497 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
26498 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
26499 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
26500 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
26506 @subsection Emacs Lisp
26508 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
26509 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
26510 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
26511 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
26513 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
26514 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
26515 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
26516 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
26517 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
26518 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
26519 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
26522 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
26523 write the following:
26526 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
26529 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
26530 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
26531 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
26534 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
26535 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
26536 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
26537 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
26538 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
26540 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
26541 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
26542 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
26546 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
26550 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
26553 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
26554 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
26557 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
26560 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
26561 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
26564 @include gnus-faq.texi
26584 @c Local Variables:
26586 @c coding: iso-8859-1
26588 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
26589 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
26590 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
26591 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
26592 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref