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334 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
339 @setchapternewpage odd
346 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
348 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
354 @top The Gnus Newsreader
358 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
359 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
360 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
363 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.3.
374 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
375 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
377 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
378 being accused of plagiarism:
380 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
381 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
382 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
383 can even read news with it!
385 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
386 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
387 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
388 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
389 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
395 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
396 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
397 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
398 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
399 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
400 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
401 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
402 * Various:: General purpose settings.
403 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
404 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
405 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
406 * Key Index:: Key Index.
408 Other related manuals
410 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
411 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
412 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
413 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
414 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
417 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
421 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
422 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
423 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
424 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
425 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
426 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
427 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
428 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
429 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
430 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
431 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
435 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
436 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
437 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
441 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
442 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
443 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
444 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
445 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
446 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
447 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
448 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
449 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
450 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
451 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
452 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
453 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
454 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
455 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
456 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
457 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
461 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
462 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
463 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
467 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
468 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
469 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
470 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
471 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
475 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
476 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
477 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
478 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
479 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
483 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
484 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
485 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
486 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
487 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
488 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
489 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
490 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
491 * Threading:: How threads are made.
492 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
493 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
494 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
495 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
496 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
497 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
498 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
499 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
500 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
501 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
502 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
503 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
504 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
505 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
506 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
507 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
508 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
509 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
510 or reselecting the current group.
511 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
512 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
513 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
514 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
516 Summary Buffer Format
518 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
519 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
520 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
521 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
525 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
526 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
528 Reply, Followup and Post
530 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
531 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
532 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
533 * Canceling and Superseding::
537 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
538 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
539 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
540 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
541 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
542 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
546 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
547 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
549 Customizing Threading
551 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
552 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
553 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
554 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
558 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
559 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
560 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
561 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
562 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
563 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
567 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
568 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
569 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
573 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
574 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
575 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
576 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
577 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
578 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
579 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
580 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
581 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
582 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
583 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
585 Alternative Approaches
587 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
588 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
590 Various Summary Stuff
592 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
593 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
594 * Summary Generation Commands::
595 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
599 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
600 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
601 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
602 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
603 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
607 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
608 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
609 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
610 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
611 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
612 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
613 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
614 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
615 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
619 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
620 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
621 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
622 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
623 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
624 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
625 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
626 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
627 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
631 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
632 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
633 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
634 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
635 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
636 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
637 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
641 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
642 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
646 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
647 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
648 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
649 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
653 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
654 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
655 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
656 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
657 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
658 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
659 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
660 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
661 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
662 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
663 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
664 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
665 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
669 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
670 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
671 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
673 Choosing a Mail Back End
675 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
676 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
677 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
678 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
679 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
680 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
681 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
686 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
687 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
688 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
689 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
690 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
691 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
695 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
696 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
697 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
698 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
699 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
700 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
704 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
705 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
706 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
707 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
708 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
712 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
716 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
717 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
718 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
722 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
723 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
727 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
728 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
729 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
733 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
734 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
735 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
737 The Gnus Diary Library
739 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
740 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
741 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
742 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
746 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
747 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
748 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
749 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
750 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
751 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
752 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
753 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
754 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
755 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
756 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
757 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
758 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
762 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
763 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
764 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
768 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
769 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
770 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
774 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
775 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
776 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
777 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
778 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
779 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
780 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
781 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
782 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
783 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
784 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
785 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
786 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
787 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
788 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
789 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
793 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
794 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
795 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
799 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
800 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
801 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
802 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
803 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
804 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
805 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
806 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
807 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
808 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
809 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
810 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
811 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
812 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
813 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
814 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
815 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
816 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
817 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
818 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
822 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
823 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
824 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
825 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
826 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
827 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
828 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
829 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
833 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
834 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
835 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
836 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
837 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
841 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
842 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
843 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
844 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
845 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
846 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
848 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
850 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
851 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
852 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
853 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
854 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
856 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
857 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
859 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
861 * SpamAssassin back end::
862 * ifile spam filtering::
863 * spam-stat spam filtering::
865 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
867 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
869 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
870 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
871 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
875 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
876 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
877 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
878 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
879 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
880 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
881 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
882 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
883 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
887 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
888 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
889 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
890 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
891 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
892 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
893 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
894 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
895 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
899 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
900 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
901 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
902 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
903 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
904 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
905 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
909 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
910 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
911 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
912 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
916 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
917 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
918 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
919 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
920 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
921 * Group Info:: The group info format.
922 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
923 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
924 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
928 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
929 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
930 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
931 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
932 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
933 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
937 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
938 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
942 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
943 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
949 @chapter Starting Gnus
954 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
955 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
958 @findex gnus-other-frame
959 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
960 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
961 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
963 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
964 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
965 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
967 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
968 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
971 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
972 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
973 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
974 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
975 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
976 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
977 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
978 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
979 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
980 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
984 @node Finding the News
985 @section Finding the News
988 @vindex gnus-select-method
990 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
991 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
992 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
993 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
996 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
997 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1000 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1003 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1006 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1009 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1010 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1011 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1012 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1014 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1016 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1017 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1018 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1019 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1020 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1021 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1022 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1024 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1025 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1026 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1027 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1029 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1030 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1031 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1032 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1033 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1034 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1035 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1036 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1037 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1040 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1042 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1043 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1044 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1045 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1046 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1047 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1049 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1051 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1052 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1053 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1054 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1055 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1056 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1059 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1060 you would typically set this variable to
1063 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1066 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1067 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1068 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1069 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1072 @node The First Time
1073 @section The First Time
1074 @cindex first time usage
1076 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1077 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1079 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1080 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1081 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1082 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1085 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1086 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1087 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1089 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1090 help you with most common problems.
1092 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1093 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1097 @node The Server is Down
1098 @section The Server is Down
1099 @cindex server errors
1101 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1102 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1103 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1105 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1106 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1107 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1108 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1109 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1110 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1111 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1113 @findex gnus-no-server
1114 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1116 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1117 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1118 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1119 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1120 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1121 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1122 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1126 @section Slave Gnusae
1129 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1130 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1131 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1132 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1134 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1135 @file{.newsrc} file.
1137 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1138 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1139 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1140 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1141 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1142 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1143 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1146 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1147 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1148 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1149 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1150 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1151 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1152 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1153 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1155 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1156 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1158 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1159 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1160 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1161 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1162 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1169 @cindex subscription
1171 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1172 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1173 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1174 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1175 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1176 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1177 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1178 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1179 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1182 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1183 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1184 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1188 @node Checking New Groups
1189 @subsection Checking New Groups
1191 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1192 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1193 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1194 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1195 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1196 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1197 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1198 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1199 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1200 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1202 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1203 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1204 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1205 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1206 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1207 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1208 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1209 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1210 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1211 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1212 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1214 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1215 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1216 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1217 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1218 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1219 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1222 @node Subscription Methods
1223 @subsection Subscription Methods
1225 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1226 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1227 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1229 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1230 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1232 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1236 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1237 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1238 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1239 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1240 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1242 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1243 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1244 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1245 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1247 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1248 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1249 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1251 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1252 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1253 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1254 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1255 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1256 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1257 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1258 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1259 up. Or something like that.
1261 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1262 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1263 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1264 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1265 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1267 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1268 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1269 Kill all new groups.
1271 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1272 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1273 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1274 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1275 topic parameter that looks like
1281 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1284 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1289 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1290 A closely related variable is
1291 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1292 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1293 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1294 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1297 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1298 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1299 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1300 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1303 @node Filtering New Groups
1304 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1306 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1307 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1308 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1311 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1314 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1315 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1316 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1317 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1318 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1319 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1320 subscribing these groups.
1321 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1322 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1324 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1325 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1326 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1327 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1328 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1329 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1330 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1331 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1333 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1334 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1335 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1336 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1337 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1338 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1339 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1340 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1341 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1342 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1345 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1346 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1349 @node Changing Servers
1350 @section Changing Servers
1351 @cindex changing servers
1353 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1354 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1355 very flaky and you want to use another.
1357 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1358 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1362 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1363 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1364 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1365 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1368 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1369 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1370 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1371 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1373 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1374 @findex gnus-change-server
1375 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1376 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1377 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1378 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1379 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1381 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1382 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1383 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1384 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1385 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1387 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1388 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1389 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1390 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1391 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1392 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1394 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1395 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1396 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1397 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1399 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1400 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1401 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1402 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1403 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1404 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1405 cache for all groups).
1409 @section Startup Files
1410 @cindex startup files
1415 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1416 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1417 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1420 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1421 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1422 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1423 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1424 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1425 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1426 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1428 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1429 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1430 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1431 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1432 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1433 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1435 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1436 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1437 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1438 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1439 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1440 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1441 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1442 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1443 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1444 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1445 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1448 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1449 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1450 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1451 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1452 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1453 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1454 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1455 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1456 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1457 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1458 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1459 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1461 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1462 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1463 @vindex version-control
1464 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1465 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1466 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1467 If you want version control for this file, set
1468 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1469 @code{version-control} variable.
1471 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1472 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1473 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1474 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1475 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1476 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1477 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1478 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1479 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1480 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1483 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1484 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1486 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1487 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1490 @vindex gnus-init-file
1491 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1492 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1493 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1494 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1495 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1496 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1497 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1498 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1499 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1500 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1501 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1502 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1503 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1508 @cindex dribble file
1511 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1512 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1513 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1514 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1515 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1518 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1519 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1522 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1523 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1524 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1526 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1527 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1528 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1529 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1530 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1531 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1533 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1534 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1535 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1538 @node The Active File
1539 @section The Active File
1541 @cindex ignored groups
1543 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1544 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1545 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1547 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1548 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1549 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1550 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1551 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1552 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1553 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1556 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1557 @c if you set it to anything else.
1559 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1561 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1562 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1563 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1565 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1566 you actually subscribe to.
1568 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1569 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1570 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1571 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1573 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1574 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1575 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1576 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1577 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1578 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1580 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1581 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1582 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1585 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1586 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1587 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1588 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1589 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1590 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1592 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1593 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1595 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1596 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1598 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1599 secondary select methods.
1602 @node Startup Variables
1603 @section Startup Variables
1607 @item gnus-load-hook
1608 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1609 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1610 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1611 times you start Gnus.
1613 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1614 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1615 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1617 @item gnus-startup-hook
1618 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1619 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1621 @item gnus-started-hook
1622 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1623 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1626 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1627 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1628 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1629 generating the group buffer.
1631 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1632 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1633 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1634 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1635 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1636 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1637 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1638 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1640 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1641 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1642 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1643 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1644 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1645 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1647 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1648 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1649 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1651 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1652 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1653 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1655 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1656 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1657 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1658 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1664 @chapter Group Buffer
1665 @cindex group buffer
1667 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1669 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1670 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1671 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1672 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1673 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1674 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1675 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1676 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1677 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1678 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1679 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1680 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1681 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1682 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1683 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1684 @c human rights at 9...
1687 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1688 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1689 long as Gnus is active.
1693 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1694 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1695 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1696 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1697 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1698 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1699 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1700 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1706 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1707 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1708 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1709 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1710 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1711 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1712 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1713 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1714 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1715 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1716 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1717 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1718 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1719 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1720 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1721 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1722 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1726 @node Group Buffer Format
1727 @section Group Buffer Format
1730 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1731 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1732 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1736 @node Group Line Specification
1737 @subsection Group Line Specification
1738 @cindex group buffer format
1740 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1741 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1743 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1746 25: news.announce.newusers
1747 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1752 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1753 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1754 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1755 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1757 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1758 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1759 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1760 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1761 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1762 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1764 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1766 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1767 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1768 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1769 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1770 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1772 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1773 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1774 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1776 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1781 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1784 Whether the group is subscribed.
1787 Level of subscribedness.
1790 Number of unread articles.
1793 Number of dormant articles.
1796 Number of ticked articles.
1799 Number of read articles.
1802 Number of unseen articles.
1805 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1806 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1808 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1809 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1810 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1811 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1812 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1813 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1814 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1815 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1818 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1821 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1830 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1831 comment element in the group parameters.
1834 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1835 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1836 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1840 @samp{m} if moderated.
1843 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1849 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1855 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1859 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1862 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1863 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1864 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1865 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1866 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1869 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1871 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1875 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1878 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1882 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1883 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1884 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1885 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1888 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1889 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1890 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1891 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1892 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1893 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1898 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1899 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1900 group, or a bogus native group.
1903 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1904 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1905 @cindex group mode line
1907 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1908 The mode line can be changed by setting
1909 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1910 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1914 The native news server.
1916 The native select method.
1920 @node Group Highlighting
1921 @subsection Group Highlighting
1922 @cindex highlighting
1923 @cindex group highlighting
1925 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1926 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1927 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1928 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1929 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1931 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1935 (cond (window-system
1936 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1937 (defface my-group-face-1
1938 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1939 (defface my-group-face-2
1940 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1941 "Second group face")
1942 (defface my-group-face-3
1943 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1944 (defface my-group-face-4
1945 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1946 (defface my-group-face-5
1947 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1949 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1950 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1951 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1952 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1953 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1954 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1957 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1959 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1966 The number of unread articles in the group.
1970 Whether the group is a mail group.
1972 The level of the group.
1974 The score of the group.
1976 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1978 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1979 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1981 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1982 topic being inserted.
1985 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1986 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1987 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1989 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1990 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1991 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1992 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1993 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1996 @node Group Maneuvering
1997 @section Group Maneuvering
1998 @cindex group movement
2000 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2001 expected, hopefully.
2007 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2008 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2009 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2015 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2016 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2017 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2021 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2022 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2026 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2027 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2031 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2032 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2033 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2037 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2038 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2039 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2042 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2048 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2049 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2050 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2055 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2056 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2057 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2061 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2062 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2063 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2066 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2067 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2068 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2069 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2073 @node Selecting a Group
2074 @section Selecting a Group
2075 @cindex group selection
2080 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2081 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2082 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2083 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2084 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2085 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2086 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2087 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2088 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2089 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2091 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2092 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2093 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2095 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2096 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2101 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2102 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2103 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2104 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2105 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2109 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2110 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2111 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2112 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2113 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2114 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2115 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2116 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2117 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2118 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2121 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2122 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2123 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2124 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2125 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2128 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2129 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2130 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2131 doing any processing of its contents
2132 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2133 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2134 manner will have no permanent effects.
2138 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2139 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2140 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2141 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2142 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2143 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2144 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2145 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2146 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2147 most recently will be fetched.
2149 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2150 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2151 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2154 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2155 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2156 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2157 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2158 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2159 Which article this is is controlled by the
2160 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2166 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2169 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2172 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2174 @item unseen-or-unread
2175 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2176 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2180 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2184 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2185 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2187 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2188 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2189 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2190 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2194 @node Subscription Commands
2195 @section Subscription Commands
2196 @cindex subscription
2204 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2205 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2206 Toggle subscription to the current group
2207 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2213 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2214 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2215 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2216 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2222 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2223 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2224 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2230 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2231 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2234 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2235 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2236 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2237 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2238 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2244 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2245 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2249 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2250 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2253 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2254 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2255 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2256 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2257 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2258 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2259 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2260 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2261 @file{.newsrc} file.
2265 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2275 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2276 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2277 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2278 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2279 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2280 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2285 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2286 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2287 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2291 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2292 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2293 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2295 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2296 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2297 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2298 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2299 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2300 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2307 @section Group Levels
2311 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2312 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2313 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2314 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2315 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2317 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2323 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2324 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2325 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2326 prompted for a level.
2329 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2330 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2331 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2332 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2333 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2334 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2335 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2336 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2337 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2338 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2339 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2340 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2341 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2342 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2343 reasons of efficiency.
2345 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2346 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2348 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2349 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2350 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2351 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2352 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2353 groups are hidden, in a way.
2355 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2356 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2357 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2358 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2359 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2360 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2362 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2363 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2364 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2365 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2366 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2367 list of killed groups.)
2369 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2370 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2371 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2373 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2374 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2375 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2376 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2377 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2378 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2379 relevant valid ranges.
2381 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2382 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2383 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2384 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2385 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2386 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2389 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2390 one with the best level.
2392 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2393 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2394 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2397 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2398 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2399 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2400 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2403 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2404 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2405 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2406 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2408 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2409 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2410 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2411 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2412 to 5. The default is 6.
2416 @section Group Score
2421 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2422 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2423 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2426 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2427 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2428 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2429 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2430 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2431 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2432 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2433 least significant part.))
2435 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2436 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2437 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2438 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2439 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2440 action after each summary exit, you can add
2441 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2442 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2443 slow things down somewhat.
2446 @node Marking Groups
2447 @section Marking Groups
2448 @cindex marking groups
2450 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2451 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2452 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2453 bidding on those groups.
2455 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2456 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2457 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2465 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2466 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2472 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2473 Remove the mark from the current group
2474 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2478 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2479 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2483 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2484 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2488 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2489 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2493 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2494 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2495 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2498 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2500 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2501 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2502 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2503 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2504 the command to be executed.
2507 @node Foreign Groups
2508 @section Foreign Groups
2509 @cindex foreign groups
2511 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2512 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2513 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2514 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2521 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2522 @cindex making groups
2523 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2524 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2525 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2529 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2530 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2531 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2535 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2536 @cindex renaming groups
2537 Rename the current group to something else
2538 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2539 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2545 @findex gnus-group-customize
2546 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2550 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2551 @cindex renaming groups
2552 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2553 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2557 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2558 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2559 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2563 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2564 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2565 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2569 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2571 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2572 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2577 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2578 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2582 @cindex (ding) archive
2583 @cindex archive group
2584 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2585 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2586 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2587 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2588 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2589 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2590 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2594 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2596 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2597 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2598 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2599 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2603 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2605 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2606 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2607 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2611 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2612 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2614 Make a group based on some file or other
2615 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2616 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2617 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2618 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2619 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2620 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2621 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2622 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2623 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2627 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2628 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2629 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2630 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2634 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2638 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2639 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2640 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2641 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2642 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2643 @xref{Web Searches}.
2645 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2646 to a particular group by using a match string like
2647 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2651 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2652 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2653 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2657 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2658 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2659 This function will delete the current group
2660 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2661 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2662 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2663 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2664 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2668 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2669 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2670 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2674 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2675 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2676 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2679 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2682 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2683 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2684 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2685 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2686 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2687 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2691 @node Group Parameters
2692 @section Group Parameters
2693 @cindex group parameters
2695 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2696 Here's an example group parameter list:
2699 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2703 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2704 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2705 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2706 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2708 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2709 is an alist of regexps and values.
2711 The following group parameters can be used:
2716 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2719 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2722 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2723 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2724 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2725 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2726 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2728 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2729 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2730 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2731 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2732 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2733 list address instead.
2735 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2739 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2742 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2745 It is totally ignored
2746 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2747 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2749 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2750 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2751 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2752 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2753 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2755 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2756 @cindex mail list groups
2757 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2758 entering summary buffer.
2760 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2765 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2766 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2767 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2768 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2769 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2770 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2771 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2772 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2775 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2776 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2779 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2780 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2784 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2785 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2786 of whether it has any unread articles.
2788 @item broken-reply-to
2789 @cindex broken-reply-to
2790 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2791 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2792 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2793 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2794 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2795 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2799 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2800 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2804 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2805 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2806 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2811 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2812 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2813 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2814 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2815 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2816 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2817 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2819 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2820 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2821 doesn't accept articles.
2825 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2826 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2827 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2829 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2832 @cindex total-expire
2833 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2834 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2835 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2836 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2839 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2843 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2844 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2845 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2846 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2847 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2848 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2849 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2852 @cindex expiry-target
2853 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2854 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2857 @cindex score file group parameter
2858 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2859 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2860 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2863 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2864 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2865 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2866 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2869 @cindex admin-address
2870 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2871 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2872 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2873 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2877 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2878 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2882 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2885 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2886 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2889 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2893 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2895 Here are some examples:
2899 Display only unread articles.
2902 Display everything except expirable articles.
2904 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2905 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2909 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2910 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2911 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2912 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2913 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2917 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2918 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2919 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2923 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2924 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2925 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2929 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2930 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2931 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2933 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2935 @item ignored-charsets
2936 @cindex ignored-charset
2937 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2938 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2939 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2941 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2944 @cindex posting-style
2945 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2946 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2947 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2948 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2949 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2951 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2952 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2953 like this in the group parameters:
2958 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2959 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2964 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2965 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2969 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2970 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2971 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2972 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2973 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2977 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2978 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2979 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2980 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2982 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2983 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2984 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2985 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2988 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
2989 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
2993 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
2994 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
2995 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
2996 like the following is generated:
2999 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3000 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3004 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3005 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3007 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3008 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3010 @item (agent parameters)
3011 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3012 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3013 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3014 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3015 minimize the configuration effort.
3017 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3018 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3019 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3020 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3021 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3022 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3023 @code{eval}ed there.
3025 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3026 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3027 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3028 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3029 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3030 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3031 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3032 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3035 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3038 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3039 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3040 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3043 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3046 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3047 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3048 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3049 into the group parameters for the group.
3051 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3052 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3053 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3054 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3057 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3058 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3059 following is added to a group parameter
3062 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3063 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3066 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3071 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3072 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3073 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3074 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3075 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3077 @vindex gnus-parameters
3078 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3079 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3083 (setq gnus-parameters
3085 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3086 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3087 (gnus-summary-line-format
3088 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3092 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3096 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3100 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3103 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3104 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3107 @node Listing Groups
3108 @section Listing Groups
3109 @cindex group listing
3111 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3119 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3120 List all groups that have unread articles
3121 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3122 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3123 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3124 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3131 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3132 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3133 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3134 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3135 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3136 unsubscribed groups).
3140 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3141 List all unread groups on a specific level
3142 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3143 with no unread articles.
3147 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3148 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3149 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3150 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3155 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3156 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3160 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3161 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3162 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3166 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3167 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3171 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3172 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3173 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3174 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3175 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3176 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3177 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3178 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3182 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3183 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3184 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3188 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3189 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3190 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3194 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3195 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3199 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3200 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3204 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3205 List groups limited within the current selection
3206 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3210 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3211 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3215 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3216 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3220 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3221 @cindex visible group parameter
3222 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3223 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3224 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3225 get the same effect.
3227 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3228 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3229 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3230 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3231 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3234 @node Sorting Groups
3235 @section Sorting Groups
3236 @cindex sorting groups
3238 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3239 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3240 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3241 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3242 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3243 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3248 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3249 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3250 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3252 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3253 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3254 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3256 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3257 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3258 Sort by group level.
3260 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3261 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3262 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3264 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3265 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3266 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3267 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3269 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3270 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3271 Sort by number of unread articles.
3273 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3274 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3275 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3277 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3278 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3279 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3284 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3285 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3289 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3290 some sorting criteria:
3294 @kindex G S a (Group)
3295 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3296 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3297 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3300 @kindex G S u (Group)
3301 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3302 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3303 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3306 @kindex G S l (Group)
3307 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3308 Sort the group buffer by group level
3309 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3312 @kindex G S v (Group)
3313 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3314 Sort the group buffer by group score
3315 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3318 @kindex G S r (Group)
3319 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3320 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3321 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3324 @kindex G S m (Group)
3325 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3326 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3327 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3330 @kindex G S n (Group)
3331 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3332 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3333 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3337 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3338 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3340 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3341 commands will sort in reverse order.
3343 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3347 @kindex G P a (Group)
3348 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3349 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3350 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3353 @kindex G P u (Group)
3354 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3355 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3356 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3359 @kindex G P l (Group)
3360 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3361 Sort the groups by group level
3362 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3365 @kindex G P v (Group)
3366 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3367 Sort the groups by group score
3368 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3371 @kindex G P r (Group)
3372 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3373 Sort the groups by group rank
3374 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3377 @kindex G P m (Group)
3378 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3379 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3380 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3383 @kindex G P n (Group)
3384 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3385 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3386 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3389 @kindex G P s (Group)
3390 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3391 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3395 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3399 @node Group Maintenance
3400 @section Group Maintenance
3401 @cindex bogus groups
3406 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3407 Find bogus groups and delete them
3408 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3412 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3413 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3414 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3415 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3416 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3420 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3421 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3422 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3423 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3424 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3425 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3428 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3429 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3430 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3431 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3436 @node Browse Foreign Server
3437 @section Browse Foreign Server
3438 @cindex foreign servers
3439 @cindex browsing servers
3444 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3445 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3446 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3447 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3450 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3451 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3452 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3453 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3455 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3460 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3461 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3465 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3466 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3469 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3470 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3471 Enter the current group and display the first article
3472 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3475 @kindex RET (Browse)
3476 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3477 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3481 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3482 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3483 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3489 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3490 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3494 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3495 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3499 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3500 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3501 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3506 @section Exiting Gnus
3507 @cindex exiting Gnus
3509 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3514 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3515 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3516 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3517 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3521 @findex gnus-group-exit
3522 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3523 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3527 @findex gnus-group-quit
3528 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3529 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3532 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3533 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3534 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3535 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3536 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3537 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3543 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3544 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3545 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3551 @section Group Topics
3554 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3555 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3556 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3557 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3558 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3559 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3563 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3564 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3575 2: alt.religion.emacs
3578 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3580 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3581 13: comp.sources.unix
3584 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3586 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3587 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3588 is a toggling command.)
3590 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3591 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3592 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3593 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3596 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3597 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3598 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3601 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3605 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3606 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3607 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3608 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3609 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3613 @node Topic Commands
3614 @subsection Topic Commands
3615 @cindex topic commands
3617 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3618 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3619 definitions slightly.
3621 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3622 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3623 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3624 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3625 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3626 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3628 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3635 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3636 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3637 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3641 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3643 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3644 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3645 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3646 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3649 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3650 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3651 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3652 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3656 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3657 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3658 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3659 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3665 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3666 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3667 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3671 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3672 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3673 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3676 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3677 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3678 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3679 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3680 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3682 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3683 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3687 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3688 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3695 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3697 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3698 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3699 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3700 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3701 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3702 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3706 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3712 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3713 Move the current group to some other topic
3714 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3715 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3719 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3720 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3724 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3725 Copy the current group to some other topic
3726 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3727 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3731 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3732 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3733 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3737 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3738 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3739 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3743 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3744 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3745 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3746 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3747 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3748 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3749 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3752 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3753 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3757 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3758 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3759 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3763 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3764 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3765 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3769 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3770 Toggle hiding empty topics
3771 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3775 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3776 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3777 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3778 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3781 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3782 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3783 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3784 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3785 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3788 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3789 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3790 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3791 expiry process (if any)
3792 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3796 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3797 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3800 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3801 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3802 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3806 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3807 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3808 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3811 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3812 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3813 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3816 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3817 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3818 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3822 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3823 @cindex group parameters
3824 @cindex topic parameters
3826 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3827 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3832 @node Topic Variables
3833 @subsection Topic Variables
3834 @cindex topic variables
3836 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3837 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3839 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3840 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3841 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3854 Number of groups in the topic.
3856 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3858 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3861 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3862 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3863 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3866 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3867 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3869 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3870 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3871 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3875 @subsection Topic Sorting
3876 @cindex topic sorting
3878 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3884 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3885 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3886 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3887 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3890 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3891 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3892 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3893 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3896 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3897 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3898 Sort the current topic by group level
3899 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3902 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3903 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3904 Sort the current topic by group score
3905 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3908 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3909 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3910 Sort the current topic by group rank
3911 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3914 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3915 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3916 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3917 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3920 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3921 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3922 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3923 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3926 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3927 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3928 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3929 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3930 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3934 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3935 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3939 @node Topic Topology
3940 @subsection Topic Topology
3941 @cindex topic topology
3944 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3951 2: alt.religion.emacs
3954 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3956 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3957 13: comp.sources.unix
3961 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3962 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3963 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3968 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3969 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3973 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3974 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3975 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3976 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3977 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3978 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3980 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3981 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3982 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3985 @node Topic Parameters
3986 @subsection Topic Parameters
3987 @cindex topic parameters
3989 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
3990 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
3991 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
3992 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
3993 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
3995 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4000 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4001 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4002 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4005 @item subscribe-level
4006 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4007 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4008 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4012 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4013 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4014 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4015 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4022 2: alt.religion.emacs
4026 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4028 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4029 13: comp.sources.unix
4034 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4035 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4036 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4037 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4038 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4039 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4041 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4042 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4043 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4044 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4045 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4047 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4048 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4049 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4050 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4051 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4052 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4053 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4054 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4057 @node Misc Group Stuff
4058 @section Misc Group Stuff
4061 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4062 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4063 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4064 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4065 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4072 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4073 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4074 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4078 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4079 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4080 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4081 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4082 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4083 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4084 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4088 @findex gnus-group-mail
4089 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4090 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4091 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4092 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4096 @findex gnus-group-news
4097 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4098 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4099 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4101 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4102 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4103 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4104 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4105 for this to work though.
4109 Variables for the group buffer:
4113 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4114 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4115 is called after the group buffer has been
4118 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4119 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4120 is called after the group buffer is
4121 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4124 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4125 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4126 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4127 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4129 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4130 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4131 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4132 whether they are empty or not.
4134 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4135 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4136 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4137 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4141 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4142 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4145 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4146 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4147 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4148 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4149 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4150 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4151 default is @code{nil}.
4155 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4156 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4161 @node Scanning New Messages
4162 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4163 @cindex new messages
4164 @cindex scanning new news
4170 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4171 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4172 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4173 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4174 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4175 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4180 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4181 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4182 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4183 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4184 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4185 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4186 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4188 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4189 @cindex activating groups
4191 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4192 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4197 @findex gnus-group-restart
4198 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4199 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4200 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4204 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4205 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4207 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4208 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4212 @node Group Information
4213 @subsection Group Information
4214 @cindex group information
4215 @cindex information on groups
4222 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4223 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4226 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4227 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4228 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4229 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4230 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4231 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4232 used for fetching the file.
4234 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4235 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4239 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4240 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4242 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4243 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4246 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4247 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4248 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4252 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4253 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4254 @cindex control message
4255 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4256 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4257 group if given a prefix argument.
4259 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4260 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4261 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4262 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4264 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4265 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4266 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4270 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4272 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4273 @cindex describing groups
4274 @cindex group description
4275 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4276 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4277 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4281 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4282 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4283 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4290 @findex gnus-version
4291 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4295 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4296 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4299 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4302 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4303 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4307 @node Group Timestamp
4308 @subsection Group Timestamp
4310 @cindex group timestamps
4312 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4313 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4314 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4317 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4320 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4322 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4323 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4326 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4327 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4330 This will result in lines looking like:
4333 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4334 0: custom 19961002T012713
4337 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4338 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4342 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4343 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4346 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4347 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4351 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4352 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4353 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4354 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4356 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4362 @subsection File Commands
4363 @cindex file commands
4369 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4370 @vindex gnus-init-file
4371 @cindex reading init file
4372 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4373 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4377 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4378 @cindex saving .newsrc
4379 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4380 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4381 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4384 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4385 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4386 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4391 @node Sieve Commands
4392 @subsection Sieve Commands
4393 @cindex group sieve commands
4395 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4396 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4397 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4398 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4399 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4401 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4402 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4403 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4404 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4405 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4406 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4407 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4408 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4409 regenerate the Sieve script.
4411 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4412 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4413 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4414 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4415 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4416 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4417 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4418 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4419 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4420 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4423 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4424 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4429 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4435 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4436 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4437 @cindex generating sieve script
4438 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4439 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4443 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4444 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4445 @cindex updating sieve script
4446 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4447 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4448 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4453 @node Summary Buffer
4454 @chapter Summary Buffer
4455 @cindex summary buffer
4457 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4458 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4460 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4461 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4463 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4466 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4467 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4468 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4469 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4470 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4471 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4472 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4473 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4474 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4475 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4476 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4477 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4478 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4479 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4480 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4481 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4482 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4483 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4484 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4485 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4486 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4487 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4488 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4489 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4490 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4491 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4492 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4493 or reselecting the current group.
4494 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4495 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4496 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4497 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4501 @node Summary Buffer Format
4502 @section Summary Buffer Format
4503 @cindex summary buffer format
4507 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4508 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4509 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4515 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4516 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4517 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4518 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4521 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4522 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4523 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4524 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4525 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4526 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4527 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4528 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4529 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4530 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4531 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4534 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4535 'mail-extract-address-components)
4538 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4539 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4540 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4541 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4544 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4545 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4547 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4548 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4549 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4550 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4551 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4553 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4554 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4555 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4556 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4557 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4558 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4560 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4562 The following format specification characters and extended format
4563 specification(s) are understood:
4569 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4570 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4572 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4573 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4574 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4576 Full @code{From} header.
4578 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4580 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4583 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4584 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4585 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4586 may be more thorough.
4588 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4591 Number of lines in the article.
4593 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4594 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4596 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4597 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4599 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4601 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4602 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4615 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4616 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4617 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4618 line-drawing glyphs.
4620 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4621 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4622 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4623 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4625 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4626 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4627 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4628 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4630 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4631 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4632 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4633 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4635 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4636 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4637 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4639 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4640 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4641 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4643 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4644 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4645 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4647 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4648 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4649 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4654 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4655 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4657 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4658 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4660 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4661 for adopted articles.
4663 One space for each thread level.
4665 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4667 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4670 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4671 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4672 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4675 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4677 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4678 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4679 default level. If the difference between
4680 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4681 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4689 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4691 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4697 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4698 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4700 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4701 article has any children.
4707 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4708 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4710 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4711 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4712 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4713 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4714 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4715 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4718 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4719 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4720 There can only be one such area.
4722 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4723 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4724 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4725 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4726 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4727 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4729 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4730 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4732 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4735 @node To From Newsgroups
4736 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4740 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4741 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4742 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4743 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4744 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4748 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4749 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4750 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4754 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4755 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4758 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4759 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4762 @findex gnus-extra-header
4763 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4764 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4765 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4768 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4772 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4773 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4774 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4775 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4776 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4777 headers are used instead.
4779 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
4780 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
4781 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
4782 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
4783 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
4784 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
4788 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4789 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4790 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4791 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4792 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4793 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4796 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4797 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4798 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4799 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4801 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4805 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4807 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4808 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4809 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4810 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4814 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4817 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4818 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4821 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4822 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4823 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4829 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4830 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4833 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4834 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4836 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4837 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4838 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4839 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4841 Here are the elements you can play with:
4847 Unprefixed group name.
4849 Current article number.
4851 Current article score.
4855 Number of unread articles in this group.
4857 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4860 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4861 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4862 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4863 and no unselected ones.
4865 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4866 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4868 Subject of the current article.
4870 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4872 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4874 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4876 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4878 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4880 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4884 @node Summary Highlighting
4885 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4889 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4890 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4891 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4892 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4893 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4895 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4896 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4897 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4898 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4900 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4901 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4902 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4903 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4905 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4906 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4907 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4908 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4909 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4910 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4913 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4914 ((> score default) . bold))
4916 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4917 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4921 @node Summary Maneuvering
4922 @section Summary Maneuvering
4923 @cindex summary movement
4925 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4926 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4928 None of these commands select articles.
4933 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4934 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4935 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4936 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4937 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4941 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4942 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4943 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4944 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4945 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4948 @kindex G g (Summary)
4949 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4950 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4951 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4954 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4955 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4956 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4957 to the group buffer.
4959 Variables related to summary movement:
4963 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4964 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4965 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4966 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4967 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4968 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4969 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4970 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4971 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4972 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4973 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4974 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4975 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4976 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4978 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4979 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4980 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4981 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4982 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4983 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4984 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4986 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4988 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4989 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4990 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4991 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4992 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4994 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4995 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4996 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4997 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4998 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4999 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5000 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5001 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5004 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5005 the given number of lines from the top.
5010 @node Choosing Articles
5011 @section Choosing Articles
5012 @cindex selecting articles
5015 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5016 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5020 @node Choosing Commands
5021 @subsection Choosing Commands
5023 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5024 and they all select and display an article.
5026 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5027 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5031 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5032 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5033 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5034 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5036 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5037 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5038 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5043 @kindex G n (Summary)
5044 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5045 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5046 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5051 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5052 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5053 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5058 @kindex G N (Summary)
5059 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5060 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5065 @kindex G P (Summary)
5066 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5067 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5070 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5071 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5072 Go to the next article with the same subject
5073 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5076 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5077 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5078 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5079 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5083 @kindex G f (Summary)
5085 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5086 Go to the first unread article
5087 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5091 @kindex G b (Summary)
5093 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5094 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5095 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5096 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5101 @kindex G l (Summary)
5102 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5103 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5106 @kindex G o (Summary)
5107 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5109 @cindex article history
5110 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5111 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5112 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5113 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5114 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5115 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5120 @kindex G j (Summary)
5121 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5122 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5123 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5128 @node Choosing Variables
5129 @subsection Choosing Variables
5131 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5134 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5135 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5136 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5137 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5138 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5139 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5141 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5142 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5143 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5144 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5145 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5148 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5149 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5150 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5151 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5152 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5153 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5154 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5155 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5156 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5157 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5158 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5159 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5160 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5161 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5166 @node Paging the Article
5167 @section Scrolling the Article
5168 @cindex article scrolling
5173 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5174 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5175 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5176 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5177 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5179 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5180 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5181 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5182 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5183 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5184 what is considered uninteresting with
5185 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5186 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5189 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5190 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5191 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5194 @kindex RET (Summary)
5195 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5196 Scroll the current article one line forward
5197 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5200 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5201 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5202 Scroll the current article one line backward
5203 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5207 @kindex A g (Summary)
5209 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5210 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5211 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5212 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5213 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5214 the way it came from the server.
5216 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5217 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5218 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5221 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5226 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5231 @kindex A < (Summary)
5232 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5233 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5234 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5239 @kindex A > (Summary)
5240 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5241 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5245 @kindex A s (Summary)
5247 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5248 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5249 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5253 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5254 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5259 @node Reply Followup and Post
5260 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5263 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5264 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5265 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5266 * Canceling and Superseding::
5270 @node Summary Mail Commands
5271 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5273 @cindex composing mail
5275 Commands for composing a mail message:
5281 @kindex S r (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5284 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5285 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5286 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5287 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5292 @kindex S R (Summary)
5293 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5294 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5295 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5296 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5297 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5300 @kindex S w (Summary)
5301 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5302 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5303 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5304 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5305 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5306 present, that's used instead.
5309 @kindex S W (Summary)
5310 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5311 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5312 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5313 the process/prefix convention.
5316 @kindex S v (Summary)
5317 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5318 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5319 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5320 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5321 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5322 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5325 @kindex S V (Summary)
5326 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5327 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5328 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5329 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5332 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5333 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5334 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5335 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5336 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5337 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5338 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5339 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5342 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5343 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5344 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5345 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5346 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5350 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5351 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5352 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5353 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5354 Forward the current article to some other person
5355 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5356 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5357 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5358 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5359 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5360 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5361 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5362 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5363 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5369 @kindex S m (Summary)
5370 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5371 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5372 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5373 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5374 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5379 @kindex S i (Summary)
5380 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5381 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5382 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5383 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5385 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5386 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5387 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5388 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5389 for this to work though.
5392 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5393 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5394 @cindex bouncing mail
5395 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5396 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5397 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5398 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5399 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5400 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5401 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5402 very well fail, though.
5405 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5406 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5407 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5408 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5409 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5410 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5411 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5412 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5413 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5414 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5416 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5417 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5418 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5419 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5420 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5422 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5423 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5426 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5427 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5429 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5430 if it were a new message before resending.
5433 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5434 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5435 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5436 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5437 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5440 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5441 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5442 @cindex crossposting
5443 @cindex excessive crossposting
5444 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5445 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5447 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5448 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5449 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5450 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5451 command understands the process/prefix convention
5452 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5456 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5457 Manual}, for more information.
5460 @node Summary Post Commands
5461 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5463 @cindex composing news
5465 Commands for posting a news article:
5471 @kindex S p (Summary)
5472 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5473 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5474 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5475 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5476 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5481 @kindex S f (Summary)
5482 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5483 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5484 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5488 @kindex S F (Summary)
5490 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5491 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5492 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5493 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5494 process/prefix convention.
5497 @kindex S n (Summary)
5498 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5499 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5500 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5503 @kindex S N (Summary)
5504 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5505 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5506 message through mail and include the original message
5507 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5508 the process/prefix convention.
5511 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5512 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5513 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5514 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5515 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5516 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5517 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5518 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5519 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5520 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5521 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5522 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5523 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5526 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5527 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5529 @cindex making digests
5530 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5531 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5532 process/prefix convention.
5535 @kindex S u (Summary)
5536 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5537 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5538 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5539 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5542 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5543 Manual}, for more information.
5546 @node Summary Message Commands
5547 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5551 @kindex S y (Summary)
5552 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5553 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5554 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5555 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5556 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5561 @node Canceling and Superseding
5562 @subsection Canceling Articles
5563 @cindex canceling articles
5564 @cindex superseding articles
5566 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5567 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5569 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5571 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5573 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5574 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5575 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5576 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5577 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5578 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5580 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5581 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5584 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5585 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5586 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5588 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5589 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5590 message, Message Manual}).
5592 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5593 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5594 your original article.
5596 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5598 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5599 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5600 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5603 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5604 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5605 have posted almost the same article twice.
5607 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5608 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5609 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5610 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5611 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5612 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5613 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5614 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5615 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5616 canceled/superseded.
5618 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5620 @node Delayed Articles
5621 @section Delayed Articles
5622 @cindex delayed sending
5623 @cindex send delayed
5625 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5626 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5627 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5628 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5631 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5634 @findex gnus-delay-article
5635 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5636 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5637 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5638 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5642 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5643 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5644 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5645 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5648 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5649 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5650 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5653 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5654 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5655 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5656 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5657 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5658 that means a time tomorrow.
5661 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5662 couple of variables:
5665 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5666 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5667 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5668 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5670 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5671 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5672 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5673 formats described above.
5675 @item gnus-delay-group
5676 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5677 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5678 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5679 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5681 @item gnus-delay-header
5682 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5683 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5684 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5685 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5688 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5689 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5690 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5691 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5692 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5694 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5695 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5696 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5697 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5698 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5699 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5700 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5703 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5704 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5705 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5706 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5707 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5708 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5709 argument is ignored.
5711 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5712 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5713 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5717 @node Marking Articles
5718 @section Marking Articles
5719 @cindex article marking
5720 @cindex article ticking
5723 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5725 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5726 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5727 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5729 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5732 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5736 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5737 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5738 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5739 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5740 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5741 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5745 @node Unread Articles
5746 @subsection Unread Articles
5748 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5753 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5754 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5756 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5757 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5758 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5759 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5760 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5761 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5762 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5765 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5766 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5768 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5769 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5770 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5771 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5775 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5776 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5778 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5783 @subsection Read Articles
5784 @cindex expirable mark
5786 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5791 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5792 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5793 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5796 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5797 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5800 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5801 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5802 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5805 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5806 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5809 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5810 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5813 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5814 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5817 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5818 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5821 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5822 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5825 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5826 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5829 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5830 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5834 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5835 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5836 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5840 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5841 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5843 One more special mark, though:
5847 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5848 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5850 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5851 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5852 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5853 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5859 @subsection Other Marks
5860 @cindex process mark
5863 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5869 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5870 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5871 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5872 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5873 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5876 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5877 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5878 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5879 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5882 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5883 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5884 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5887 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5888 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5889 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5892 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5893 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5894 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5895 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5898 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5899 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5900 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5901 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5902 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5903 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5906 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5907 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5908 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5909 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5912 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5913 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5914 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5915 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5916 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5920 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5921 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5922 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5923 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5924 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5925 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5928 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5929 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5930 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5931 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5932 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5933 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5937 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5938 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5939 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5940 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5941 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5944 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5945 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5946 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5947 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5948 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5949 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5953 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5954 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5955 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5957 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5958 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5959 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5963 @subsection Setting Marks
5964 @cindex setting marks
5966 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5971 @kindex M c (Summary)
5972 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5973 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5974 @cindex mark as unread
5975 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5976 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5982 @kindex M t (Summary)
5983 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5984 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5985 @xref{Article Caching}.
5990 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5991 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5992 Mark the current article as dormant
5993 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5997 @kindex M d (Summary)
5999 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6000 Mark the current article as read
6001 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6005 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6006 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6007 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6012 @kindex M k (Summary)
6013 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6014 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6015 and then select the next unread article
6016 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6020 @kindex M K (Summary)
6021 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6022 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6023 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6024 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6027 @kindex M C (Summary)
6028 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6029 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6030 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6033 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6034 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6035 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6036 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6039 @kindex M H (Summary)
6040 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6041 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6042 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6045 @kindex M h (Summary)
6046 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6047 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6048 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6051 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6052 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6053 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6054 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6057 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6058 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6059 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6060 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6064 @kindex M e (Summary)
6066 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6067 Mark the current article as expirable
6068 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6071 @kindex M b (Summary)
6072 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6073 Set a bookmark in the current article
6074 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6077 @kindex M B (Summary)
6078 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6079 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6080 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6083 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6084 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6085 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6086 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6089 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6090 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6091 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6092 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6095 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6096 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6097 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6098 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6099 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6102 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6103 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6104 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6105 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6106 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6107 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6108 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6109 The default is @code{t}.
6112 @node Generic Marking Commands
6113 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6115 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6116 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6117 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6118 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6119 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6122 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6123 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6126 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6127 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6128 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6129 to list in this manual.
6131 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6132 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6133 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6134 article, you could say something like:
6138 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6139 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6140 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6148 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6149 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6153 @node Setting Process Marks
6154 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6155 @cindex setting process marks
6157 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6158 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6159 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6160 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6161 commands into the cache. For more information,
6162 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6169 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6170 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6171 Mark the current article with the process mark
6172 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6173 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6177 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6178 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6179 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6180 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6183 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6184 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6185 Remove the process mark from all articles
6186 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6189 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6190 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6191 Invert the list of process marked articles
6192 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6195 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6196 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6197 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6198 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6201 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6202 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6203 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6204 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6207 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6208 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6209 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6212 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6213 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6214 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6217 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6218 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6219 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6220 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6223 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6224 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6225 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6226 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6229 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6231 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6232 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6235 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6236 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6237 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6240 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6241 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6242 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6243 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6246 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6247 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6248 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6251 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6252 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6253 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6254 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6257 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6258 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6259 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6260 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6263 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6264 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6265 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6266 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6269 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6270 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6271 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6272 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6276 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6277 set process marks based on article body contents.
6284 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6285 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6286 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6289 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6290 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6291 additional articles.
6297 @kindex / / (Summary)
6298 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6299 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6300 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6304 @kindex / a (Summary)
6305 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6306 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6307 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6311 @kindex / R (Summary)
6312 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6313 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6314 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6318 @kindex / x (Summary)
6319 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6320 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6321 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6322 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6327 @kindex / u (Summary)
6329 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6330 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6331 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6332 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6333 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6336 @kindex / m (Summary)
6337 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6338 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6339 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6342 @kindex / t (Summary)
6343 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6344 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6345 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6346 articles younger than that number of days.
6349 @kindex / n (Summary)
6350 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6351 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6352 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6353 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6356 @kindex / w (Summary)
6357 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6358 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6359 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6363 @kindex / . (Summary)
6364 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6365 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6366 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6369 @kindex / v (Summary)
6370 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6371 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6372 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6375 @kindex / p (Summary)
6376 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6377 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6378 group parameter predicate
6379 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6380 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6383 @kindex / r (Summary)
6384 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6385 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6386 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6391 @kindex M S (Summary)
6392 @kindex / E (Summary)
6393 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6394 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6395 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6398 @kindex / D (Summary)
6399 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6400 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6401 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6404 @kindex / * (Summary)
6405 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6406 Include all cached articles in the limit
6407 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6410 @kindex / d (Summary)
6411 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6412 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6413 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6416 @kindex / M (Summary)
6417 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6418 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6421 @kindex / T (Summary)
6422 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6423 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6426 @kindex / c (Summary)
6427 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6428 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6429 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6432 @kindex / C (Summary)
6433 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6434 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6435 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6436 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6439 @kindex / N (Summary)
6440 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6441 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6442 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6445 @kindex / o (Summary)
6446 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6447 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6448 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6456 @cindex article threading
6458 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6459 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6460 hierarchical fashion.
6462 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6463 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6464 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6465 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6466 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6467 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6468 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6470 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6474 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6477 A tree-like article structure.
6480 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6483 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6484 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6485 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6486 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6487 called loose threads.
6489 @item thread gathering
6490 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6492 @item sparse threads
6493 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6494 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6500 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6501 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6505 @node Customizing Threading
6506 @subsection Customizing Threading
6507 @cindex customizing threading
6510 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6511 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6512 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6513 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6518 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6521 @cindex loose threads
6524 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6525 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6526 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6527 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6528 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6529 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6531 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6532 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6533 There are four possible values:
6537 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6538 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6539 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6540 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6541 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6546 @cindex adopting articles
6551 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6552 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6553 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6554 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6557 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6558 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6559 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6560 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6561 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6562 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6563 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6564 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6565 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6566 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6569 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6570 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6571 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6575 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6576 display them after one another.
6579 Don't gather loose threads.
6582 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6583 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6584 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6585 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6586 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6587 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6588 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6589 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6590 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6591 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6592 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6594 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6595 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6596 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6599 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6600 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6601 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6602 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6603 simplification is used.
6605 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6606 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6607 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6608 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6610 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6612 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6618 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6619 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6620 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6621 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6626 (mapconcat 'identity
6627 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6629 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6632 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6635 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6636 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6637 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6638 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6639 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6640 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6642 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6645 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6646 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6647 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6649 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6650 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6653 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6654 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6655 Remove excessive whitespace.
6657 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6658 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6659 Remove all whitespace.
6662 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6665 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6666 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6667 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6668 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6669 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6670 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6671 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6672 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6674 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6675 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6676 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6677 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6678 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6679 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6680 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6681 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6682 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6686 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6687 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6688 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6689 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6691 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6692 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6693 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6696 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6700 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6701 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6707 @node Filling In Threads
6708 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6711 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6712 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6713 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6714 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6715 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6716 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6717 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6718 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6719 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6720 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6721 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6722 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6725 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6726 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6727 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6729 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6730 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6731 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6734 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6735 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6736 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6737 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6738 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6739 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6740 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6741 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6742 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6743 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6744 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6745 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6746 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6747 @code{nil} by default.
6749 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6750 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6751 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6752 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6753 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6754 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6755 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6757 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6758 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6759 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6764 @node More Threading
6765 @subsubsection More Threading
6768 @item gnus-show-threads
6769 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6770 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6771 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6772 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6773 slower and more awkward.
6775 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6776 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6777 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6780 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6781 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6782 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6787 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6788 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6789 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6792 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6793 unread, but you get my drift.)
6796 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6797 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6798 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6799 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6800 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6801 threads are expunged.
6803 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6804 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6805 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6808 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6809 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6810 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6811 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6812 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6813 result in a new thread.
6815 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6816 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6817 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6820 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6821 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6822 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6823 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6824 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6825 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6826 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6827 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6828 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6829 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6830 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6835 @node Low-Level Threading
6836 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6840 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6841 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6842 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6844 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6845 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6846 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6847 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6848 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6849 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6850 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6851 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6852 meaningful. Here's one example:
6855 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6857 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6858 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6860 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6862 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6869 @node Thread Commands
6870 @subsection Thread Commands
6871 @cindex thread commands
6877 @kindex T k (Summary)
6878 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6879 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6880 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6881 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6882 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6887 @kindex T l (Summary)
6888 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6889 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6890 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6891 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6894 @kindex T i (Summary)
6895 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6896 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6897 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6900 @kindex T # (Summary)
6901 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6902 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6903 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6906 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6907 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6908 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6909 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6912 @kindex T T (Summary)
6913 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6914 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6917 @kindex T s (Summary)
6918 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6919 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6920 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6923 @kindex T h (Summary)
6924 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6925 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6928 @kindex T S (Summary)
6929 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6930 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6933 @kindex T H (Summary)
6934 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6935 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6938 @kindex T t (Summary)
6939 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6940 Re-thread the current article's thread
6941 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6942 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6945 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6946 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6947 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6948 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6952 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6953 understand the numeric prefix.
6958 @kindex T n (Summary)
6960 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6962 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6963 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6964 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6967 @kindex T p (Summary)
6969 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6971 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6972 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6973 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6976 @kindex T d (Summary)
6977 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6978 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6981 @kindex T u (Summary)
6982 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6983 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6986 @kindex T o (Summary)
6987 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6988 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6991 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6992 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6993 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6994 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6995 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6996 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6997 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6998 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6999 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7000 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7001 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7002 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7006 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7007 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7009 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7010 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7011 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7012 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7013 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7014 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7015 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7016 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7017 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7018 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7019 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7020 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7021 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7022 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7023 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7025 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7026 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7027 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7028 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
7029 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7030 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7031 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7032 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7033 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7035 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7036 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7037 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7039 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7040 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7041 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7042 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7043 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7044 ascending article order.
7046 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7047 by number, you could do something like:
7050 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7051 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7052 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7053 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7056 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7057 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7058 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7059 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7060 which the articles arrived.
7062 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7066 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7068 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
7069 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7072 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7073 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7074 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7075 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7078 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7079 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7080 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7081 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7082 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7083 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7084 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7085 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7086 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7087 variable. It is very similar to the
7088 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7089 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7090 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7091 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7092 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7093 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7094 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7096 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7100 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7101 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7102 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7107 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7108 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7109 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7110 @cindex article pre-fetch
7113 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7114 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7115 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7116 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7117 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7119 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7120 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7122 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7123 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7124 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7125 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7126 connection is blocked.
7128 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7129 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7130 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7131 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7133 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7134 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7135 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7136 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7139 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7142 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7143 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7144 happen automatically.
7146 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7147 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7148 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7149 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7150 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7151 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7152 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7154 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7155 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7156 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7157 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7158 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7159 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7160 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7161 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7162 article data structure as the only parameter.
7164 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7165 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7168 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7169 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7170 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7171 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7174 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7177 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7178 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7179 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7181 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7182 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7183 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7184 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7188 Remove articles when they are read.
7191 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7194 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7196 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7197 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7198 @c from the next group.
7201 @node Article Caching
7202 @section Article Caching
7203 @cindex article caching
7206 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7207 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7208 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7209 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7210 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7212 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7214 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7215 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7216 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7217 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7218 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7219 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7220 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7221 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7223 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7224 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7225 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7226 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7227 as dormant, and don't worry.
7229 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7231 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7232 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7233 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7234 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7235 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7236 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7237 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7238 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7239 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7240 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7242 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7243 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7244 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7245 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7246 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7247 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7248 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7249 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7250 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7251 not then be downloaded by this command.
7253 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7254 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7255 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7256 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7257 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7258 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7260 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7261 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7262 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7263 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7264 variables, the group is not cached.
7266 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7267 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7268 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7269 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7270 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7271 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7272 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7273 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7274 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7277 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7278 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7279 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7280 where, isn't that cool?
7282 @node Persistent Articles
7283 @section Persistent Articles
7284 @cindex persistent articles
7286 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7287 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7288 useful in my opinion.
7290 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7291 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7292 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7293 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7294 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7295 the expiry going on at the news server.
7297 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7298 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7299 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7305 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7306 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7309 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7310 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7311 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7312 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7316 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7318 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7319 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7320 interested in persistent articles:
7323 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7327 @node Article Backlog
7328 @section Article Backlog
7330 @cindex article backlog
7332 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7333 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7334 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7335 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7336 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7337 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7338 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7339 increase memory usage some.
7341 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7342 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7343 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7344 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7345 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7346 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7347 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7349 The default value is 20.
7352 @node Saving Articles
7353 @section Saving Articles
7354 @cindex saving articles
7356 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7357 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7358 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7359 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7360 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7362 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7363 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7364 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7366 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7367 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7368 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7370 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7371 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7372 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7373 deleted before saving.
7379 @kindex O o (Summary)
7381 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7382 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7383 Save the current article using the default article saver
7384 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7387 @kindex O m (Summary)
7388 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7389 Save the current article in mail format
7390 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7393 @kindex O r (Summary)
7394 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7395 Save the current article in Rmail format
7396 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7399 @kindex O f (Summary)
7400 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7401 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7402 Save the current article in plain file format
7403 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7406 @kindex O F (Summary)
7407 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7408 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7409 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7412 @kindex O b (Summary)
7413 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7414 Save the current article body in plain file format
7415 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7418 @kindex O h (Summary)
7419 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7420 Save the current article in mh folder format
7421 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7424 @kindex O v (Summary)
7425 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7426 Save the current article in a VM folder
7427 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7431 @kindex O p (Summary)
7433 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7434 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7435 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7436 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7437 complete headers in the piped output.
7440 @kindex O P (Summary)
7441 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7442 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7443 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7444 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7445 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7446 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7447 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7451 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7452 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7453 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7454 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7455 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7456 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7457 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7458 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7459 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7460 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7461 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7462 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7466 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7467 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7468 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7469 functions below, or you can create your own.
7473 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7474 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7475 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7476 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7477 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7478 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7479 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7481 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7482 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7483 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7484 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7485 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7486 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7488 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7489 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7490 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7491 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7492 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7493 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7494 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7496 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7497 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7498 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7499 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7500 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7501 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7503 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7504 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7505 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7506 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7507 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7509 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7510 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7511 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7512 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7513 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7516 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7517 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7518 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7519 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7520 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7522 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7523 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7524 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7525 reader to use this setting.
7528 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7529 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7530 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7531 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7534 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7535 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7536 available functions that generate names:
7540 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7541 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7542 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7544 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7545 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7546 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7548 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7549 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7550 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7552 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7553 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7554 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7556 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7557 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7558 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7561 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7562 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7563 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7564 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7565 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7569 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7570 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7571 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7572 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7575 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7576 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7577 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7578 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7579 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7580 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7581 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7582 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7583 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7585 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7586 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7587 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7588 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7590 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7591 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7592 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7595 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7596 lots of mail groups called things like
7597 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7598 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7599 following will do just that:
7602 (defun my-save-name (group)
7603 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7604 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7606 (setq gnus-split-methods
7607 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7612 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7613 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7614 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7615 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7616 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7617 all the files in the top level directory
7618 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7619 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7620 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7621 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7623 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7624 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7625 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7626 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7627 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7630 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7634 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7635 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7636 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7639 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7640 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7641 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7642 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7645 @node Decoding Articles
7646 @section Decoding Articles
7647 @cindex decoding articles
7649 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7650 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7653 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7654 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7655 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7656 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7657 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7658 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7662 @cindex article series
7663 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7664 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7665 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7666 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7667 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7669 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7670 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7671 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7673 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7674 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7675 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7677 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7678 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7679 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7682 @node Uuencoded Articles
7683 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7685 @cindex uuencoded articles
7690 @kindex X u (Summary)
7691 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7692 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7693 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7696 @kindex X U (Summary)
7697 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7698 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7699 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7702 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7703 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7704 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7707 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7708 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7709 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7710 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7714 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7715 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7716 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7717 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7718 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7720 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7721 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7722 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7723 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7726 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7727 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7728 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7729 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7730 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7731 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7735 @node Shell Archives
7736 @subsection Shell Archives
7738 @cindex shell archives
7739 @cindex shared articles
7741 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7742 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7743 some commands to deal with these:
7748 @kindex X s (Summary)
7749 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7750 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7753 @kindex X S (Summary)
7754 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7755 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7758 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7759 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7760 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7763 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7764 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7765 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7766 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7770 @node PostScript Files
7771 @subsection PostScript Files
7777 @kindex X p (Summary)
7778 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7779 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7782 @kindex X P (Summary)
7783 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7784 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7785 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7788 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7789 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7790 View the current PostScript series
7791 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7794 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7795 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7796 View and save the current PostScript series
7797 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7802 @subsection Other Files
7806 @kindex X o (Summary)
7807 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7808 Save the current series
7809 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7812 @kindex X b (Summary)
7813 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7814 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7815 doesn't really work yet.
7819 @node Decoding Variables
7820 @subsection Decoding Variables
7822 Adjective, not verb.
7825 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7826 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7827 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7831 @node Rule Variables
7832 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7833 @cindex rule variables
7835 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7836 variables are of the form
7839 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7846 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7847 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7849 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7850 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7853 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7854 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7857 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7858 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7859 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7860 user and default view rules.
7862 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7863 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7864 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7869 @node Other Decode Variables
7870 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7873 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7875 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7876 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7877 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7878 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7879 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7883 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7884 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7887 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7888 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7889 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7892 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7893 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7894 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7895 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7896 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7899 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7900 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7901 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7903 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7904 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7905 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7906 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7907 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7910 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7911 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7912 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7914 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7915 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7916 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7917 looking for files to display.
7919 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7920 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7921 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7924 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7925 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7926 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7929 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7930 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7931 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7934 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7935 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7936 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7939 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7940 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7941 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7942 decoded articles as unread.
7944 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7945 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7946 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7947 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7949 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7950 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7951 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7953 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7954 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7956 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7957 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7958 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7959 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7961 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7962 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7963 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7964 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7965 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7966 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7967 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7968 simply dropped them.
7973 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7974 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7978 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7979 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7980 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7981 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7982 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7983 for you when you post the article.
7985 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7986 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7987 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7988 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7990 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7991 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7992 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7993 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7994 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7995 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7996 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7998 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7999 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8000 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8001 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8002 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8003 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8004 Default is @code{t}.
8010 @subsection Viewing Files
8011 @cindex viewing files
8012 @cindex pseudo-articles
8014 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8015 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8016 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8017 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8018 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8019 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8020 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8022 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8023 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8024 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8025 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8027 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8028 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8029 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8031 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8032 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8033 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8034 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8035 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8037 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8038 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8039 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8040 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8041 a list of parameters to that command.
8043 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8044 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8045 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8047 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8048 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8049 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8052 @node Article Treatment
8053 @section Article Treatment
8055 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8056 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8057 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8058 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8059 these articles easier.
8062 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8063 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8064 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8065 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8066 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8067 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8068 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8069 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8070 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8071 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8072 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8076 @node Article Highlighting
8077 @subsection Article Highlighting
8078 @cindex highlighting
8080 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8081 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8086 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8087 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8088 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8089 Do much highlighting of the current article
8090 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8091 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8094 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8095 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8096 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8097 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8098 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8099 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8100 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8101 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8102 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8103 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8104 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8105 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8108 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8109 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8110 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8112 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8115 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8117 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8118 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8119 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8121 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8122 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8123 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8125 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8126 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8127 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8128 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8129 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8130 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8132 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8133 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8134 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8136 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8137 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8138 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8140 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8141 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8142 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8143 that it's a citation.
8145 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8146 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8147 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8149 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8150 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8151 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8153 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8154 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8155 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8156 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8158 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8159 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8160 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8161 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8162 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8169 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8170 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8171 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8172 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8173 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8174 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8175 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8176 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8181 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8184 @node Article Fontisizing
8185 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8187 @cindex article emphasis
8189 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8190 @kindex W e (Summary)
8191 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8192 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8193 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8194 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8196 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8197 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8198 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8199 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8200 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8201 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8202 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8203 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8207 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8208 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8209 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8218 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8219 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8220 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8221 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8222 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8223 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8224 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8225 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8226 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8227 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8228 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8229 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8230 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8232 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8233 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8234 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8238 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8241 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8243 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8244 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8245 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8246 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8248 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8251 @node Article Hiding
8252 @subsection Article Hiding
8253 @cindex article hiding
8255 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8256 too much cruft in most articles.
8261 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8262 @findex gnus-article-hide
8263 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8264 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8265 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8268 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8269 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8270 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8274 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8275 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8276 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8277 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8280 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8281 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8282 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8286 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8287 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8288 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8289 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8290 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8291 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8292 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8293 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8297 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8298 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8299 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8300 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8305 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8306 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8307 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8308 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8311 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8312 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8313 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8314 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8317 @cindex stripping advertisements
8318 @cindex advertisements
8319 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8320 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8321 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8322 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8323 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8324 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8325 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8326 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8327 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8328 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8331 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8332 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8333 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8337 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8338 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8339 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8340 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8341 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8342 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8343 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8344 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8345 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8346 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8347 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8350 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8351 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8357 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8358 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8359 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8360 customizing the hiding:
8364 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8365 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8366 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8367 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8368 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8369 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8370 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8375 Starting point of the hidden text.
8377 Ending point of the hidden text.
8379 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8381 Number of lines of hidden text.
8384 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8385 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8386 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8387 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8388 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8393 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8394 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8396 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8397 following two variables:
8400 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8401 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8402 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8403 50), hide the cited text.
8405 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8406 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8407 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8412 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8413 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8414 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8415 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8416 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8417 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8421 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8422 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8423 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8425 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8426 citation customization.
8428 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8432 @node Article Washing
8433 @subsection Article Washing
8435 @cindex article washing
8437 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8438 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8440 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8441 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8444 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8445 articles by default.
8450 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8451 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8455 Force redisplaying of the current article
8456 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8457 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8458 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8459 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8462 @kindex W l (Summary)
8463 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8464 Remove page breaks from the current article
8465 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8469 @kindex W r (Summary)
8470 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8471 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8472 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8473 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8474 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8475 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8477 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8478 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8479 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8480 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8483 @kindex W m (Summary)
8484 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8485 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8488 @kindex W i (Summary)
8489 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8490 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8491 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8492 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8493 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8494 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8499 @kindex W t (Summary)
8501 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8502 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8503 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8506 @kindex W v (Summary)
8507 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8508 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8509 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8512 @kindex W o (Summary)
8513 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8514 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8517 @kindex W d (Summary)
8518 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8519 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8521 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8523 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8524 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8525 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8526 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8529 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8530 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8531 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8532 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8535 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8536 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8537 @cindex Outlook Express
8538 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8539 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8540 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8543 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8544 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8545 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8546 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8547 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8548 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8549 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8550 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8551 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8552 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8555 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8556 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8557 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8558 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8561 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8562 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8563 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8564 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8567 @kindex W w (Summary)
8568 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8569 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8571 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8575 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8576 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8577 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8580 @kindex W C (Summary)
8581 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8582 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8583 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8586 @kindex W c (Summary)
8587 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8588 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8589 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8590 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8591 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8594 @kindex W q (Summary)
8595 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8596 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8597 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8598 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8599 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8600 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8601 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8602 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8603 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8606 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8607 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8608 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8609 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8610 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8611 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8612 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8613 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8616 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8617 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8618 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8619 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8620 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8623 @kindex W A (Summary)
8624 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8625 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8626 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8627 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8628 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8631 @kindex W u (Summary)
8632 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8633 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8634 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8635 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8636 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8639 @kindex W h (Summary)
8640 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8641 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8642 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8643 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8645 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8647 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8648 The default is to use the function specified by
8649 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8650 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8651 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8652 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8660 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8663 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8666 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8669 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8674 @kindex W b (Summary)
8675 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8676 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8677 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8680 @kindex W B (Summary)
8681 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8682 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8683 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8686 @kindex W p (Summary)
8687 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8688 Verify a signed control message
8689 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8690 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8691 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8692 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8693 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8694 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8697 @kindex W s (Summary)
8698 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8699 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8700 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8701 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8704 @kindex W a (Summary)
8705 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8706 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8707 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8710 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8711 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8712 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8713 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8716 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8717 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8718 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8719 lines with a single empty line.
8720 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8723 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8724 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8725 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8726 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8729 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8730 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8731 Do all the three commands above
8732 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8735 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8736 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8737 Remove all blank lines
8738 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8741 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8742 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8743 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8744 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8747 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8748 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8749 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8750 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8754 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8757 @node Article Header
8758 @subsection Article Header
8760 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8765 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8766 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8767 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8770 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8771 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8772 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8773 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8776 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8777 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8778 Fold all the message headers
8779 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8782 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8783 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8784 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8785 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8790 @node Article Buttons
8791 @subsection Article Buttons
8794 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8795 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8796 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8797 button on these references.
8799 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8800 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8801 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8802 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8803 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8807 @item gnus-button-alist
8808 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8809 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8812 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8818 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8819 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8820 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8821 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8822 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8825 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8826 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8827 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8830 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8831 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8832 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8833 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8834 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8836 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8839 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8842 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8843 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8847 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8850 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8853 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8854 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8855 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8856 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8857 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8860 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8863 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8866 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8869 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8870 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8872 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8874 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8875 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8876 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8877 default values of the variables above.
8879 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8881 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8882 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8883 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8884 argument with a string naming the man page.
8886 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8888 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8889 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8890 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8892 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8893 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8894 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8895 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8896 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8897 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8898 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8899 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8900 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8901 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8902 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8903 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8905 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8906 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8907 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8908 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8909 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8912 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8913 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8914 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8915 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8917 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8919 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8920 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8921 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8922 argument, the string naming the URL.
8925 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8926 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8927 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8931 @item gnus-article-button-face
8932 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8933 Face used on buttons.
8935 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8936 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8937 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8941 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8944 @node Article Button Levels
8945 @subsection Article button levels
8946 @cindex button levels
8947 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8948 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8949 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8950 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8951 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8952 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8953 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8954 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8957 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8958 (setq gnus-parameters
8959 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8960 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8961 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8966 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8967 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8968 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8969 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8970 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8971 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8973 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8974 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8975 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8976 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8977 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8978 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8979 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8980 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8981 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8982 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8983 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8984 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8985 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8987 @item gnus-button-man-level
8988 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8989 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8990 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8992 @item gnus-button-message-level
8993 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8994 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8995 Related variables and functions include
8996 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8997 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8998 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8999 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9001 @item gnus-button-tex-level
9002 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
9003 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
9004 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
9005 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
9006 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
9007 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
9013 @subsection Article Date
9015 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9016 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9017 when the article was sent.
9022 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9023 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9024 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9025 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9028 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9029 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9031 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9032 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9035 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9036 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9037 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9040 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9041 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9042 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9043 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9046 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9047 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9048 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9049 @findex format-time-string
9050 Display the date using a user-defined format
9051 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9052 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9053 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9054 for a list of possible format specs.
9057 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9058 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9059 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9060 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9061 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9062 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9065 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9068 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9069 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9070 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9073 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9074 into wonderful absurdities.
9076 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9079 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9082 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9083 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9087 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9088 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9089 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9090 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9091 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9092 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9093 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9097 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9098 preferred format automatically.
9101 @node Article Display
9102 @subsection Article Display
9107 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9108 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9110 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9111 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9113 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9114 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9116 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9117 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9119 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9120 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9122 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9127 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9128 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9129 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9130 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9133 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9134 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9135 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9136 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9139 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9140 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9141 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9144 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9145 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9146 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9149 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9150 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9151 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9152 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9155 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9156 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9157 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9158 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9161 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9162 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9163 Remove all images from the article buffer
9164 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9170 @node Article Signature
9171 @subsection Article Signature
9173 @cindex article signature
9175 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9176 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9177 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9178 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9179 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9180 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9181 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9182 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9183 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9186 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9187 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9188 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9189 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9190 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9191 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9192 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9193 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9196 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9199 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9200 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9201 signature when displaying articles.
9205 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9208 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9211 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9212 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9214 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9215 in question is not a signature.
9218 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9219 listed above. Here's an example:
9222 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9223 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9226 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9227 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9228 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9229 signature after all.
9232 @node Article Miscellanea
9233 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9237 @kindex A t (Summary)
9238 @findex gnus-article-babel
9239 Translate the article from one language to another
9240 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9246 @section MIME Commands
9247 @cindex MIME decoding
9249 @cindex viewing attachments
9251 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9252 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9258 @kindex K v (Summary)
9259 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9262 @kindex K o (Summary)
9263 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9266 @kindex K O (Summary)
9267 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9268 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9269 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9272 @kindex K r (Summary)
9273 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9276 @kindex K d (Summary)
9277 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9281 @kindex K c (Summary)
9282 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9285 @kindex K e (Summary)
9286 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9289 @kindex K i (Summary)
9290 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9293 @kindex K | (Summary)
9294 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9297 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9302 @kindex K b (Summary)
9303 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9304 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9308 @kindex K m (Summary)
9309 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9310 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9311 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9312 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9313 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9316 @kindex X m (Summary)
9317 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9318 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9319 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9320 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9323 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9324 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9325 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9326 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9329 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9330 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9331 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9332 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9335 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9336 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9337 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9338 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9340 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9341 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9342 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9343 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9344 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9345 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9348 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9349 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9350 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9351 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9358 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9359 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9360 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9361 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9364 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9367 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9371 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9372 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9373 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9374 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9375 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9376 default is @code{nil}.
9378 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9379 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9380 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9381 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9382 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9383 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9384 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9386 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9387 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9388 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9389 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9390 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9391 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9392 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9393 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9395 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9396 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9397 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9398 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9399 displayed. This variable overrides
9400 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9401 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9404 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9405 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9406 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9408 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9409 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9410 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9411 default value is @code{nil}.
9413 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9414 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9415 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9416 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9417 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9418 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9419 save all jpegs into some directory).
9421 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9424 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9425 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9427 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9428 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9429 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9430 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9431 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9434 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9435 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9436 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9438 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9439 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9440 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9442 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9443 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9444 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9446 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9447 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} in @ref{Display Customization,
9448 Display Customization, , emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}. Images or
9449 other material inside a "multipart/related" part might be overlooked
9450 when this variable is @code{nil}.
9452 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9453 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9454 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9455 overrides @code{nil} values of
9456 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9457 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9459 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9460 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9461 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9462 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9464 Ready-made functions include@*
9465 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9466 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9467 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9468 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9469 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9470 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9471 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9472 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9473 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9474 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9475 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9476 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9478 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9479 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9481 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9482 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9483 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9486 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9487 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9488 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9489 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9493 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9502 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9503 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9504 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9505 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9506 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9507 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9508 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
9510 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9511 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9512 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9513 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9515 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9516 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9517 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9518 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9519 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9520 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9521 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9522 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9523 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9525 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9526 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9527 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9528 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9529 quoted-printable header encoding.
9531 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9532 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9533 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9537 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9540 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9541 means encode all charsets),
9543 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9544 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9545 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9552 @cindex coding system aliases
9553 @cindex preferred charset
9555 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9556 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9557 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9559 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9561 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9562 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9565 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9566 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9569 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9570 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9572 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9575 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9578 This will almost do the right thing.
9580 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9584 (codepage-setup 1251)
9585 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9589 @node Article Commands
9590 @section Article Commands
9597 @kindex A P (Summary)
9598 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9599 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9600 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9601 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9602 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9603 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9608 @node Summary Sorting
9609 @section Summary Sorting
9610 @cindex summary sorting
9612 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9613 can't really see why you'd want that.
9618 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9619 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9620 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9623 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9624 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9625 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9628 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
9629 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
9630 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
9633 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9634 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9635 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9638 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9639 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9640 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9643 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9644 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9645 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9648 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9649 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9650 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9653 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9654 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9655 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9658 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9659 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9660 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9663 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9664 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9665 Sort using the default sorting method
9666 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9669 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9670 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9671 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9672 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9673 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9677 @node Finding the Parent
9678 @section Finding the Parent
9679 @cindex parent articles
9680 @cindex referring articles
9685 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9686 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9687 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9688 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9689 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9690 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9691 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9692 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9693 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9695 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9696 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9697 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9698 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9699 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9703 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9704 @kindex A R (Summary)
9705 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9706 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9709 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9710 @kindex A T (Summary)
9711 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9712 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9713 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9714 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9715 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9716 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9717 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9719 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9720 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9721 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9722 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9723 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9724 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9727 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9728 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9730 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9731 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
9732 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
9733 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
9734 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
9735 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9737 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
9738 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
9739 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
9742 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9743 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9744 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9745 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9746 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9747 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9750 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9751 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9752 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9755 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9756 then ask Google if that fails:
9759 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9761 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9764 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9765 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9766 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9767 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9768 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9769 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9770 not support this at all.
9773 @node Alternative Approaches
9774 @section Alternative Approaches
9776 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9777 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9780 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9781 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9786 @subsection Pick and Read
9787 @cindex pick and read
9789 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9790 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9791 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9792 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9794 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9795 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9796 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9797 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9798 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9799 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9801 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9806 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9807 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9808 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9809 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9810 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9811 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9812 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9813 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9816 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9817 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9818 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9819 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9823 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9824 Unpick the thread or article
9825 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9826 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9827 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9828 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9829 the thread or article at that line.
9833 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9834 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9835 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9836 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9837 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9838 will still be visible when you are reading.
9842 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9843 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9844 which is mapped to the same function
9845 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9847 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9850 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9853 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9854 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9856 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9857 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9858 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9860 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9861 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9862 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9863 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9864 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9865 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9866 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9870 @subsection Binary Groups
9871 @cindex binary groups
9873 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9874 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9875 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9876 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9877 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9878 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9879 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9882 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9883 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9884 command, when you have turned on this mode
9885 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9887 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9888 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9892 @section Tree Display
9895 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9896 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9897 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9898 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9901 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9904 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9905 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9906 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9908 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9909 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9910 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9911 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9912 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9914 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9915 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9916 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9917 default is @code{modeline}.
9919 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9920 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9921 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9922 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9923 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9924 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9925 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9931 The name of the poster.
9933 The @code{From} header.
9935 The number of the article.
9937 The opening bracket.
9939 The closing bracket.
9944 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9946 Variables related to the display are:
9949 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9950 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9951 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9952 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9954 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9955 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9956 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9958 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9960 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9961 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9962 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9963 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9967 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9968 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9969 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9970 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9971 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9972 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9973 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9974 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9975 other windows displayed next to it.
9977 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9981 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9982 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9985 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9986 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9987 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9988 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9989 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9990 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9991 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9995 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9998 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10008 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10013 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10014 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10016 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10018 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10024 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10025 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10026 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10029 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10030 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10031 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10032 (gnus-add-configuration
10036 (summary 0.75 point)
10041 @xref{Window Layout}.
10044 @node Mail Group Commands
10045 @section Mail Group Commands
10046 @cindex mail group commands
10048 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10049 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10051 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10052 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10057 @kindex B e (Summary)
10058 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10059 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10060 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10061 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10062 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10065 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10066 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10067 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10068 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10069 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10070 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10073 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10074 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10075 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10076 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10077 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10078 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10081 @kindex B m (Summary)
10083 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10084 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10085 Move the article from one mail group to another
10086 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10087 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10090 @kindex B c (Summary)
10092 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10093 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10094 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10095 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10096 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10099 @kindex B B (Summary)
10100 @cindex crosspost mail
10101 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10102 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10103 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10104 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10105 be properly updated.
10108 @kindex B i (Summary)
10109 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10110 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10111 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10112 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10115 @kindex B I (Summary)
10116 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10117 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10118 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10119 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10122 @kindex B r (Summary)
10123 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10124 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10125 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10126 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10127 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10128 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10129 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10130 (which is the default).
10134 @kindex B w (Summary)
10135 @kindex e (Summary)
10136 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10137 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10138 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10139 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10140 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10141 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10142 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10145 @kindex B q (Summary)
10146 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10147 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10148 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10149 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10152 @kindex B t (Summary)
10153 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10154 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10155 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10158 @kindex B p (Summary)
10159 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10160 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10161 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10162 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10163 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10164 article from your news server (or rather, from
10165 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10166 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10167 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10168 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10169 just not have arrived yet.
10172 @kindex K E (Summary)
10173 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10174 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10175 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10176 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10177 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10181 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10182 @cindex moving articles
10183 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10184 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10185 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10186 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10187 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10188 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10189 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10192 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10193 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10194 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10195 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10199 @node Various Summary Stuff
10200 @section Various Summary Stuff
10203 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10204 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10205 * Summary Generation Commands::
10206 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10210 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10211 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10212 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10213 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10214 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10215 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10217 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10218 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10219 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10222 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10223 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10224 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10226 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10227 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10228 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10229 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10230 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10231 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10234 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10235 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10236 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10237 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10238 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10240 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10241 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10242 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10245 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10246 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10247 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10248 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10249 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10250 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10251 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10252 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10253 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10254 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10256 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10257 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10258 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10259 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10260 list of articles to be selected.
10262 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10263 the list in one particular group:
10266 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10267 (if (string= group "some.group")
10268 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10272 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10273 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10274 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10275 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10276 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10279 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10280 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10281 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10282 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10283 variable will be used instead.
10285 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10286 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10287 buffers. For example:
10290 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10291 '(message-use-followup-to
10292 (gnus-visible-headers .
10293 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10296 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10300 @node Summary Group Information
10301 @subsection Summary Group Information
10306 @kindex H f (Summary)
10307 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10308 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10309 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10310 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10311 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10312 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10313 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10314 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10315 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10318 @kindex H d (Summary)
10319 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10320 Give a brief description of the current group
10321 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10322 rereading the description from the server.
10325 @kindex H h (Summary)
10326 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10327 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10328 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10331 @kindex H i (Summary)
10332 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10333 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10337 @node Searching for Articles
10338 @subsection Searching for Articles
10343 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10344 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10345 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10346 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10349 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10350 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10351 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10352 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10355 @kindex & (Summary)
10356 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10357 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10358 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10359 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10360 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10361 search backward instead.
10363 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10364 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10367 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10368 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10369 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10370 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10373 @node Summary Generation Commands
10374 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10379 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10380 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10381 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10384 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10385 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10386 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10387 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10390 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10391 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10392 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10393 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10398 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10399 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10405 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10406 @kindex A D (Summary)
10407 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10408 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10409 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10410 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10411 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10412 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10413 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10414 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10418 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10419 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10420 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10421 several documents into one biiig group
10422 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10423 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10424 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10425 command understands the process/prefix convention
10426 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10429 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10430 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10431 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10432 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10433 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10434 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10437 @kindex = (Summary)
10438 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10439 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10440 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10443 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10444 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10445 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10446 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10449 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10450 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10451 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10452 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10457 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10458 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10459 @cindex summary exit
10460 @cindex exiting groups
10462 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10463 group and return you to the group buffer.
10470 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10471 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10472 @kindex q (Summary)
10473 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10474 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10475 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10476 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10477 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10478 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10479 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10480 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10481 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10482 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10483 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10484 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10488 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10489 @kindex Q (Summary)
10490 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10491 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10492 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10496 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10497 @kindex c (Summary)
10498 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10499 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10500 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10501 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10504 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10505 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10506 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10507 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10510 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10511 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10512 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10513 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10517 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10518 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10519 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10520 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10521 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10522 all articles, both read and unread.
10526 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10527 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10528 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10529 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10530 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10531 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10532 articles, both read and unread.
10535 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10536 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10537 Exit the group and go to the next group
10538 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10541 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10542 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10543 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10544 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10547 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10548 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10549 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10550 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10551 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10552 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10555 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10556 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10557 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10558 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10560 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10561 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10562 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10563 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10564 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10565 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10566 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10567 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10568 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10569 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10570 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10571 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10573 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10575 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10576 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10577 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10578 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10579 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10580 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10581 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10582 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10583 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10586 @node Crosspost Handling
10587 @section Crosspost Handling
10591 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10592 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10593 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10594 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10595 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10596 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10599 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10600 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10601 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10602 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10603 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10605 @cindex cross-posting
10607 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10608 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10609 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10610 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10611 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10612 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10613 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10614 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10615 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10616 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10617 the cross reference mechanism.
10619 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10620 @cindex overview.fmt
10621 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10622 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10623 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10624 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10625 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10626 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10629 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10630 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10631 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10636 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10639 @node Duplicate Suppression
10640 @section Duplicate Suppression
10642 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10643 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10644 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10645 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10650 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10651 is evil and not very common.
10654 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10655 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10658 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10659 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10662 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10665 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10666 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10668 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10669 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10670 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10671 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10672 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10673 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10674 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10677 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10678 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10679 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10680 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10681 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10682 saw the article in.
10685 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10686 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10687 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10689 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10690 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10691 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10692 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10693 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10694 session are suppressed.
10696 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10697 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10698 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10699 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10701 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10702 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10703 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10704 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10707 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10708 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10709 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10710 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10711 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10712 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10713 to you to figure out, I think.
10718 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10719 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10720 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10725 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10726 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10727 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10728 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10731 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10732 or newer is recommended.
10736 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10737 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10740 @item mm-verify-option
10741 @vindex mm-verify-option
10742 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10743 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10744 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10746 @item mm-decrypt-option
10747 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10748 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10749 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10750 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10753 @vindex mml1991-use
10754 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10755 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10756 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10760 @vindex mml2015-use
10761 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10762 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10763 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10768 @cindex snarfing keys
10769 @cindex importing PGP keys
10770 @cindex PGP key ring import
10771 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10772 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10773 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10774 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10775 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10776 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10777 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10778 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10779 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10782 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10785 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10786 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10789 @section Mailing List
10790 @cindex mailing list
10793 @kindex A M (summary)
10794 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10795 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10796 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10797 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10800 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10805 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10806 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10807 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10810 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10811 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10812 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10815 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10816 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10817 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10821 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10822 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10823 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10826 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10827 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10828 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10831 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10832 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
10833 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10838 @node Article Buffer
10839 @chapter Article Buffer
10840 @cindex article buffer
10842 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10843 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10844 tell Gnus otherwise.
10847 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10848 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10849 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10850 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10851 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10855 @node Hiding Headers
10856 @section Hiding Headers
10857 @cindex hiding headers
10858 @cindex deleting headers
10860 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10861 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10863 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10864 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10865 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10866 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10867 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10868 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10869 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10870 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10871 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10873 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10877 @item gnus-visible-headers
10878 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10879 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10880 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10881 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10883 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10884 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10887 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10890 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10893 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10894 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10895 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10896 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10897 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10898 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10900 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10901 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10904 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10907 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10910 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10911 variable will have no effect.
10915 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10916 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10917 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10918 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10919 the headers are to be displayed.
10921 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10922 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10925 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10928 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10929 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10931 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10932 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10933 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10934 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10935 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10936 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
10937 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10940 These conditions are:
10943 Remove all empty headers.
10945 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10946 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10948 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
10949 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
10952 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10955 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10956 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10958 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10959 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10961 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10962 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10964 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10967 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10969 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10972 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10975 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10976 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10979 This is also the default value for this variable.
10983 @section Using MIME
10984 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10986 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10987 while people stand around yawning.
10989 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10990 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10992 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10993 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10994 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10996 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10997 @findex gnus-display-mime
10998 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10999 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11000 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11001 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11003 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11004 @acronym{MIME} button:
11007 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11008 @item RET (Article)
11009 @kindex RET (Article)
11010 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11011 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11012 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11013 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11014 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11015 object is displayed inline.
11017 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11018 @item M-RET (Article)
11019 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11021 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11022 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11024 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11026 @kindex t (Article)
11027 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11028 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11030 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11032 @kindex C (Article)
11033 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11034 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11036 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11038 @kindex o (Article)
11039 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11040 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11042 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11043 @item C-o (Article)
11044 @kindex C-o (Article)
11045 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11046 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11047 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11048 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11049 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11050 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11052 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11054 @kindex r (Article)
11055 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11056 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
11057 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11059 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11061 @kindex d (Article)
11062 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11063 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11064 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11066 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11068 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11070 @kindex c (Article)
11071 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11072 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11073 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11074 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11075 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11076 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11077 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11078 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11080 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11082 @kindex p (Article)
11083 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11084 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11085 @file{.mailcap} file.
11087 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11089 @kindex i (Article)
11090 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11091 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11092 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11093 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11094 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11095 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11096 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11097 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11098 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11100 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11102 @kindex E (Article)
11103 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11104 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11105 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11107 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11109 @kindex e (Article)
11110 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11111 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11113 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11115 @kindex | (Article)
11116 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11118 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11120 @kindex . (Article)
11121 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11122 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11126 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11127 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11128 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11130 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11131 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11132 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11133 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11134 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11135 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11136 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11137 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11138 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11140 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11142 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11145 @node Customizing Articles
11146 @section Customizing Articles
11147 @cindex article customization
11149 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11150 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11151 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11152 called automatically when you select the articles.
11154 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11155 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11156 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11157 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11159 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11160 for sensible values.
11164 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11167 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11170 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11173 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
11176 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11180 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11181 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11182 regexps in the list.
11185 A list where the first element is not a string:
11187 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11188 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11189 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11193 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11198 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11199 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11200 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11201 considered to contain just a single part.
11203 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11204 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11205 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11206 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11207 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11208 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11209 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11211 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11212 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11213 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11214 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11217 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11218 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11220 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11222 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11223 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11224 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11225 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11226 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
11227 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11228 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11229 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11230 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11231 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11233 @xref{Article Washing}.
11235 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11236 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11237 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11238 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11239 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11240 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11241 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11243 @xref{Article Date}.
11245 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11246 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11247 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11251 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11253 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11255 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11256 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11257 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11261 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11265 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11269 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11270 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11271 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11272 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11273 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11274 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11275 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11276 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11277 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11278 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11280 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11282 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11283 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11284 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11286 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11288 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11289 @item gnus-treat-translate
11290 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11291 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11293 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11294 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11295 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11296 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11298 @xref{Article Header}.
11303 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11304 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11305 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11306 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11307 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11311 @node Article Keymap
11312 @section Article Keymap
11314 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11315 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11316 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11317 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11320 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11325 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11326 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11327 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11328 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11331 @kindex DEL (Article)
11332 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11333 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11334 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11337 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11338 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11339 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11340 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11341 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11344 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11345 @findex gnus-article-mail
11346 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11347 given a prefix, include the mail.
11350 @kindex s (Article)
11351 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11352 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11353 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11356 @kindex ? (Article)
11357 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11358 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11359 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11362 @kindex TAB (Article)
11363 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11364 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11365 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11368 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11369 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11370 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11373 @kindex R (Article)
11374 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11375 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11376 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11377 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11381 @kindex F (Article)
11382 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11383 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11384 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11385 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11393 @section Misc Article
11397 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11398 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11399 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11400 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11403 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11404 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11405 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11406 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11407 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11409 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11410 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11411 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11412 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11413 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11414 the contents of the article buffer.
11416 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11417 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11418 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11420 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11421 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11422 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11423 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11425 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11426 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11427 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11428 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11430 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11431 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11432 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11433 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11434 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11435 with two extensions:
11440 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11441 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11442 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11447 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11450 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11453 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11454 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11455 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11458 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11461 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11464 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11469 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11473 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11475 @item gnus-break-pages
11476 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11477 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11478 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11479 paging will not be done.
11481 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11482 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11483 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11487 @cindex internationalized domain names
11488 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11489 @item gnus-use-idna
11490 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11491 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11492 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
11493 for how to compose such messages. This requires
11494 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11495 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11500 @node Composing Messages
11501 @chapter Composing Messages
11502 @cindex composing messages
11505 @cindex sending mail
11510 @cindex using s/mime
11511 @cindex using smime
11513 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11514 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11515 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11516 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11517 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11518 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11521 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11522 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11523 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11524 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11525 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11526 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11527 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11528 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11529 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11532 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11533 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11539 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11542 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11543 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11544 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11545 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11546 @code{nil} include all headers.
11548 @item gnus-add-to-list
11549 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11550 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11551 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11553 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11554 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11555 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
11556 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
11557 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
11558 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
11559 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
11560 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
11562 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11563 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
11565 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11566 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11567 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11568 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11569 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11574 @node Posting Server
11575 @section Posting Server
11577 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11578 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11580 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11582 It can be quite complicated.
11584 @vindex gnus-post-method
11585 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11586 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11587 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11588 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11589 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11590 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11591 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11592 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11593 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11596 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11599 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11600 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11601 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11602 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11604 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11605 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11607 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11608 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11611 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11612 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11614 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11615 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11616 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11617 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11618 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11619 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11620 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11621 package correctly. An example:
11624 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11625 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11628 To the thing similar to this, there is
11629 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11630 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11631 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11633 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11634 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11635 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11637 @node POP before SMTP
11638 @section POP before SMTP
11639 @cindex pop before smtp
11640 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11641 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11643 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11644 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11645 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11646 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11647 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11650 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
11651 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
11655 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
11656 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
11657 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
11658 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
11659 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
11660 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
11661 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
11662 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
11664 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
11665 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
11666 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
11667 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
11668 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
11669 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
11672 (setq mail-source-primary-source
11673 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11674 :password "secret"))
11678 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
11679 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
11682 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
11684 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
11685 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11686 :password "secret")))
11687 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
11690 @node Mail and Post
11691 @section Mail and Post
11693 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11697 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11698 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11699 @cindex mailing lists
11701 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11702 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11703 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11704 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11705 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11706 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11707 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11708 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11709 still a pain, though.
11711 @item gnus-user-agent
11712 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11715 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11716 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11717 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11718 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11719 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11720 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11721 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11725 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11726 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11727 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11730 @findex ispell-message
11732 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11735 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11736 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11739 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11743 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11744 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11746 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11749 Modify to suit your needs.
11752 @node Archived Messages
11753 @section Archived Messages
11754 @cindex archived messages
11755 @cindex sent messages
11757 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11758 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11759 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11760 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11763 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11764 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11767 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11768 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11769 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11772 (nnfolder "archive"
11773 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11774 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11775 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11776 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11779 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11780 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11781 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11782 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11785 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11786 '(nnfolder "archive"
11787 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11788 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11789 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11792 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11794 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11795 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11796 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11798 This variable can be used to do the following:
11802 Messages will be saved in that group.
11804 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11805 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11806 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11807 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11808 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11809 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11810 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11811 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11814 @item a list of strings
11815 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11817 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11818 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11821 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11826 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11828 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11831 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11833 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11836 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11838 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11839 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11840 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11841 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11844 More complex stuff:
11846 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11847 '((if (message-news-p)
11852 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11853 messages in one file per month:
11856 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11857 '((if (message-news-p)
11859 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11862 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11863 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11865 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11866 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11867 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11868 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11869 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11870 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11871 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11872 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11873 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11874 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11876 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11877 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11878 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11879 this will disable archiving.
11882 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11883 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11884 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11885 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11886 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11889 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11890 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11891 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11894 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11895 but the latter is the preferred method.
11897 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11898 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11899 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11901 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11902 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11903 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11904 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11905 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11906 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11907 changed in the future.
11912 @node Posting Styles
11913 @section Posting Styles
11914 @cindex posting styles
11917 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11919 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11920 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11921 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11924 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11925 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11926 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11927 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11928 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11933 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11934 (organization "What me?"))
11936 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11937 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11938 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11941 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11942 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11943 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11944 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11945 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11946 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11947 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11948 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11950 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11951 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11952 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11953 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11954 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11955 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
11956 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11957 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11958 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11959 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11960 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11961 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11962 said to @dfn{match}.
11964 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11965 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
11966 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
11967 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
11968 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
11969 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
11970 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
11971 name can be one of:
11974 @item @code{signature}
11975 @item @code{signature-file}
11976 @item @code{x-face-file}
11977 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
11978 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
11982 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
11983 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
11984 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
11985 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
11986 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
11988 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11989 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11990 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11991 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11992 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11993 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11994 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11995 references chars lines xref extra.
11997 @vindex message-reply-headers
11999 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12000 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12001 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12003 @findex message-mail-p
12004 @findex message-news-p
12006 So here's a new example:
12009 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12011 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12013 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12014 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12016 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12017 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12018 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12019 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12020 (signature my-news-signature))
12021 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12022 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12023 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12024 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12025 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12026 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12027 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12028 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12029 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12030 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12032 (From (save-excursion
12033 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
12034 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12036 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12039 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12040 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12041 if you fill many roles.
12048 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12049 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12050 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12051 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12052 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12054 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12055 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12056 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12057 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12058 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12062 @vindex nndraft-directory
12063 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12064 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12065 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12066 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12067 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12068 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12070 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12071 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12072 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12073 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12074 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12075 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12076 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12077 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12078 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12080 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12081 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12082 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12083 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12084 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12085 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12086 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12087 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12088 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12089 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12090 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12091 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12092 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12093 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12095 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12096 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12097 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12099 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12100 @kindex D e (Draft)
12101 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12102 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12103 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12105 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12108 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12109 @kindex D s (Draft)
12110 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12111 @kindex D S (Draft)
12112 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12113 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12114 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12115 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12116 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12119 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12120 @kindex D t (Draft)
12121 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12122 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12123 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12126 @node Rejected Articles
12127 @section Rejected Articles
12128 @cindex rejected articles
12130 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12131 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12132 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12133 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12135 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12136 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12137 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12138 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12139 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12141 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12142 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12143 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12145 @node Signing and encrypting
12146 @section Signing and encrypting
12148 @cindex using s/mime
12149 @cindex using smime
12151 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12152 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12153 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12154 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12156 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12157 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12158 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12159 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12160 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12161 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12162 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12163 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12164 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12165 automatically encrypted messages.
12167 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12168 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12169 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12174 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12175 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12177 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12180 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12181 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12183 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12186 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12187 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12189 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12192 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12193 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12195 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12198 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12199 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12201 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12204 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12205 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12207 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12210 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12211 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12212 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12216 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12218 @node Select Methods
12219 @chapter Select Methods
12220 @cindex foreign groups
12221 @cindex select methods
12223 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12224 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12225 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12226 personal mail group.
12228 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12229 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12230 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12231 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12232 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12233 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12235 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12236 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12238 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12241 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12242 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12243 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12244 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12245 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12247 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12250 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12251 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12252 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12253 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12254 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12255 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12256 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12257 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
12258 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12262 @node Server Buffer
12263 @section Server Buffer
12265 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12266 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12267 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12268 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12269 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12270 back end represents a virtual server.
12272 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12273 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12274 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12275 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12277 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12278 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12279 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12280 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12281 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12282 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12283 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12285 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12286 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12289 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12290 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12291 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12292 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12293 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12294 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12295 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12298 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12299 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12302 @node Server Buffer Format
12303 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12304 @cindex server buffer format
12306 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12307 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12308 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12309 variable, with some simple extensions:
12314 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12317 The name of this server.
12320 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12323 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12326 Whether this server is agentized.
12329 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12330 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12331 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12332 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12342 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12345 @node Server Commands
12346 @subsection Server Commands
12347 @cindex server commands
12353 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12354 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12358 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12359 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12362 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12363 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12364 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12368 @findex gnus-server-exit
12369 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12373 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12374 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12378 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12379 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12383 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12384 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12388 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12389 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12393 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12394 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12395 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12400 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12401 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12402 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12403 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12408 @node Example Methods
12409 @subsection Example Methods
12411 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12414 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12417 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12423 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12424 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12427 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12428 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12430 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12431 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12435 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12438 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12439 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12441 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12442 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12443 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12447 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12450 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12453 Here's the method for a public spool:
12457 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12458 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12464 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12465 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12466 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12467 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12468 should probably look something like this:
12472 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12473 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12474 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12475 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12478 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12479 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12480 configuration to the example above:
12483 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12486 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12488 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12489 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12490 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12494 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12495 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12496 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12497 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12500 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12501 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12502 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12503 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12506 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12507 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12509 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12510 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12512 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12513 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12514 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12516 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12518 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12519 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12520 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12521 will contain the following:
12531 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12532 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12535 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12536 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12537 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12540 @node Server Variables
12541 @subsection Server Variables
12542 @cindex server variables
12543 @cindex server parameters
12545 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12546 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12547 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12548 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12549 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12551 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12552 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12553 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12554 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12555 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12556 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12557 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12558 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12559 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12563 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12564 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12565 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12568 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12570 @node Servers and Methods
12571 @subsection Servers and Methods
12573 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12574 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12575 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12576 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12580 @node Unavailable Servers
12581 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12583 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12584 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12585 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12586 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12587 actually the case or not.
12589 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12590 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12591 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12592 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12593 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12594 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12595 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12596 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12598 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12599 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12601 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12602 with the following commands:
12608 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12609 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12610 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12614 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12615 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12616 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12620 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12621 Mark the current server as unreachable
12622 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12625 @kindex M-o (Server)
12626 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12627 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12628 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12631 @kindex M-c (Server)
12632 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12633 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12634 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12638 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12639 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12640 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12644 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12645 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12651 @section Getting News
12652 @cindex reading news
12653 @cindex news back ends
12655 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12656 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12657 or it can read from a local spool.
12660 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12661 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12669 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12670 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12671 server as the, uhm, address.
12673 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12674 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12675 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12676 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12678 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12679 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12680 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12682 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12687 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12688 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12689 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12691 @cindex authentification
12692 @cindex nntp authentification
12693 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12694 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12695 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12696 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12697 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12698 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12699 present in this hook.
12701 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12702 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12703 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12704 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12705 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12706 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12707 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12708 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12709 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12710 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12711 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12712 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12716 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12719 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12721 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12722 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12723 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12724 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12725 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12726 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12727 @samp{force} is explained below.
12731 Here's an example file:
12734 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12735 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12738 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12739 have to be first, for instance.
12741 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12742 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12743 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12744 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12745 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12746 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12747 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12749 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12750 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12756 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12757 previously mentioned.
12759 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12761 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12762 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12763 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12764 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12765 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12768 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12769 '(("innd" (ding))))
12772 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12774 The default value is
12777 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12778 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12779 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12782 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12783 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12785 @item nntp-maximum-request
12786 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12787 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12788 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12789 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12790 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12791 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12792 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12794 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12795 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12796 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12797 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12798 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12799 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12800 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12801 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12802 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12803 no timeouts are done.
12805 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12806 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12807 @c @cindex PPP connections
12808 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12809 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12810 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12811 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12812 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12813 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12814 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12815 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12816 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12817 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12819 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12820 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12821 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12822 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12823 @c described above.
12825 @item nntp-server-hook
12826 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12827 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12830 @item nntp-buggy-select
12831 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12832 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12834 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12835 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12836 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12837 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12840 @item nntp-xover-commands
12841 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12842 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12844 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12845 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12849 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12850 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12851 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12852 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12853 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12854 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12855 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12856 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12857 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12858 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12859 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12861 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12862 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12863 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12865 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12866 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12867 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12868 server closes connection.
12870 @item nntp-record-commands
12871 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12872 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12873 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12874 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12875 that doesn't seem to work.
12877 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12878 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12879 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12880 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12881 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12882 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12883 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12884 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12886 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12887 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12888 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12889 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12890 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12891 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12892 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12895 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12898 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12899 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12901 @item nntp-read-timeout
12902 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12903 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12904 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12905 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12906 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12912 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12913 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12914 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12915 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
12919 @node Direct Functions
12920 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12921 @cindex direct connection functions
12923 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12924 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12925 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12926 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12929 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12930 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12931 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12934 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12935 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12936 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12937 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12938 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12941 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12942 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12944 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12945 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12946 (nntp-port-number )
12947 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12950 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12951 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12952 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12953 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12954 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12955 then define a server as follows:
12958 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12959 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12961 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12962 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12963 (nntp-port-number 563)
12964 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12967 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12968 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12969 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12970 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12971 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12972 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12973 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12974 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12978 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12979 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12980 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12983 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12984 session, which is not a good idea.
12988 @node Indirect Functions
12989 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12990 @cindex indirect connection functions
12992 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12993 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12994 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12995 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12996 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12997 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13000 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13001 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13002 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
13003 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13004 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13006 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13009 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13010 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13011 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13012 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13014 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13015 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13016 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13017 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13018 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13019 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
13020 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13021 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13025 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13026 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13028 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13029 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13030 Does essentially the same, but uses
13031 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
13032 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13034 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13037 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
13038 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
13039 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13040 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
13041 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
13044 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
13045 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
13046 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13047 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
13049 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13050 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13051 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13052 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13054 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13055 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13056 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13057 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
13060 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13061 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13062 Does essentially also the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13063 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13065 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13068 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13069 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13070 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13073 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13074 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13075 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13076 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13078 @item nntp-via-user-password
13079 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13080 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13082 @item nntp-via-envuser
13083 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13084 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13085 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13086 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13088 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13089 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13090 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13091 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13095 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13096 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13100 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13105 @item nntp-via-user-name
13106 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13107 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13109 @item nntp-via-address
13110 @vindex nntp-via-address
13111 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13116 @node Common Variables
13117 @subsubsection Common Variables
13119 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13120 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13125 @item nntp-pre-command
13126 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13127 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13128 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13129 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
13130 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13133 @vindex nntp-address
13134 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13136 @item nntp-port-number
13137 @vindex nntp-port-number
13138 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13139 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13140 @acronym{tls}/@acronym{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13141 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13142 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13143 not work with named ports.
13145 @item nntp-end-of-line
13146 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13147 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13148 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13149 using a non native telnet connection function.
13151 @item nntp-telnet-command
13152 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13153 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13154 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13155 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13158 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13159 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13160 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13166 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13167 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13169 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13170 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13171 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13172 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13173 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13174 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13175 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13176 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13178 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13179 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13180 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13181 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13182 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13184 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13185 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13186 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13187 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13188 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13189 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13190 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13192 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13193 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13194 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13200 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13201 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13202 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13203 default is @code{nil}.
13205 @item nntp-marks-directory
13206 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13207 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13213 @subsection News Spool
13217 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13218 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13219 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13222 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13223 anything else) as the address.
13225 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13226 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13227 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13228 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13232 @item nnspool-inews-program
13233 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13234 Program used to post an article.
13236 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13237 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13238 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13240 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13241 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13242 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13243 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13245 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13246 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13247 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13248 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13250 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13251 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13252 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13254 @item nnspool-active-file
13255 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13256 The name of the active file.
13258 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13259 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13260 The name of the group descriptions file.
13262 @item nnspool-history-file
13263 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13264 The name of the news history file.
13266 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13267 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13268 The name of the active date file.
13270 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13271 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13272 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13275 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13276 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13278 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13279 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13280 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13287 @section Getting Mail
13288 @cindex reading mail
13291 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13295 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13296 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13297 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13298 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13299 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13300 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13301 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13302 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13303 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13304 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13305 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13306 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13307 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13311 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13312 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13314 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13315 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13316 of a culture shock.
13318 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13319 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13321 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13322 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13323 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13324 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13326 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13328 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13329 deleted? How awful!
13331 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13332 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13333 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13334 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13337 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13338 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13339 they want to treat a message.
13341 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13342 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13343 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13344 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13345 archived somewhere else.
13347 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13348 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13349 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13350 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13351 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13353 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13354 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13355 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13357 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13358 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13361 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13362 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13363 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13364 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13365 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13367 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13368 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13369 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13370 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13371 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13372 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13376 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13377 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13379 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13380 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13381 and things will happen automatically.
13383 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13384 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13387 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13390 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13391 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13392 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13393 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13394 like any other group.
13396 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13399 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13400 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13401 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13405 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13406 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13407 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13410 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13411 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13412 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13415 @node Splitting Mail
13416 @subsection Splitting Mail
13417 @cindex splitting mail
13418 @cindex mail splitting
13419 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13421 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13422 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13423 to be split into groups.
13426 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13427 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13428 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13429 ("mail.other" "")))
13432 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13433 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13434 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13435 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13436 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13437 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13438 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13441 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13445 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
13446 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13448 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13449 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13450 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13451 mail belongs in that group.
13453 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
13454 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13455 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
13456 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13457 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
13458 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
13459 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
13460 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
13461 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
13462 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
13464 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13465 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13466 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13467 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13468 thinks should carry this mail message.
13470 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13471 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13472 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13473 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13475 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13476 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13477 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13478 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13479 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
13481 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13484 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13485 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13486 links. If that's the case for you, set
13487 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13488 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13490 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13491 @findex nnmail-split-history
13492 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13493 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13494 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13495 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13498 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13499 Header lines longer than the value of
13500 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13503 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13504 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13505 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13506 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13507 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13508 charset for decoding. The behavior can be turned off completely by
13509 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13510 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13512 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13513 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13514 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13515 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13516 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13517 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13518 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13519 other kinds of entries.)
13521 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13522 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13523 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13524 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13525 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13526 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13527 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13528 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13529 month's rent money.
13533 @subsection Mail Sources
13535 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13536 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13537 maildir, for instance.
13540 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13541 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13542 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13546 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13547 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13549 @cindex mail server
13552 @cindex mail source
13554 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13555 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13560 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13563 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13564 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13565 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13568 The following mail source types are available:
13572 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13578 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13579 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13580 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13584 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13587 An example file mail source:
13590 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13593 Or using the default file name:
13599 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13600 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13601 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13602 mail spool while moving the mail.
13604 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13608 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13611 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13615 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13618 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13620 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13623 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13627 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13628 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13629 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13630 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13631 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13632 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13633 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13634 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13635 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13636 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13638 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13639 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13640 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13641 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13647 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13651 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13655 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13656 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13657 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13658 predicate are considered.
13662 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13666 An example directory mail source:
13669 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13674 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13680 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13681 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13684 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13685 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13686 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13687 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13688 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13691 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13695 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13696 the user is prompted.
13699 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13700 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13703 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13706 The valid format specifier characters are:
13710 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13711 included in this string.
13714 The name of the server.
13717 The port number of the server.
13720 The user name to use.
13723 The password to use.
13726 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13727 corresponding keywords.
13730 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13731 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13734 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13735 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13738 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13739 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13740 mail should be moved to.
13742 @item :authentication
13743 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13744 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13749 @vindex pop3-movemail
13750 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
13751 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13752 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If the
13753 @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server} is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be
13754 left on the @acronym{POP} server after fetching when using
13755 @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers maintain no state
13756 information between sessions, so what the client believes is there and
13757 what is actually there may not match up. If they do not, then the whole
13758 thing can fall apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
13760 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13761 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13767 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13770 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13771 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13774 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13777 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13781 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13782 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13783 contains exactly one mail.
13789 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13790 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13793 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13794 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13796 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13797 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13798 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13801 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13802 from locking problems).
13806 Two example maildir mail sources:
13809 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13810 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13814 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13819 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13820 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13821 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13822 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13823 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13825 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13826 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13832 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13833 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13836 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13837 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13840 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13844 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13848 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13849 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13850 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13851 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13853 @item :authentication
13854 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13855 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13856 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13857 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13860 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13861 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13862 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13868 The valid format specifier characters are:
13872 The name of the server.
13875 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13878 The port number of the server.
13881 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13882 corresponding keywords.
13885 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13886 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13889 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13890 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13891 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13892 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13893 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13894 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13897 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13898 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13899 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13900 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13903 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13904 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13908 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13911 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13913 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13917 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13918 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13919 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13921 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13922 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13924 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13930 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13931 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13934 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13938 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13942 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13943 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13947 An example webmail source:
13950 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13952 :password "secret")
13957 @item Common Keywords
13958 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13964 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13965 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13970 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13975 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13976 useful when you use local mail and news.
13981 @subsubsection Function Interface
13983 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13984 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13985 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13986 consider the following mail-source setting:
13989 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13990 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13993 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13994 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13995 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13996 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13997 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13999 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14002 @node Mail Source Customization
14003 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14005 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14006 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14010 @item mail-source-crash-box
14011 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14012 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14013 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14015 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14016 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
14017 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
14018 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
14019 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
14020 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
14021 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
14022 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
14024 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14025 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14026 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
14027 files. This variable only applies when
14028 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
14030 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
14031 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
14032 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
14034 @item mail-source-directory
14035 @vindex mail-source-directory
14036 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
14037 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
14038 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
14039 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
14041 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14042 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14043 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
14044 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
14045 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
14046 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
14049 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
14050 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
14051 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
14053 @item mail-source-movemail-program
14054 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
14055 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
14056 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
14061 @node Fetching Mail
14062 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
14064 @vindex mail-sources
14065 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
14066 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
14067 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
14068 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14070 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14071 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14074 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14075 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14080 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14081 :password "secret")))
14084 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14088 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14089 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14092 :password "secret")))
14096 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14097 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14098 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14099 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14100 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14101 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14105 @node Mail Back End Variables
14106 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14108 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14112 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14113 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14114 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14115 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14117 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14118 @item nnmail-split-hook
14119 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14120 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14121 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14122 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14123 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14124 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14125 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14126 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14127 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14130 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14131 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14132 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14133 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14134 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14135 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14136 starting to handle the new mail) and
14137 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14138 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14139 default file modes the new mail files get:
14142 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14143 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14145 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14146 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14149 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14150 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14151 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14152 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14153 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14154 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14155 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14157 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14158 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14159 @findex delete-file
14160 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14162 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14163 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14164 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14165 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14166 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14168 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14169 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14170 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14171 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14172 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14174 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14175 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14176 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14181 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14182 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14183 @cindex mail splitting
14184 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14186 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14187 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14188 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14189 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14190 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14191 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14193 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14196 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14197 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14198 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14199 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14201 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14202 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14203 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14204 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14205 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14206 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14207 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14208 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14209 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14210 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14211 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14212 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14213 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14214 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14215 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14216 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14217 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14221 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14222 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14223 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14228 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14229 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14231 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split})
14232 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
14233 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
14234 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
14235 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
14236 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
14237 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
14239 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14240 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14241 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14242 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14243 stored in one or more groups.
14245 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14246 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14247 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14250 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14251 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14253 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14254 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14255 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14256 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14259 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14260 body of the messages:
14263 (defun split-on-body ()
14267 (goto-char (point-min))
14268 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14272 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14273 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14274 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14275 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14276 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14277 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14278 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14280 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14281 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14282 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14283 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14284 should return a split.
14287 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14291 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14292 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
14293 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
14294 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
14295 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
14297 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14298 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14299 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14300 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14301 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14302 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14303 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14307 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14309 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14310 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14312 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14315 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14316 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14317 when all this splitting is performed.
14319 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14320 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14321 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14324 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14327 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14328 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14330 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14331 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14332 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14333 groupings 1 through 9.
14335 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14336 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14337 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14338 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14339 groups when users send to an address using different case
14340 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14343 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14344 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} controls whether partial
14345 words are matched during fancy splitting.
14347 Normally, regular expressions given in @code{nnmail-split-fancy} are
14348 implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers, which are word
14349 delimiters. If this variable is true, they are not implicitly
14350 surrounded by anything.
14353 (any "joe" "joemail")
14356 In this example, messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will
14357 normally not be filed in @samp{joemail}. With
14358 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} set to @code{t},
14359 however, the match will happen. In effect, the requirement of a word
14360 boundary is removed and instead the match becomes more like a grep.
14362 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14363 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14364 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14365 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14366 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14367 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14368 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14369 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14370 it once per thread.
14372 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14373 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14374 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14375 using the colon feature, like so:
14377 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14378 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14380 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14381 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14385 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14386 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14387 in the file specified by the variable
14388 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14389 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14390 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14391 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14392 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14393 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14394 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14395 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14396 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14397 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14398 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14399 300 kBytes in size.)
14400 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14401 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14402 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14403 messages goes into the new group.
14405 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14406 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14407 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14408 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14409 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14410 ``outgoing'' group.
14413 @node Group Mail Splitting
14414 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14415 @cindex mail splitting
14416 @cindex group mail splitting
14418 @findex gnus-group-split
14419 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14420 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14421 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14422 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14423 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14424 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14425 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14426 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14428 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14429 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14430 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14431 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14433 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14434 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14435 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14436 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14437 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14438 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14439 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14441 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14442 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14443 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14444 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14445 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14446 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14447 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14449 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14450 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14451 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14452 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14453 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14454 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14455 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14456 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14457 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14458 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14459 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14460 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14461 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14463 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14468 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14469 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14471 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14472 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14473 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14474 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14476 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14479 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14480 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14481 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14484 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14485 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14486 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14490 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14491 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14492 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14496 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14499 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14500 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14501 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14502 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14503 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14504 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14505 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14506 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14507 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14509 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14510 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14511 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14512 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14513 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14514 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14515 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14516 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14517 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14519 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14520 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14521 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14522 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14523 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14524 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14527 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14530 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14531 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14532 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14533 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14534 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14537 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14538 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14539 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14540 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14542 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14543 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14544 @cindex incorporating old mail
14545 @cindex import old mail
14547 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14548 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14549 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14552 Doing so can be quite easy.
14554 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14555 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14556 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14557 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14558 your @code{nnml} groups.
14564 Go to the group buffer.
14567 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14568 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14571 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14574 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14575 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14578 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14579 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14582 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14583 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14584 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14585 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14586 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14588 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14589 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14590 using the new mail back end.
14593 @node Expiring Mail
14594 @subsection Expiring Mail
14595 @cindex article expiry
14597 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14598 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14599 different approach to mail reading.
14601 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14602 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14603 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14604 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14605 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14606 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14609 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14610 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14611 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14612 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14613 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14614 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14615 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14616 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14617 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14619 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14620 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14621 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14622 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14623 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14624 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14625 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14628 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14629 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14630 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14631 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14632 into its own group.)
14634 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14635 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14636 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14637 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14638 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14639 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14640 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14641 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14644 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14645 Groups that match the regular expression
14646 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14647 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14648 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14650 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14651 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14652 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14653 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14654 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14656 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14658 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14659 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14660 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14663 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14664 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14665 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14666 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14667 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14669 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14670 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14673 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14674 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14677 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14678 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14680 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14681 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14682 don't really mix very well.
14684 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14685 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14686 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14687 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14690 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14691 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14692 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14693 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14696 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14698 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14700 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14702 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14704 ((string= group "important")
14710 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14711 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14713 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14714 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14715 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14718 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14719 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14721 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14722 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14723 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14724 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14725 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14726 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14727 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14728 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14729 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14730 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14731 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14732 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14733 name or @code{delete}.
14735 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14737 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14740 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14741 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14742 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14743 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14744 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14747 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14748 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14749 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14750 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14751 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14754 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14755 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14756 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14757 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14758 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14759 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14761 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14762 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14763 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14764 easier for procmail users.
14766 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14767 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14768 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14769 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14770 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14771 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14772 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14773 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14774 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14775 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14776 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14777 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14778 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14781 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14783 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14784 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14785 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14786 auto-expire turned on.
14790 @subsection Washing Mail
14791 @cindex mail washing
14792 @cindex list server brain damage
14793 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14795 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14796 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14797 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14798 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14799 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14800 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14802 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14803 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14804 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14807 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14808 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14809 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14810 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14813 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14814 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14815 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14816 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14817 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14820 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14821 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14822 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14823 Emacs running on MS machines.
14827 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14828 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14829 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14830 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14833 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14834 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14835 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14836 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14838 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14839 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14840 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14841 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14842 into a feature by documenting it.)
14844 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14845 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14846 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14847 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14848 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14849 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14850 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14853 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14854 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14857 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14858 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14861 This can also be done non-destructively with
14862 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14864 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14865 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14866 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14868 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14869 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14871 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14872 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14873 @code{References} headers.
14877 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14878 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14879 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14883 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14884 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14885 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14892 @subsection Duplicates
14894 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14895 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14896 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14897 @cindex duplicate mails
14898 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14899 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14900 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14901 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14902 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14903 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14904 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14905 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14906 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14907 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14908 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14909 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14910 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14912 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14913 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14914 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14915 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14917 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14920 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14921 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14925 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14926 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14927 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14928 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14929 (any mail "mail.misc")
14930 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14936 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14937 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14938 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14942 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14943 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14944 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14945 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14946 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14949 @node Not Reading Mail
14950 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14952 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14953 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14954 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14956 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14957 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14958 mail, which should help.
14960 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14961 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14962 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14963 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14964 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14965 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14966 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14967 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14968 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14969 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14970 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14972 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14973 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14977 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14978 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14980 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14981 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14982 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14984 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14985 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14986 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14990 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14991 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14992 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14993 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14994 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14995 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14996 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
15000 @node Unix Mail Box
15001 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
15003 @cindex unix mail box
15005 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15006 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15007 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
15008 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
15009 which group it belongs in.
15011 Virtual server settings:
15014 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
15015 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15016 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
15019 @item nnmbox-active-file
15020 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15021 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
15022 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
15024 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
15025 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15026 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
15027 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
15032 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
15036 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15037 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15038 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
15039 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
15040 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
15042 Virtual server settings:
15045 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
15046 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15047 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
15049 @item nnbabyl-active-file
15050 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15051 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
15052 @file{~/.rmail-active}
15054 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15055 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15056 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
15062 @subsubsection Mail Spool
15064 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
15066 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
15067 format. It should be used with some caution.
15069 @vindex nnml-directory
15070 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15071 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15072 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15073 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15075 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15078 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15079 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15080 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15081 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15082 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15083 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15084 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15085 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15087 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15088 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15089 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15090 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15092 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15094 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15095 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15096 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15097 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15098 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15099 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15100 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15101 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15104 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15105 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15106 them next time it starts.
15108 Virtual server settings:
15111 @item nnml-directory
15112 @vindex nnml-directory
15113 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15114 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15117 @item nnml-active-file
15118 @vindex nnml-active-file
15119 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15120 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15122 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15123 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15124 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15125 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15127 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15128 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15129 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15132 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15133 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15134 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15135 default is @code{nil}.
15137 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15138 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15139 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15141 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15142 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15143 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15145 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15146 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15147 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15148 default is @code{nil}.
15150 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15151 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15152 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15154 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15155 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15156 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15157 files. This variable requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be
15158 enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs
15161 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15162 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15163 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
15164 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
15165 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-nil.
15169 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15170 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15171 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15172 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15173 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15174 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15175 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15180 @subsubsection MH Spool
15182 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15184 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15185 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15186 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15187 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15190 Virtual server settings:
15193 @item nnmh-directory
15194 @vindex nnmh-directory
15195 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15196 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15199 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15200 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15201 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15205 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15206 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15207 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15208 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15209 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15210 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15211 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15216 @subsubsection Maildir
15220 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15221 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15222 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15223 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15224 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15227 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15228 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15229 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15230 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15231 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15232 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15233 that appear as group in Gnus.
15235 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15236 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15237 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15239 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15240 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15241 another, and you will keep your marks.
15243 Virtual server settings:
15247 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15248 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15249 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15250 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15251 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15252 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15253 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15254 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15255 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15256 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15258 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15259 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15260 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15261 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15262 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15263 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15264 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15265 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15266 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15267 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15270 @item target-prefix
15271 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15272 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15273 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15276 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15277 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15278 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15279 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15280 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15281 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15282 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15283 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15284 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15286 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15287 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15288 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15289 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15290 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15292 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15293 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15294 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15295 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15296 @code{force} argument.
15298 @item directory-files
15299 This should be a function with the same interface as
15300 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15301 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15302 parameter is optional; the default is
15303 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15304 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15305 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15306 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15307 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15308 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15311 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15312 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15313 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15314 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15315 value is @code{nil}.
15317 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15318 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15319 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15320 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15321 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15324 @subsubsection Group parameters
15326 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15327 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15328 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15329 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15330 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15331 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15334 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15335 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15336 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15337 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15338 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15339 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15340 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15341 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15342 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15346 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15347 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15348 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15349 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15350 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
15351 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
15352 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15353 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15354 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15355 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15356 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15357 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15360 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15362 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15364 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15365 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15366 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15367 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15368 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15369 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15370 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15371 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15372 article. So that form can refer to
15373 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15374 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir} does
15375 not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15376 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15379 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15380 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15381 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15382 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15383 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15384 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15385 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15386 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15387 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15388 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15389 contain extra copies of the articles.
15391 @item directory-files
15392 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15393 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15394 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15395 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15397 @item distrust-Lines:
15398 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15399 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15400 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15403 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15404 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15405 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15406 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15407 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15408 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15411 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15412 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15413 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15414 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15415 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15416 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15417 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15419 @item nov-cache-size
15420 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15421 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15422 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15423 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15424 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15425 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15426 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15427 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15428 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15429 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15430 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15433 @subsubsection Article identification
15434 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15435 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15436 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15437 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15438 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15439 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15440 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15441 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15442 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15443 request the article in the summary buffer.
15445 @subsubsection NOV data
15446 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15447 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15448 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15449 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15450 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15451 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15452 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15453 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15454 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15455 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15456 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15458 @subsubsection Article marks
15459 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15460 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15461 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15462 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15463 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15464 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15465 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15466 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15468 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15469 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15470 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15471 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15472 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15473 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15474 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15475 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15476 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15480 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15482 @cindex mbox folders
15483 @cindex mail folders
15485 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15486 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15487 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15488 numbers and arrival dates.
15490 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15492 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15493 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15494 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15495 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15496 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15497 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15498 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15499 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15500 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15501 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15503 Virtual server settings:
15506 @item nnfolder-directory
15507 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15508 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15509 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15510 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15512 @item nnfolder-active-file
15513 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15514 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15516 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15517 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15518 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15519 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15521 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15522 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15523 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15524 default is @code{t}
15526 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15527 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15528 @cindex backup files
15529 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15530 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15531 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15532 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15535 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15536 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15538 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15541 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15542 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15543 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15544 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15545 extract some information from it before removing it.
15547 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15548 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15549 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15550 default is @code{nil}.
15552 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15553 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15554 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15556 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15557 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15558 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15559 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15561 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15562 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15563 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15564 default is @code{nil}.
15566 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15567 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15568 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15570 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15571 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15572 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15573 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15578 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15579 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15580 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15581 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15582 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15583 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15586 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15587 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15589 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15590 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15591 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15592 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15593 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15595 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15596 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15597 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15598 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15599 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15600 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15601 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15602 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15605 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15606 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15607 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15608 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15613 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15614 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15615 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15616 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15617 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15618 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15619 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15620 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15621 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15622 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15623 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15624 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15625 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15630 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15631 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15632 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15633 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15634 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15635 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15636 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15637 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15638 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15639 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15640 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15641 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15642 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15643 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15645 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15646 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15651 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15652 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15653 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15654 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15655 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15656 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15657 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15658 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15659 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15660 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15661 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15662 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15663 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15664 provided by the active file and overviews.
15666 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15667 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15668 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15669 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15670 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15673 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15674 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15679 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15680 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15681 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15682 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15683 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15684 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15685 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15689 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15690 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15691 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15692 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15693 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15694 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15695 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15696 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15697 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15699 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15700 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15701 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15702 friendly mail back end all over.
15706 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15707 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15710 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15711 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15712 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15713 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15714 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15715 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15716 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15717 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15720 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15721 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15722 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15723 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15724 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15725 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15726 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15727 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15728 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15729 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15730 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15732 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15733 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15734 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15735 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15736 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15739 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15740 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15741 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15742 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15743 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15744 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15745 removed in the future.
15747 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15748 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15749 on your file system.
15751 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15752 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15757 @node Browsing the Web
15758 @section Browsing the Web
15760 @cindex browsing the web
15764 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15765 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15766 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15767 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15768 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15769 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15770 even know what a news group is.
15772 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15773 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15774 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15775 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15776 you mad in the end.
15778 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15781 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15782 interfaces to these sources.
15786 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15787 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15788 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15789 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15790 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15791 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15794 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15796 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15797 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15798 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15799 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15800 though, you should be ok.
15802 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15803 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15804 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15805 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15806 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15808 @node Archiving Mail
15809 @subsection Archiving Mail
15810 @cindex archiving mail
15811 @cindex backup of mail
15813 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15814 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15815 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15816 marks is fairly simple.
15818 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15819 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15822 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15823 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15824 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15825 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15826 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15827 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15828 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15829 before you restore the data.
15831 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15832 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15833 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15834 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15835 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15836 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15837 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15838 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15839 is unnecessary in that case.
15842 @subsection Web Searches
15847 @cindex Usenet searches
15848 @cindex searching the Usenet
15850 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15851 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15852 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15853 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15854 searches without having to use a browser.
15856 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15857 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15858 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15859 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15860 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15862 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15863 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15864 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15865 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15866 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15867 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15868 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15869 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15870 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15871 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15874 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15875 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15876 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
15877 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15878 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15879 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15881 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15882 to use @code{nnweb}.
15884 Virtual server variables:
15889 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15890 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15891 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15894 @vindex nnweb-search
15895 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15897 @item nnweb-max-hits
15898 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15899 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15902 @item nnweb-type-definition
15903 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15904 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15905 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15910 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15914 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15917 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15920 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15924 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15931 @subsection Slashdot
15935 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15936 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15937 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15939 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15940 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15943 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15944 '((nnslashdot "")))
15947 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15948 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15949 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15950 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15951 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15954 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15955 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15957 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15958 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15959 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15960 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
15961 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15962 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15963 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15965 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15968 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15969 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15970 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15971 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15972 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15973 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15974 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15976 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15977 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15978 The login name to use when posting.
15980 @item nnslashdot-password
15981 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15982 The password to use when posting.
15984 @item nnslashdot-directory
15985 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15986 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15987 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15989 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15990 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15991 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
15992 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
15993 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15995 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15996 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15997 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
15999 @item nnslashdot-article-url
16000 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
16001 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
16002 article. The default is
16003 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
16005 @item nnslashdot-threshold
16006 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
16007 The score threshold. The default is -1.
16009 @item nnslashdot-group-number
16010 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
16011 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
16012 updated. The default is 0.
16019 @subsection Ultimate
16021 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
16023 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
16024 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
16025 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
16026 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16028 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
16029 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
16030 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
16031 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
16032 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
16033 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
16034 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
16036 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
16039 @item nnultimate-directory
16040 @vindex nnultimate-directory
16041 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
16042 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
16047 @subsection Web Archive
16049 @cindex Web Archive
16051 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
16052 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
16053 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
16054 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
16057 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
16058 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
16059 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
16060 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
16061 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
16062 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
16063 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
16064 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
16066 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
16069 @item nnwarchive-directory
16070 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
16071 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
16072 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
16074 @item nnwarchive-login
16075 @vindex nnwarchive-login
16076 The account name on the web server.
16078 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16079 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16080 The password for your account on the web server.
16088 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16089 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16090 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16091 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16092 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16094 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16095 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16097 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16098 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16099 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16102 @kindex G R (Summary)
16103 Use @kbd{G R} from the summary buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will
16104 be prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16105 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16106 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16108 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16109 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16110 subscribe to groups.
16112 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16113 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16114 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16115 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16116 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16117 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16118 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16119 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16122 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16123 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16126 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16127 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16131 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16132 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16133 @acronym{OPML} format.
16136 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16139 @item nnrss-directory
16140 @vindex nnrss-directory
16141 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16142 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16144 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16145 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16146 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16147 data files. The default is the value of
16148 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16149 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16151 @item nnrss-use-local
16152 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16153 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16154 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16155 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16156 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16157 download script using @command{wget}.
16160 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16161 the summary buffer.
16164 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16165 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16167 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16169 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16170 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16173 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16176 (require 'browse-url)
16178 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
16180 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16183 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16184 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16187 (browse-url (cdr url))
16188 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16189 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16191 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16192 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16193 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16194 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16197 @node Customizing w3
16198 @subsection Customizing w3
16204 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
16205 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
16206 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
16208 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
16209 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16210 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16213 (eval-after-load "w3"
16215 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16216 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16217 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16218 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16220 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16223 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
16224 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16231 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16233 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16234 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16235 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16236 specify the network address of the server.
16238 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16239 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16240 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16241 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16242 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16243 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16245 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16246 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16247 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16248 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16250 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16251 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16252 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16253 usage explained in this section.
16255 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16256 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16257 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16261 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16262 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16263 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16265 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16266 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16267 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16269 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16270 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16271 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16272 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16273 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16274 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16275 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16276 (nnimap-stream network))
16277 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16279 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16280 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16281 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16284 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16285 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16286 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16287 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16289 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16294 @item nnimap-address
16295 @vindex nnimap-address
16297 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16298 server name if not specified.
16300 @item nnimap-server-port
16301 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16302 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16304 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16307 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16308 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16311 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16312 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16313 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16314 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16315 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16316 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16317 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16319 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16320 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16321 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16324 Example server specification:
16327 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16328 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16329 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16332 @item nnimap-stream
16333 @vindex nnimap-stream
16334 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16335 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16336 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16337 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16338 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16340 Example server specification:
16343 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16344 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16347 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16351 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16352 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16354 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16356 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16357 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16360 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16361 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16363 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16364 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16366 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16368 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16371 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16372 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16373 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16374 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16375 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16376 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16377 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16378 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16379 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16382 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16383 needed. It is available from
16384 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16386 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16387 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16388 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16389 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16390 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16391 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16392 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16395 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16396 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16397 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16398 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16399 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16400 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16401 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16404 @vindex imap-shell-program
16405 @vindex imap-shell-host
16406 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16407 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16409 @item nnimap-authenticator
16410 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16412 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16413 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16415 Example server specification:
16418 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16419 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16422 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16426 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16427 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16429 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16432 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16433 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16435 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16437 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16439 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16442 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16444 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16445 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16446 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16447 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16448 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16449 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16452 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16453 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16454 running in circles yet?
16456 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16457 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16460 The possible options are:
16465 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16468 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16469 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16470 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16471 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16473 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16478 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16479 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16481 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16482 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16483 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16484 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16485 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16488 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16489 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16492 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16493 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16494 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16495 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16498 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16499 as ticked for other users.
16501 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16503 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16505 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16506 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16507 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16508 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16510 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16511 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16512 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16513 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16515 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16516 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16518 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16519 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16520 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16521 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
16524 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
16527 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
16528 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
16529 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
16530 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
16533 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16534 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16536 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16537 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16543 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16544 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16545 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16546 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16547 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16548 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16553 @node Splitting in IMAP
16554 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16555 @cindex splitting imap mail
16557 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16558 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16559 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16560 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16561 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16565 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16566 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16567 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16569 Here are the variables of interest:
16573 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16574 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16576 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16578 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16579 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16580 found will be used.
16582 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16584 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16585 @cindex splitting, inbox
16587 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16589 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16590 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16591 splitting is disabled!
16594 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16595 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16598 No nnmail equivalent.
16600 @item nnimap-split-rule
16601 @cindex splitting, rules
16602 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16604 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16607 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16608 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16609 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16610 Neither did I, we need examples.
16613 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16615 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16616 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16617 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16620 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16621 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16622 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16624 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16625 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16629 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16632 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16633 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16635 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16636 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16637 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16638 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16640 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16641 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16642 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16643 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16644 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16645 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16647 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16648 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16649 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16651 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16652 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16653 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16655 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16657 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16658 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16659 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16662 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16663 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16664 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16665 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16666 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16667 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16670 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16671 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16672 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16673 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16674 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16675 group/function elements.
16677 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16679 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16681 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16683 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16684 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16686 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16687 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16688 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16691 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16692 @cindex splitting, fancy
16693 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16694 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16696 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16697 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16698 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16700 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16701 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16702 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16703 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16708 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16709 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16712 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16714 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16715 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16716 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16718 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16719 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16720 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16721 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
16725 @node Expiring in IMAP
16726 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16727 @cindex expiring imap mail
16729 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16730 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16731 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16732 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16733 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16734 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16737 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16738 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16739 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16740 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16741 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16742 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16743 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16744 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16748 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16749 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16751 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16752 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16754 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16756 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16757 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16758 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16759 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16763 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16764 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16765 @cindex editing imap acls
16766 @cindex Access Control Lists
16767 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16768 @kindex G l (Group)
16769 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16771 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16772 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16773 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16776 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16777 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16778 editing window with detailed instructions.
16780 Some possible uses:
16784 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16785 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16786 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16788 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16789 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16790 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16794 @node Expunging mailboxes
16795 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16799 @cindex manual expunging
16800 @kindex G x (Group)
16801 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16803 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16804 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16805 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16807 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16810 @node A note on namespaces
16811 @subsection A note on namespaces
16812 @cindex IMAP namespace
16815 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16816 by the following text in the RFC:
16819 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16821 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16822 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16823 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16824 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16826 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16827 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16828 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16829 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16830 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16831 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16834 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16835 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16836 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16838 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16839 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16840 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16841 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16842 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16843 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16844 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16845 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16848 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16849 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16850 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16852 @node Debugging IMAP
16853 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16854 @cindex IMAP debugging
16855 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16857 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16858 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16859 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
16860 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16862 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16863 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16864 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16865 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16866 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16867 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16868 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16872 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
16873 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
16880 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
16881 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
16882 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
16883 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
16886 @node Other Sources
16887 @section Other Sources
16889 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16890 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16894 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16895 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16896 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16897 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16898 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16902 @node Directory Groups
16903 @subsection Directory Groups
16905 @cindex directory groups
16907 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16908 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16911 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16912 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16913 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16914 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16916 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16917 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16918 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16919 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16920 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16922 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16924 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16925 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16926 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16927 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16930 @node Anything Groups
16931 @subsection Anything Groups
16934 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16935 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16936 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16939 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16940 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16941 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16942 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16943 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16944 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16945 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16946 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16947 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16948 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16951 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16952 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16953 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16954 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16956 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16957 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16958 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16959 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16961 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16962 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16963 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16964 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16965 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16966 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16967 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16968 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16973 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16974 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16975 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16976 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16978 @item nneething-exclude-files
16979 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16980 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16981 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16983 @item nneething-include-files
16984 @vindex nneething-include-files
16985 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16986 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16988 @item nneething-map-file
16989 @vindex nneething-map-file
16990 Name of the map files.
16994 @node Document Groups
16995 @subsection Document Groups
16997 @cindex documentation group
17000 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17001 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17008 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
17013 The standard Unix mbox file.
17015 @cindex MMDF mail box
17017 The MMDF mail box format.
17020 Several news articles appended into a file.
17023 @cindex rnews batch files
17024 The rnews batch transport format.
17025 @cindex forwarded messages
17028 Forwarded articles.
17031 Netscape mail boxes.
17034 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17036 @item standard-digest
17037 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17040 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17042 @item lanl-gov-announce
17043 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17045 @item rfc822-forward
17046 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17049 The Outlook mail box.
17052 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17055 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17058 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17061 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17067 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17070 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17076 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17077 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17078 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17081 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17082 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17083 group. And that's it.
17085 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17086 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17087 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17088 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17089 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17090 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17091 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17092 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17093 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17094 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17096 Virtual server variables:
17099 @item nndoc-article-type
17100 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17101 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17102 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17103 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17104 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17105 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17107 @item nndoc-post-type
17108 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17109 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17110 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17115 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17119 @node Document Server Internals
17120 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17122 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17123 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17124 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17125 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17127 First, here's an example document type definition:
17131 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17132 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17135 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17136 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17137 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17138 types can be defined with very few settings:
17141 @item first-article
17142 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17143 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17146 @item article-begin
17147 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17148 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
17150 @item head-begin-function
17151 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17154 @item nndoc-head-begin
17155 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17158 @item nndoc-head-end
17159 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17160 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17162 @item body-begin-function
17163 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17167 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17170 @item body-end-function
17171 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17175 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
17178 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17179 regexp will be totally ignored.
17183 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17184 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17185 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17186 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17187 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17190 @item prepare-body-function
17191 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17192 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17193 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17195 @item article-transform-function
17196 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17197 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17198 body of the article.
17200 @item generate-head-function
17201 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17202 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17203 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17204 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17208 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17213 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17214 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17215 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17216 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17217 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17218 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17219 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17220 (subtype digest guess))
17223 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17224 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17225 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17226 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17227 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17229 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17230 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17231 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17232 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17233 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17234 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17235 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17236 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17237 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17238 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17239 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17240 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17248 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17249 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17250 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17252 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17253 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17254 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17257 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17258 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17259 that interested in doing things properly.
17261 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17262 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17265 First some terminology:
17270 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17271 get news and/or mail from.
17274 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17275 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17278 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17282 @item message packets
17283 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17284 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17285 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17287 @item response packets
17288 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17289 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17290 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17300 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17301 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17302 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17303 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17306 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17309 You put the packet in your home directory.
17312 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17313 the native or secondary server.
17316 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17317 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17320 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17324 You transfer this packet to the server.
17327 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17330 You then repeat until you die.
17334 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17335 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17338 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17339 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17340 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17344 @node SOUP Commands
17345 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17347 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17351 @kindex G s b (Group)
17352 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17353 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17354 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17355 process/prefix convention.
17358 @kindex G s w (Group)
17359 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17360 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17363 @kindex G s s (Group)
17364 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17365 Send all replies from the replies packet
17366 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17369 @kindex G s p (Group)
17370 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17371 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17374 @kindex G s r (Group)
17375 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17376 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17379 @kindex O s (Summary)
17380 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17381 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17382 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17383 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17388 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17393 @item gnus-soup-directory
17394 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17395 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17396 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17398 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17399 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17400 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17401 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17403 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17404 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17405 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17406 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17408 @item gnus-soup-packer
17409 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17410 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17411 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17413 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17414 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17415 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17416 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17418 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17419 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17420 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17422 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17423 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17424 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17425 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17431 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17434 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17435 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17436 you can read them at leisure.
17438 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17442 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17443 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17444 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17445 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17447 @item nnsoup-directory
17448 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17449 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17450 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17452 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17453 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17454 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17455 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17457 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17458 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17459 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17460 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17461 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17463 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17464 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17465 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17466 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17468 @item nnsoup-active-file
17469 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17470 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17471 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17472 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17473 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17475 @item nnsoup-packer
17476 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17477 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17478 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17480 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17481 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17482 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17483 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17485 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17486 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17487 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17490 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17491 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17492 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17495 @item nnsoup-always-save
17496 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17497 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17503 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17505 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17506 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17507 more for that to happen.
17509 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17510 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17511 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17514 In specific, this is what it does:
17517 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17518 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17521 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17522 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17523 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17526 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17527 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17528 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17531 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17532 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17533 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17535 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17541 @item nngateway-address
17542 @vindex nngateway-address
17543 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17545 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17546 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17547 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17548 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17549 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17550 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17551 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17554 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17555 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17556 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17559 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17562 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17565 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17568 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17570 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17573 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17574 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17575 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17577 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17579 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17580 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17581 @code{nngateway-address}.
17589 (setq gnus-post-method
17591 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17592 (nngateway-header-transformation
17593 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17596 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17599 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17604 @node Combined Groups
17605 @section Combined Groups
17607 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17611 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17612 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17616 @node Virtual Groups
17617 @subsection Virtual Groups
17619 @cindex virtual groups
17620 @cindex merging groups
17622 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17625 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17626 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17627 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17629 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17630 regexp to match component groups.
17632 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17633 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17634 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17635 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17636 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17637 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17638 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17639 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17641 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17642 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17645 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17648 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17649 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17651 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17652 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17653 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17654 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17657 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17660 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17661 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17662 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17664 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17665 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17666 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17667 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17668 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17670 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17671 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17672 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17674 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17675 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17676 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17677 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17678 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17679 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17680 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17681 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17682 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17683 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17684 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17686 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17687 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17688 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17689 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17690 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17691 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17692 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17694 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17695 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17697 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17698 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17702 @node Kibozed Groups
17703 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17707 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17708 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17709 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17710 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17712 @kindex G k (Group)
17713 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17716 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17717 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17718 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17719 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17721 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17722 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17723 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17725 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17726 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17727 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17728 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17729 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17730 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17731 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17732 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17734 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17735 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17736 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17737 Stranger things have happened.
17739 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17740 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17742 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17743 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17744 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17745 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17746 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17747 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17748 component articles.
17750 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17751 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17754 @node Email Based Diary
17755 @section Email Based Diary
17757 @cindex email based diary
17760 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
17761 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
17762 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
17763 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
17764 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
17765 namely, as event reminders.
17767 Here is a typical scenario:
17771 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
17772 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
17774 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
17776 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
17778 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
17779 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
17780 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
17782 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
17783 of the night you're gonna have.
17785 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
17786 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
17789 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
17790 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
17791 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
17792 explained in the sections below.
17795 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
17796 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
17797 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
17801 @node The NNDiary Back End
17802 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
17804 @cindex the nndiary back end
17806 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
17807 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
17808 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
17809 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
17810 directory per group.
17812 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
17813 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
17814 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
17815 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
17818 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
17819 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
17820 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
17823 @node Diary Messages
17824 @subsubsection Diary Messages
17825 @cindex nndiary messages
17826 @cindex nndiary mails
17828 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
17829 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
17830 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
17831 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
17832 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
17833 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
17834 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
17838 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
17839 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
17840 (separated by a comma).
17842 A field is either an integer, or a range.
17844 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
17846 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
17847 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
17848 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
17850 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
17851 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
17852 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
17854 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
17855 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
17856 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
17857 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
17858 list of available time zone values, see the variable
17859 @code{nndiary-headers}.
17862 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
17863 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
17864 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
17869 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
17872 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
17874 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
17877 @node Running NNDiary
17878 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
17879 @cindex running nndiary
17880 @cindex nndiary operation modes
17882 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
17883 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
17884 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
17885 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
17886 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
17887 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
17889 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
17890 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
17891 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
17892 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
17893 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
17894 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
17895 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
17898 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
17903 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
17904 line in your @file{gnusrc} file:
17907 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
17910 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
17911 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
17912 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
17913 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
17914 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
17916 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
17917 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
17926 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
17927 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
17929 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
17930 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
17931 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
17932 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
17935 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
17936 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
17937 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
17940 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
17941 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
17942 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
17944 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
17945 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
17946 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
17947 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
17948 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
17950 @node Customizing NNDiary
17951 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
17952 @cindex customizing nndiary
17953 @cindex nndiary customization
17955 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
17956 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
17957 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
17958 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
17960 @defvar nndiary-reminders
17961 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
17962 appointements (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
17963 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
17964 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
17968 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
17969 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
17974 @node The Gnus Diary Library
17975 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
17977 @cindex the gnus diary library
17979 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
17980 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
17981 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
17982 useful things for you.
17984 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{gnusrc} file:
17987 (require 'gnus-diary)
17990 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
17991 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
17992 (sorry if you used them before).
17996 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
17997 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
17998 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
17999 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18002 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18003 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18004 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18005 @cindex diary summary line format
18007 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18008 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18009 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18010 see the event's date.
18012 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18013 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18014 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18015 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18016 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18018 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18019 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18020 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18023 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18026 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18027 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18030 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18033 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18034 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18035 with the following user options:
18037 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18038 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18039 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18040 diary groups'parameters.
18043 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18044 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18045 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18048 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18049 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18050 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18051 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18052 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18055 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18056 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18057 @cindex diary articles sorting
18058 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18059 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18060 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18061 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18063 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18064 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18065 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18066 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18067 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18069 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18070 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18071 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18072 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18075 @node Diary Headers Generation
18076 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18077 @cindex diary headers generation
18078 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18080 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18081 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18082 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18083 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18086 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18087 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18088 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
18089 and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
18090 a usual mail to a diary one.
18092 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18093 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18094 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18097 @node Diary Group Parameters
18098 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18099 @cindex diary group parameters
18101 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18102 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18103 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18104 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18105 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18106 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18107 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18108 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18110 @node Sending or Not Sending
18111 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18113 Well, assuming you've read of of the above, here are two final notes on
18114 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18118 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18119 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18120 appointements to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18121 sending the diary message to them as well.
18123 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18124 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18125 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18126 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18129 @node Gnus Unplugged
18130 @section Gnus Unplugged
18135 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18137 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18138 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18139 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18140 read news. Believe it or not.
18142 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18143 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18144 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18145 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18146 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18148 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18149 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18150 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18151 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18152 reading news on a machine.
18154 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18155 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18156 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18158 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18161 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18162 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18163 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18164 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18165 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18166 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18167 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18168 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18169 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18170 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18171 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18172 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18173 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18178 @subsection Agent Basics
18180 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18182 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18183 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18184 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18185 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18187 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18188 connected to the net continuously.
18190 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18191 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18193 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18194 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18195 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18196 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18197 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18199 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18200 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18201 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18202 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18203 they're kinda like plugged always).
18205 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18206 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18207 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18210 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18211 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18212 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18213 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18214 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18216 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18221 @findex gnus-unplugged
18222 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18223 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18224 already fetched while in this mode.
18227 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18228 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18229 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18230 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18231 Source Specifiers}).
18234 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18235 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18236 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18237 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18238 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18241 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18242 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18243 then you read the news offline.
18246 And then you go to step 2.
18249 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18255 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18256 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18257 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18258 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18259 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18260 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18261 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
18262 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
18265 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18266 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18267 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18268 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18270 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18271 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18272 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18273 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18274 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18275 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18279 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18283 @node Agent Categories
18284 @subsection Agent Categories
18286 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18287 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18288 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18289 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18290 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18291 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18292 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18294 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18295 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18296 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18297 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18298 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18300 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18301 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18302 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18303 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18304 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18307 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18308 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18309 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18310 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18311 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18312 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18316 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18317 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18318 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18322 @node Category Syntax
18323 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18325 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18326 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18327 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18330 @cindex Agent Parameters
18332 @item agent-cat-name
18333 The name of the category.
18336 The list of groups that are in this category.
18338 @item agent-predicate
18339 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18340 are eligible for downloading; and
18342 @item agent-score-file
18343 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18344 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18345 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18347 @item agent-enable-expiration
18348 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18349 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18350 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18351 only groups that should not be expired.
18353 @item agent-days-until-old
18354 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18355 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18357 @item agent-low-score
18358 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18360 @item agent-high-score
18361 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18363 @item agent-length-when-short
18364 an integer that overrides the value of
18365 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18367 @item agent-length-when-long
18368 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18370 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18371 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18372 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18373 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18374 undownloaded faces.
18377 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18380 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18381 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18382 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18385 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18386 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18387 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18388 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18390 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18391 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18392 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18394 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18395 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
18396 operators sprinkled in between.
18398 Perhaps some examples are in order.
18400 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
18401 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
18407 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
18408 short (for some value of ``short'').
18410 Here's a more complex predicate:
18419 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
18420 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
18423 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
18424 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
18425 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
18427 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
18428 you want to do, you can write your own.
18430 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
18431 bound to the value determined by calling
18432 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
18433 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
18434 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
18435 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
18436 predicate to individual groups.
18440 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
18441 lines; default 100.
18444 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
18445 lines; default 200.
18448 True iff the article has a download score less than
18449 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
18452 True iff the article has a download score greater than
18453 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18456 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18457 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18458 checksum and sees whether articles match.
18467 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
18468 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
18469 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
18472 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
18473 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
18474 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
18475 something along the lines of the following:
18478 (defun my-article-old-p ()
18479 "Say whether an article is old."
18480 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
18481 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
18484 with the predicate then defined as:
18487 (not my-article-old-p)
18490 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
18491 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
18495 (require 'gnus-agent)
18496 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
18497 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
18498 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
18501 and simply specify your predicate as:
18507 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
18508 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
18509 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
18510 just don't give a damn.
18512 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
18513 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
18514 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
18515 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
18516 parameters like so:
18519 (agent-predicate . short)
18522 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
18523 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
18524 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
18526 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
18529 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
18532 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
18533 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
18534 predicate is assumed to be a list.
18537 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
18538 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
18539 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
18540 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
18541 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
18542 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
18544 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
18545 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
18546 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
18547 if it's to be specific to that group.
18549 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
18556 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
18557 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18563 Category specification
18567 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18573 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18576 (agent-score ("from"
18577 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18582 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18588 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18589 keywords stated above.
18595 Category specification
18598 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18604 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18608 Group Parameter specification
18611 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18614 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18619 Use @code{normal} score files
18621 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18622 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18623 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18624 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18626 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18627 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18628 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18629 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18633 Category Specification
18640 Group Parameter specification
18643 (agent-score . file)
18648 @node Category Buffer
18649 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18651 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18652 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18653 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18655 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18659 @kindex q (Category)
18660 @findex gnus-category-exit
18661 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18664 @kindex e (Category)
18665 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18666 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18667 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18670 @kindex k (Category)
18671 @findex gnus-category-kill
18672 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18675 @kindex c (Category)
18676 @findex gnus-category-copy
18677 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18680 @kindex a (Category)
18681 @findex gnus-category-add
18682 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18685 @kindex p (Category)
18686 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18687 Edit the predicate of the current category
18688 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18691 @kindex g (Category)
18692 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18693 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18694 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18697 @kindex s (Category)
18698 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18699 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18700 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18703 @kindex l (Category)
18704 @findex gnus-category-list
18705 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18709 @node Category Variables
18710 @subsubsection Category Variables
18713 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18714 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18715 Hook run in category buffers.
18717 @item gnus-category-line-format
18718 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18719 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18720 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18724 The name of the category.
18727 The number of groups in the category.
18730 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18731 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18732 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18734 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18735 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18736 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18738 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18739 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18740 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18742 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18743 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18744 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18747 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18748 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18749 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18752 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18753 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18754 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18755 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18756 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18757 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18758 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18759 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18763 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18764 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18765 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18766 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18767 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18768 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18769 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18774 @node Agent Commands
18775 @subsection Agent Commands
18776 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18777 @kindex J j (Agent)
18779 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18780 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18781 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18785 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18786 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18787 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18793 @node Group Agent Commands
18794 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18798 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18799 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18800 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18801 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18804 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18805 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18806 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18809 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18810 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18811 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18812 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18815 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18816 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18817 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18818 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18821 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18822 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18823 Add the current group to an Agent category
18824 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18825 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18828 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18829 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18830 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18831 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18832 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18835 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18836 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18837 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18843 @node Summary Agent Commands
18844 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18848 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18849 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18850 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18853 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18854 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18855 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18856 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18860 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18861 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18862 Toggle whether to download the article
18863 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18867 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18868 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18869 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18872 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18873 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18874 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18875 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18878 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18879 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18880 Download all processable articles in this group.
18881 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18884 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18885 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18886 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18887 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18892 @node Server Agent Commands
18893 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18897 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18898 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18899 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18900 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18903 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18904 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18905 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18906 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18911 @node Agent Visuals
18912 @subsection Agent Visuals
18914 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18915 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18916 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18917 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18918 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18919 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18920 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18921 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18922 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18923 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18925 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18926 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18927 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18928 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18929 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
18930 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18931 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18932 articles will be available when unplugged.
18934 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18935 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18936 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18937 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18938 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18939 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18940 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18941 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18943 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18944 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18945 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18946 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18947 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18948 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18949 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18950 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18951 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18953 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18954 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18955 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18956 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18957 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
18958 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
18959 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
18960 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
18961 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
18962 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
18964 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
18965 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
18966 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
18967 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
18968 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
18969 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18971 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
18972 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
18973 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
18974 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
18975 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
18976 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
18977 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
18978 expiring'' articles.
18980 @node Agent as Cache
18981 @subsection Agent as Cache
18983 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18984 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18985 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18986 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18987 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18988 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18989 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18990 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18991 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18993 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18994 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18995 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18996 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18997 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19000 @subsection Agent Expiry
19002 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19003 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19004 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19005 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19006 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19007 @cindex agent expiry
19008 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19011 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19012 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19013 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19014 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19015 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19016 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19017 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19018 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19020 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19021 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19022 synchronized with the group.
19024 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19025 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19027 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19028 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19029 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19030 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19031 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19032 be kept indefinitely.
19034 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19035 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19036 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19037 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19039 @node Agent Regeneration
19040 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19042 @cindex agent regeneration
19043 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19044 @cindex regeneration
19046 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19047 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19048 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19049 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19050 internal inconsistencies.
19052 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19053 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19054 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19055 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19056 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19057 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19059 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19060 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19061 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19062 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19063 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19064 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19066 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19067 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19068 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19069 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19070 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19071 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19074 @node Agent and IMAP
19075 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19077 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19078 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19079 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19080 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19082 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
19083 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
19084 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
19085 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
19087 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
19088 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
19089 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
19090 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19092 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19093 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19094 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19095 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19096 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19097 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19099 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19100 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19101 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19102 in the group buffer.
19104 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19105 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19110 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19113 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19117 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19118 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
19119 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19120 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
19121 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19122 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19123 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19124 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19127 @node Outgoing Messages
19128 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19130 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19131 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19132 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19134 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19135 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19136 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19138 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19139 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19140 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19141 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19144 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19145 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19146 ask you to confirm your action (see
19147 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19149 @node Agent Variables
19150 @subsection Agent Variables
19155 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19156 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19157 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19158 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19160 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19161 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19164 @item gnus-agent-directory
19165 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19166 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19167 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19169 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19170 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19171 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19172 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19173 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19176 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19177 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19178 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19180 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19181 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19182 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19184 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19185 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19186 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19188 @item gnus-agent-cache
19189 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19190 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19191 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19192 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19194 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19195 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19196 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19197 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19198 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19199 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19200 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19203 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19204 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19205 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19206 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19207 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19208 read. The default is @code{t}.
19210 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19211 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19212 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19213 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19214 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19215 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19216 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19217 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19218 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19219 over and over again.
19221 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19222 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19223 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19224 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19225 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19226 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19227 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19228 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19229 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19230 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19231 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
19232 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19235 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19236 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19237 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19238 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19239 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19240 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19241 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19242 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19243 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19245 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19246 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19247 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19248 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19249 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19250 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19252 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19253 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19254 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19255 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19256 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19258 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19259 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19260 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19261 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19262 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19263 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19265 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19266 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19267 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19268 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19269 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19271 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19272 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19273 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19274 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19275 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19276 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19277 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19278 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19279 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19280 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19281 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
19286 @node Example Setup
19287 @subsection Example Setup
19289 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19290 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19291 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19294 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19295 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19296 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19298 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19299 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19300 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19302 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19303 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19305 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19306 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19307 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19310 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19311 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19314 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19315 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19316 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19317 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19318 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19321 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19322 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19323 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19324 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19325 back all the killed groups.)
19327 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19328 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19329 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19332 @node Batching Agents
19333 @subsection Batching Agents
19334 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19336 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19337 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19338 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19340 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19341 following incantation:
19345 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19349 @node Agent Caveats
19350 @subsection Agent Caveats
19352 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19353 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19357 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19359 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19360 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19361 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19363 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19364 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19366 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19370 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19371 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19372 locally stored articles.
19379 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19380 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19381 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19384 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
19385 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
19386 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
19387 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
19388 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
19390 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
19391 before generating the summary buffer.
19393 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
19394 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
19395 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
19397 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
19398 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
19399 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
19400 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
19403 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
19404 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
19405 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
19406 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
19407 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
19408 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
19409 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
19410 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
19411 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
19412 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
19413 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
19414 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
19415 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
19416 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
19417 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
19418 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
19422 @node Summary Score Commands
19423 @section Summary Score Commands
19424 @cindex score commands
19426 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
19427 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
19428 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
19429 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
19430 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
19432 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
19433 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
19434 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
19435 score file the current one.
19437 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
19442 @kindex V s (Summary)
19443 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
19444 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
19447 @kindex V S (Summary)
19448 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
19449 Display the score of the current article
19450 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
19453 @kindex V t (Summary)
19454 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
19455 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
19456 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
19457 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
19458 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
19459 score file and edit it.
19462 @kindex V w (Summary)
19463 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
19464 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
19467 @kindex V R (Summary)
19468 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
19469 Run the current summary through the scoring process
19470 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
19471 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
19472 effect you're having.
19475 @kindex V c (Summary)
19476 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
19477 Make a different score file the current
19478 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
19481 @kindex V e (Summary)
19482 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
19483 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
19484 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
19488 @kindex V f (Summary)
19489 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
19490 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
19491 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
19494 @kindex V F (Summary)
19495 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19496 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
19497 after editing score files.
19500 @kindex V C (Summary)
19501 @findex gnus-score-customize
19502 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
19503 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
19507 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
19512 @kindex V m (Summary)
19513 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
19514 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
19515 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
19518 @kindex V x (Summary)
19519 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
19520 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
19521 expunge all articles below this score
19522 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
19525 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
19526 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
19529 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
19530 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
19534 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
19535 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
19537 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
19538 keys are available:
19542 Score on the author name.
19545 Score on the subject line.
19548 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
19551 Score on the @code{References} line.
19557 Score on the number of lines.
19560 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19563 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19564 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19567 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19568 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19569 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19578 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19584 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19585 what headers you are scoring on.
19597 Substring matching.
19600 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19629 Greater than number.
19634 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19635 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19636 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19641 Temporary score entry.
19644 Permanent score entry.
19647 Immediately scoring.
19651 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19652 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19653 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19657 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19658 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19659 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19660 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19662 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19663 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19664 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19665 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19666 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19668 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19669 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19670 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19671 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19672 current score file.
19674 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19675 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19676 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19679 @node Group Score Commands
19680 @section Group Score Commands
19681 @cindex group score commands
19683 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19688 @kindex W e (Group)
19689 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19690 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19691 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19694 @kindex W f (Group)
19695 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19696 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19697 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19698 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19702 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19704 @findex gnus-batch-score
19705 @cindex batch scoring
19707 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19711 @node Score Variables
19712 @section Score Variables
19713 @cindex score variables
19717 @item gnus-use-scoring
19718 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19719 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19720 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19722 @item gnus-kill-killed
19723 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19724 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19725 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19726 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19727 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19728 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19729 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19731 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19732 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19733 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19734 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19735 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19737 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19738 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19739 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19740 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19742 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19743 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19744 @cindex score cache
19745 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19746 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
19747 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19748 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19749 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19750 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19751 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19754 @item gnus-save-score
19755 @vindex gnus-save-score
19756 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19757 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19758 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19760 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19761 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19762 across group visits.
19764 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19765 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19766 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19767 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19768 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19769 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19770 manually entered data.
19772 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19773 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19774 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19776 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19777 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19778 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19779 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19780 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19781 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19783 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19784 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19785 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19786 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19788 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19789 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19790 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19791 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19793 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19794 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19795 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19796 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19798 Predefined functions available are:
19801 @item gnus-score-find-single
19802 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19803 Only apply the group's own score file.
19805 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19806 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19807 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19808 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19809 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19810 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19811 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19812 then a regexp match is done.
19814 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19815 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19817 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19818 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19819 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19820 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19822 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19823 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19824 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19825 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19826 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19830 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19831 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19832 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19833 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19834 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19835 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19836 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19839 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19840 overall score file, you could use the value
19842 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19843 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19846 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19847 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19848 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19849 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19850 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19852 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19853 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19854 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19855 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19856 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19857 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19858 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19859 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19861 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19862 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19863 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19865 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19866 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19867 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19868 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19869 threading---according to the current value of
19870 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19871 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19872 simplified in this manner.
19877 @node Score File Format
19878 @section Score File Format
19879 @cindex score file format
19881 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19882 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19883 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19885 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
19889 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
19891 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
19893 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
19895 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
19900 (mark-and-expunge -10)
19904 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
19905 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
19906 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
19907 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
19911 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
19912 Scoring}, for a different approach.
19914 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
19915 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
19916 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
19918 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19923 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19924 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19925 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19926 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19927 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19928 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19929 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19930 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19931 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19932 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19933 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19934 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19935 to articles that matches these score entries.
19937 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19938 score entry has one to four elements.
19942 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19943 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19947 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19948 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19949 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19950 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19951 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19952 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19955 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19956 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19957 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19958 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19959 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19962 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19963 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19964 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19965 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19968 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19969 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19970 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19971 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19972 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19973 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19974 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19975 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19976 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19977 instead, if you feel like.
19980 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19981 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19982 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19983 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19984 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
19985 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
19989 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
19990 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19994 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19995 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19997 These predicates are true if
20000 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20003 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20004 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20011 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20012 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20013 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20014 it's not. I think.)
20016 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20017 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20018 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20019 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20022 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20023 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20024 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20025 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20026 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20027 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20028 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20032 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20033 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20034 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20035 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20036 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20037 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20038 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20039 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20042 @item Head, Body, All
20043 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20047 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20048 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20049 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20050 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20051 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20052 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20053 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20057 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20058 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20059 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20060 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20061 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20062 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20063 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20064 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20065 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20066 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20067 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20071 @cindex score file atoms
20073 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20074 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20077 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20078 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20080 @item mark-and-expunge
20081 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20082 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20085 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20086 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20087 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20088 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20089 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20092 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20093 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20096 @item exclude-files
20097 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20098 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20102 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
20103 ignored when handling global score files.
20106 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20107 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20108 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20109 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20112 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20113 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20114 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20115 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20117 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20121 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20124 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20125 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20126 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
20127 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20128 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20130 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20131 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20132 scoring rules exist.
20135 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20136 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20137 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20138 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20139 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20140 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20141 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20142 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20143 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20144 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20145 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20149 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20150 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20151 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20152 file for a number of groups.
20155 @cindex local variables
20156 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20157 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20158 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20159 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20160 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20165 @node Score File Editing
20166 @section Score File Editing
20168 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20169 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20170 with a mode for that.
20172 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20173 additional commands:
20178 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20179 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
20180 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20181 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
20184 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20185 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20186 Insert the current date in numerical format
20187 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20188 you were wondering.
20191 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20192 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20193 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20194 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20195 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20200 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20202 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20203 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20205 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20206 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20209 @node Adaptive Scoring
20210 @section Adaptive Scoring
20211 @cindex adaptive scoring
20213 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20214 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20215 stupidity, to be precise.
20217 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20218 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20219 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20220 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20221 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20222 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20223 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20224 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20225 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20227 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20228 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20229 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20230 might look something like this:
20233 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20234 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20235 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20236 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20237 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20238 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20239 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20240 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20241 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20242 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20243 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20244 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20247 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20248 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20249 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20250 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20251 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20252 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20255 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20256 will be applied to each article.
20258 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20259 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20260 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20261 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20263 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20264 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20265 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20266 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20268 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20269 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20270 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20271 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20273 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20274 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20275 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20276 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20277 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20278 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20280 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20281 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20282 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20284 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20285 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20286 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20288 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20289 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20290 let you use different rules in different groups.
20292 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20293 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20294 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20297 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20298 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20299 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20300 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20302 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20303 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20304 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20305 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20306 the length of the match is less than
20307 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20308 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20311 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20312 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20313 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20314 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20315 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20318 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20319 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20320 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20321 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20322 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20325 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20326 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20327 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20328 score with 30 points.
20330 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20331 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20332 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20333 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20334 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20336 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20337 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20338 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20339 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20340 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20342 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20343 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20344 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20345 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20347 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20348 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20349 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20350 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20352 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20353 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20354 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20355 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20356 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20358 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20359 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20360 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20362 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20363 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20364 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20365 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20368 @node Home Score File
20369 @section Home Score File
20371 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20372 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20373 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20374 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20376 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20377 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20378 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20380 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20381 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
20386 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
20390 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
20391 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
20395 A list. The elements in this list can be:
20399 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
20400 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
20403 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
20404 be used as the home score file.
20407 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
20410 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
20415 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
20418 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20419 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
20422 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
20423 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
20425 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
20427 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20428 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
20431 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
20432 Other functions include
20435 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
20436 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
20437 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
20438 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
20442 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
20443 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
20444 their own home score files:
20447 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20448 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
20449 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
20450 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
20451 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
20454 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
20455 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
20456 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
20457 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
20458 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
20460 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
20461 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
20462 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
20463 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
20464 precedence over this variable.
20467 @node Followups To Yourself
20468 @section Followups To Yourself
20470 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
20471 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
20472 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
20473 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
20474 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
20475 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
20479 @item gnus-score-followup-article
20480 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
20481 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
20484 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
20485 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
20486 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
20490 @vindex message-sent-hook
20491 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
20492 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
20494 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
20498 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
20499 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
20503 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20504 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20507 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
20508 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
20513 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
20517 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
20518 is system-dependent.
20521 @node Scoring On Other Headers
20522 @section Scoring On Other Headers
20523 @cindex scoring on other headers
20525 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
20526 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
20527 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
20528 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
20529 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
20531 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
20532 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
20533 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
20534 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
20535 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
20537 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
20540 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
20541 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
20544 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
20545 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
20546 time if you have much mail.
20548 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
20549 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
20555 @section Scoring Tips
20556 @cindex scoring tips
20562 @cindex scoring crossposts
20563 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
20564 the @code{Xref} header.
20566 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20569 @item Multiple crossposts
20570 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20571 more than, say, 3 groups:
20574 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20578 @item Matching on the body
20579 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20580 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20581 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20582 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20583 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20584 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20585 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20588 @item Marking as read
20589 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20590 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20591 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20595 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20597 @item Negated character classes
20598 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20599 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20600 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20604 @node Reverse Scoring
20605 @section Reverse Scoring
20606 @cindex reverse scoring
20608 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20609 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20610 like this in your score file:
20614 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20619 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20620 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20623 @node Global Score Files
20624 @section Global Score Files
20625 @cindex global score files
20627 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20628 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20629 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20631 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20632 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20633 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20635 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20636 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20637 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20638 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20639 files are applicable to which group.
20641 To use the score file
20642 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20643 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20647 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20648 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20649 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20652 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20654 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20655 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20656 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20657 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20659 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20660 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20662 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20663 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20664 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20665 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20666 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20667 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20669 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20675 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20677 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20679 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20681 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20682 lowered out of existence.
20684 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20685 articles completely.
20688 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20689 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20690 old articles for a long time.
20693 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20694 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20695 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20696 holding our breath yet?
20700 @section Kill Files
20703 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20704 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20705 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20707 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20708 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20709 files into score files.
20711 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20712 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20713 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20714 that isn't a very good idea.
20716 Normal kill files look like this:
20719 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20720 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20724 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20725 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20727 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20728 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20731 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20736 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20737 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20738 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20741 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20742 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20743 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20746 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20751 @kindex M-k (Group)
20752 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20753 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20756 @kindex M-K (Group)
20757 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20758 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20761 Kill file variables:
20764 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20765 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20766 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20767 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20768 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20769 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20770 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20772 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20773 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20774 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20775 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20778 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20779 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20780 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20781 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20782 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20783 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20784 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20785 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20786 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20788 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20789 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20790 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20795 @node Converting Kill Files
20796 @section Converting Kill Files
20798 @cindex converting kill files
20800 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20801 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20802 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20805 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
20806 You can fetch it from
20807 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20809 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20810 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20811 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20815 @node Advanced Scoring
20816 @section Advanced Scoring
20818 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20819 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20820 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20821 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20822 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20824 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20828 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20829 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20830 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20834 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20835 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20837 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20838 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20839 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20840 non-@code{nil} value.
20842 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20843 operator, and various match operators.
20850 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20851 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20852 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20857 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20858 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20859 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20864 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20865 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20869 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20870 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20871 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20872 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20873 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20874 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20875 the ancestry you want to go.
20877 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20878 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20879 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20880 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20881 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20884 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20885 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20887 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20888 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20891 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20892 when he's talking about Gnus:
20897 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20898 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20905 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20909 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20916 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20917 really don't want to read what he's written:
20921 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20922 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20926 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20927 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20928 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20935 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20936 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20937 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20938 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20942 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
20943 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
20944 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
20945 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
20948 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
20950 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
20954 The possibilities are endless.
20956 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20957 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20959 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20960 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20961 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20962 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20963 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20964 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20965 @samp{subject}) first.
20967 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20968 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20979 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20980 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20986 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20993 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20994 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20999 @section Score Decays
21000 @cindex score decays
21003 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21004 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21005 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21006 use them in any sensible way.
21008 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21009 @findex gnus-decay-score
21010 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21011 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21012 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21013 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21014 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21015 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21016 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21017 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21018 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21019 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21023 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21024 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21025 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21027 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21029 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21031 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21032 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21033 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21034 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21035 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21037 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21041 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21042 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21043 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21044 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21048 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21051 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21054 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21058 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21059 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21060 the new score, which should be an integer.
21062 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21063 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21068 @include message.texi
21069 @chapter Emacs MIME
21070 @include emacs-mime.texi
21072 @include sieve.texi
21084 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21085 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21086 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21087 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21088 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21089 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21090 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21091 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21092 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21093 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
21094 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21095 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
21096 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21097 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21098 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21099 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21100 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21101 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21102 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
21103 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21104 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21108 @node Process/Prefix
21109 @section Process/Prefix
21110 @cindex process/prefix convention
21112 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21113 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21115 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21116 command to be performed on.
21120 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21121 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21122 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21123 with the current one.
21125 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21126 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21127 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21129 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21130 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21133 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21134 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21136 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21139 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21140 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21141 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21142 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21144 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21145 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21146 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21147 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21148 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21149 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21150 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21151 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21153 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21154 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21155 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21156 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21157 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21161 @section Interactive
21162 @cindex interaction
21166 @item gnus-novice-user
21167 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21168 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21169 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21170 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21171 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21174 @item gnus-expert-user
21175 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21176 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21177 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
21178 matter how strange.
21180 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21181 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21182 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21183 is @code{t} by default.
21185 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21186 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21187 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21192 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21193 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21194 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21196 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21197 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21198 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21199 rule of 900 to the current article.
21201 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21202 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21203 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21204 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21205 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
21206 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
21207 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
21209 @kindex M-i (Summary)
21210 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
21211 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
21212 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
21213 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
21214 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
21215 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
21216 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
21217 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
21219 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
21220 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
21221 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
21223 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
21227 @node Formatting Variables
21228 @section Formatting Variables
21229 @cindex formatting variables
21231 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
21232 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
21233 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
21234 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
21235 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
21238 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
21239 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
21240 lots of percentages everywhere.
21243 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
21244 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
21245 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
21246 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
21247 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
21248 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
21249 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
21250 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
21253 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
21254 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
21255 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
21256 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
21257 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
21258 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
21259 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
21260 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
21262 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
21263 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
21265 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
21266 @findex gnus-update-format
21267 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
21268 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
21269 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
21270 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
21274 @node Formatting Basics
21275 @subsection Formatting Basics
21277 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
21278 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
21279 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
21281 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
21282 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
21283 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
21284 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
21285 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
21288 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
21289 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
21290 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
21291 less than 4 characters wide.
21293 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
21294 @samp{%&user-date;}.
21297 @node Mode Line Formatting
21298 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
21300 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
21301 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
21302 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
21303 with the following two differences:
21308 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
21311 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
21312 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
21313 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
21314 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
21315 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
21316 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
21317 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
21322 @node Advanced Formatting
21323 @subsection Advanced Formatting
21325 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
21326 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
21327 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
21328 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
21330 These are the valid modifiers:
21335 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
21339 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
21344 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
21347 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
21352 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
21355 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
21358 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
21361 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
21367 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
21372 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
21373 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
21374 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
21375 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
21376 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
21377 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
21378 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
21380 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
21381 last operation, padding.
21383 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
21384 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
21385 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
21386 @xref{Compilation}.
21389 @node User-Defined Specs
21390 @subsection User-Defined Specs
21392 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
21393 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
21394 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
21395 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
21396 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
21397 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
21398 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
21399 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
21400 should protect against that.
21402 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
21403 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
21405 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
21406 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
21407 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
21408 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
21412 @node Formatting Fonts
21413 @subsection Formatting Fonts
21415 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
21416 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
21417 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
21418 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
21421 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
21422 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
21423 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
21424 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
21425 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
21426 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
21428 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
21429 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
21430 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
21431 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
21432 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
21433 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
21434 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
21435 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
21436 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
21437 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
21438 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
21441 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
21444 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
21445 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
21446 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
21448 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
21449 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
21450 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
21451 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
21452 ;; @r{Set the color.}
21453 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
21454 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
21456 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
21457 (setq gnus-group-line-format
21458 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
21461 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
21462 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
21464 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
21465 mode-line variables.
21467 @node Positioning Point
21468 @subsection Positioning Point
21470 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
21471 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
21472 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
21474 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
21476 @findex gnus-goto-colon
21477 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
21478 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
21480 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
21481 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
21482 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
21487 @subsection Tabulation
21489 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
21490 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
21491 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
21492 about lining up the following text afterwards.
21494 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
21495 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
21497 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21498 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
21499 This is the soft tabulator.
21501 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21502 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
21503 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
21506 @node Wide Characters
21507 @subsection Wide Characters
21509 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
21510 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
21511 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
21513 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
21514 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
21515 these countries, that's not true.
21517 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
21518 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
21519 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
21520 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
21524 @node Window Layout
21525 @section Window Layout
21526 @cindex window layout
21528 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
21530 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
21531 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
21532 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
21533 @code{t} by default.
21535 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
21536 glitches. Use at your own peril.
21538 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
21539 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
21540 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
21543 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
21544 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
21545 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21549 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
21550 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
21551 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
21552 possible names is listed below.
21554 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
21555 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
21558 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21562 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
21563 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
21564 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
21565 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
21566 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
21567 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
21568 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
21569 size spec per split.
21571 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
21572 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
21573 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
21574 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
21575 present) gets focus.
21577 Here's a more complicated example:
21580 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
21581 (summary 0.25 point)
21582 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
21586 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
21587 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
21588 occupy, not a percentage.
21590 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
21591 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
21592 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
21593 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
21594 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21597 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21600 (article (horizontal 1.0
21605 (summary 0.25 point)
21610 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21611 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21613 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21614 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21615 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21616 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21617 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21619 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21620 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21621 lines from the splits.
21623 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21628 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21629 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21630 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21631 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21632 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21633 size = number | frame-params
21634 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21638 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21639 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21640 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21641 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21643 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21644 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21645 @cindex window height
21646 @cindex window width
21647 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21648 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21649 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21650 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21651 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21652 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21654 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21655 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21656 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21657 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21659 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21660 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21661 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21662 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21663 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21664 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21665 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21666 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21667 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21668 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21669 configuration list.
21672 (gnus-configure-frame
21676 (article 0.3 point))
21684 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21685 @code{frame} split:
21688 (gnus-configure-frame
21691 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21693 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21694 (user-position . t)
21695 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21700 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21701 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21702 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21703 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21704 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21705 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21706 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21707 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21709 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21710 be found in its default value.
21712 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21713 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21714 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21718 (message (horizontal 1.0
21719 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21721 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21726 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21727 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21728 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21733 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21734 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21735 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21736 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21737 (name . "Message"))
21738 (message 1.0 point))))
21741 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21742 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21743 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21744 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21745 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21748 (gnus-add-configuration
21749 '(article (vertical 1.0
21751 (summary .25 point)
21755 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21756 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21757 Gnus has been loaded.
21759 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21760 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21761 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21762 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21763 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21765 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21766 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21767 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21770 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21774 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21775 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21790 (gnus-add-configuration
21793 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21795 (summary 0.16 point)
21798 (gnus-add-configuration
21801 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21802 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21808 @node Faces and Fonts
21809 @section Faces and Fonts
21814 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21815 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21816 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21821 @section Compilation
21822 @cindex compilation
21823 @cindex byte-compilation
21825 @findex gnus-compile
21827 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21828 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21829 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
21830 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21831 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21832 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21835 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21836 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21837 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21838 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
21839 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
21840 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
21841 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
21845 @section Mode Lines
21848 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21849 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21850 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21851 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21852 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21853 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21854 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21857 @cindex display-time
21859 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21860 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21861 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21862 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21863 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21864 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21865 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21866 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21869 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21871 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21872 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21874 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21875 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21876 (length display-time-string)))))
21879 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21880 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21881 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21882 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21883 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21886 @node Highlighting and Menus
21887 @section Highlighting and Menus
21889 @cindex highlighting
21892 @vindex gnus-visual
21893 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21894 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21895 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21898 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21899 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21902 @item group-highlight
21903 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21904 @item summary-highlight
21905 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21906 @item article-highlight
21907 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21909 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21911 Create menus in the group buffer.
21913 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21915 Create menus in the article buffer.
21917 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21919 Create menus in the server buffer.
21921 Create menus in the score buffers.
21923 Create menus in all buffers.
21926 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21927 buffers, you could say something like:
21930 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21933 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21936 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21939 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21940 in all Gnus buffers.
21942 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21945 @item gnus-mouse-face
21946 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21947 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21948 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21952 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21956 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21957 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21958 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21960 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21961 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21962 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21964 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21965 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21966 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21968 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21969 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21970 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21972 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21973 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21974 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21976 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21977 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21978 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21989 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21990 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21991 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21992 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21993 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21997 @vindex gnus-carpal
21998 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21999 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
22000 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
22005 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22006 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22007 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
22009 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
22010 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
22011 Face used on buttons.
22013 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
22014 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
22015 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
22017 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22018 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22019 Buttons in the group buffer.
22021 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22022 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22023 Buttons in the summary buffer.
22025 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22026 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22027 Buttons in the server buffer.
22029 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22030 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22031 Buttons in the browse buffer.
22034 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
22035 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
22036 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
22044 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22045 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22046 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22047 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22048 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22050 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22051 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22052 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22054 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22055 been idle for thirty minutes:
22058 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22061 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22065 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22068 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22069 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22070 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22072 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22073 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22074 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22075 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22077 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22078 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22079 @var{idle} minutes.
22081 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22082 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22085 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22086 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22087 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22089 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22090 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22091 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22092 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22094 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22095 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22097 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22099 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22102 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
22103 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22104 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22105 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22106 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22107 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22108 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22109 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22110 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22111 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22112 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22114 @findex gnus-demon-init
22115 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22116 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22117 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22118 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22119 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22121 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22122 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22123 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22132 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
22133 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
22135 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
22136 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
22137 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
22138 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
22141 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
22142 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
22143 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
22144 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
22146 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
22147 this will make spam disappear.
22149 There are some variables to customize, of course:
22152 @item gnus-use-nocem
22153 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
22154 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
22157 @item gnus-nocem-groups
22158 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
22159 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
22162 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
22163 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
22166 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
22167 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
22168 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
22169 people you want to listen to. The default is
22171 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
22172 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
22174 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
22176 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
22177 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
22179 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
22180 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
22181 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
22182 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
22183 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
22184 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
22185 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
22186 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
22187 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
22188 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
22190 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
22191 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
22194 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
22197 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
22198 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
22201 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
22204 The specs are applied left-to-right.
22207 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
22208 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
22210 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
22211 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
22212 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
22213 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
22214 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
22215 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
22217 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
22218 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
22219 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
22220 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
22222 @item gnus-nocem-directory
22223 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
22224 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
22225 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
22227 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22228 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22229 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
22230 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
22231 might then see old spam.
22233 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
22234 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
22235 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
22236 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
22237 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
22240 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22241 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22242 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
22243 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
22247 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
22248 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
22249 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
22250 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
22257 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
22258 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
22259 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
22261 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
22262 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
22263 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
22264 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
22265 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
22266 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
22267 @code{undo} function.
22269 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
22270 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
22271 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
22272 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
22273 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
22274 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
22275 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
22276 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
22277 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
22278 never be totally undoable.
22280 @findex gnus-undo-mode
22281 @vindex gnus-use-undo
22283 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
22284 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
22285 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
22286 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
22290 @node Predicate Specifiers
22291 @section Predicate Specifiers
22292 @cindex predicate specifiers
22294 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
22295 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
22296 to type all that much.
22298 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
22303 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
22304 gnus-article-unread-p)
22307 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
22308 functions all take one parameter.
22310 @findex gnus-make-predicate
22311 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
22312 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
22313 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
22318 @section Moderation
22321 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
22322 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
22323 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
22326 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
22330 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
22333 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22335 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
22340 You split your incoming mail by matching on
22341 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
22342 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
22345 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
22346 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
22349 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
22350 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
22354 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
22357 (setq gnus-moderated-list
22358 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
22362 @node Fetching a Group
22363 @section Fetching a Group
22364 @cindex fetching a group
22366 @findex gnus-fetch-group
22367 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
22368 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
22369 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
22370 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
22371 It takes the group name as a parameter.
22374 @node Image Enhancements
22375 @section Image Enhancements
22377 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
22378 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
22379 taken advantage of that.
22382 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
22383 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
22384 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
22385 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
22386 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
22394 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
22395 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
22396 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
22400 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
22401 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
22402 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
22410 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
22411 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
22412 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
22413 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
22415 The variable that controls this is the
22416 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
22417 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
22418 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
22419 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
22420 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
22422 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
22423 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
22424 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
22425 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
22428 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
22429 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
22430 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
22431 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
22432 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
22433 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
22434 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
22435 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
22437 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
22445 @vindex gnus-x-face
22446 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
22447 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
22448 default colors are black and white.
22450 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
22451 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
22452 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
22453 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
22454 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
22455 XEmacs. Here are examples:
22458 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
22459 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22460 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
22461 (png . (:ascent 80))))
22463 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
22464 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22465 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
22466 (png . (:relief -2))))
22469 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
22470 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
22471 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
22472 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
22473 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
22474 @samp{libcompface} library.
22477 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22478 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
22480 @findex gnus-random-x-face
22481 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
22482 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
22483 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
22484 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
22485 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
22486 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
22487 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
22488 header data as a string.
22490 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
22491 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
22492 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
22493 randomly generated data.
22495 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
22496 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
22497 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
22498 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
22499 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
22501 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
22502 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22505 (setq message-required-news-headers
22506 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22507 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
22510 Using the last function would be something like this:
22513 (setq message-required-news-headers
22514 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22515 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
22516 (gnus-x-face-from-file
22517 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
22525 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
22527 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
22528 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
22529 represent the author of the message.
22532 @findex gnus-article-display-face
22533 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
22534 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
22537 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
22538 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
22540 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22541 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
22543 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
22544 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
22545 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
22547 @findex gnus-face-from-file
22548 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
22549 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
22550 converts the file to Face format by using the
22551 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
22553 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
22554 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22557 (setq message-required-news-headers
22558 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22559 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
22560 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
22565 @subsection Smileys
22570 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
22575 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
22576 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
22578 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
22579 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22582 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
22585 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
22586 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
22587 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
22588 text and maps that to file names.
22590 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
22591 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
22592 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
22593 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
22594 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
22597 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
22602 @item smiley-data-directory
22603 @vindex smiley-data-directory
22604 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
22606 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
22607 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
22608 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
22622 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
22623 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
22624 over your shoulder as you read news.
22626 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22635 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22636 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22637 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22638 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22639 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22640 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22641 @code{GIF} formats.
22644 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22645 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22646 point your Web browser at
22647 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22649 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22650 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22652 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22653 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22656 @vindex gnus-picon-style
22657 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
22658 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
22659 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
22661 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22665 @item gnus-picon-databases
22666 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22667 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22668 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22669 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22670 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22672 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22673 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22674 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22675 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22677 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22678 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22679 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22680 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22682 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22683 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22684 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22685 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22686 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22688 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22689 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22690 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22691 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22697 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22700 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22701 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22702 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22703 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22704 unusual directory structure.
22706 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22707 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22708 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
22709 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
22711 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22712 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22713 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
22714 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
22715 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
22716 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
22718 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22719 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22720 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22725 @subsubsection Toolbar
22729 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22730 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22731 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
22732 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
22733 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
22735 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22736 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22737 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22739 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22740 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22741 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22743 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22744 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22745 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22756 @node Fuzzy Matching
22757 @section Fuzzy Matching
22758 @cindex fuzzy matching
22760 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22761 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22763 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22764 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22765 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22767 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22768 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22769 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22770 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22771 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22774 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22775 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22779 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22781 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22782 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22783 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22784 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22785 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22786 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22787 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22788 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22791 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22792 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22793 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22794 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22795 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22796 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22798 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22801 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22802 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22803 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22804 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22805 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22806 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22809 @node The problem of spam
22810 @subsection The problem of spam
22812 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22813 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22815 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22817 First, some background on spam.
22819 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22820 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
22821 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
22822 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
22823 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
22824 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
22825 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
22826 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
22827 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22829 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22830 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22831 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22832 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22833 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22834 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22835 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22836 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22837 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22840 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
22841 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
22842 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
22843 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
22844 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
22845 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
22846 from Bulgarian IPs.
22848 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
22849 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
22850 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
22851 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
22853 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
22854 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
22855 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
22856 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
22858 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22859 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22860 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22861 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22862 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
22863 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
22864 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
22865 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
22866 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22868 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22869 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22870 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22871 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22872 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22873 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
22874 down for some time because of the incident.
22876 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22877 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22878 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22879 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22880 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22881 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22882 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22883 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
22884 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
22885 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
22886 the server that it has misclassified mail.
22888 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
22889 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
22890 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
22891 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
22892 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
22893 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
22894 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
22897 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22898 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22902 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22904 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22905 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22907 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22908 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22909 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22910 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22911 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22912 part of the mail address.)
22915 (setq message-default-news-headers
22916 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22919 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22920 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22924 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22925 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22926 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22931 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22932 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22933 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22934 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22936 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22937 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22938 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22939 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22940 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22941 your fancy split rule in this way:
22946 (to "larsi" "misc")
22950 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22951 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22952 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22953 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22954 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22956 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22957 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22958 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22959 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22961 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
22965 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22966 @cindex SpamAssassin
22967 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22970 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
22971 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22972 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22973 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22974 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22975 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22976 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22978 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
22979 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
22980 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
22983 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22984 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22985 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22986 Specifiers}) follow.
22990 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22994 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22997 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22998 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22999 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23002 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23006 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23009 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23010 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23014 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23015 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23016 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23017 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23020 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23022 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23026 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23027 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23031 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23032 downloaded by default. You need to set
23033 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23034 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
23036 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23037 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23038 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23041 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23042 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23044 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
23045 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
23046 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23050 @subsection Hashcash
23053 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23054 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23055 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23056 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23057 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23059 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23060 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23061 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23062 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23063 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23064 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23065 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23066 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23067 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23068 one of them separately.
23071 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23072 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23073 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23074 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23075 need to install to use this feature, see
23076 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23077 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23079 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23080 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23081 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23084 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23087 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23091 @item hashcash-default-payment
23092 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23093 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23094 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23097 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23098 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23099 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23100 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23101 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23102 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23103 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23104 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23105 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23107 @item hashcash-path
23108 @vindex hashcash-path
23109 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23110 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23111 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23112 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23113 when you generate hashcash payments.
23117 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23118 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23119 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23120 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23121 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23122 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23123 Hashcash Payments}).
23125 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
23126 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
23127 @cindex spam filtering
23130 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
23131 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
23132 filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
23133 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
23136 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23137 events. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events}.
23139 @cindex spam-initialize
23140 To use @code{spam.el}, you @strong{must} run the function
23141 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @file{spam.el} and to install the
23142 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
23143 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
23144 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
23147 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
23151 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
23153 First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
23154 are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
23155 there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
23156 leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
23157 ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
23159 You get the following keyboard commands:
23169 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23170 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
23172 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
23173 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
23174 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
23175 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
23181 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
23182 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
23184 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
23190 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
23191 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
23195 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
23196 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
23197 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
23198 * Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer::
23199 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
23200 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
23201 * BBDB Whitelists::
23202 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
23203 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
23205 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
23207 * SpamAssassin back end::
23208 * ifile spam filtering::
23209 * spam-stat spam filtering::
23211 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
23214 @node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
23215 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
23216 @cindex spam filtering
23217 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23219 You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
23220 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23222 There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
23223 @code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
23226 Getting new mail in Gnus is done in one of two ways. You can either
23227 split your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or
23228 spam when you enter the group.
23230 Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail back ends such as
23231 @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
23232 called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
23235 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect
23236 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect-methods
23237 For back ends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
23238 an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
23239 back ends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
23240 Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
23241 @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
23242 @kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
23243 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect} and @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods}
23244 (accessible with @kbd{M-x customize-variable} as usual) can help.
23246 When @code{spam-autodetect} is used (you can turn it on for a
23247 group/topic or wholesale by regular expression matches, as needed), it
23248 hooks into the process of entering a group. Thus, entering a group
23249 with unseen or unread articles becomes the substitute for checking
23250 incoming mail. Whether only unseen articles or all unread articles
23251 will be processed is determined by the
23252 @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When set to @code{t}, unread
23253 messages will be rechecked. You should probably stick with the
23254 default of only checking unseen messages.
23256 @code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
23257 of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
23258 spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
23259 @code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
23260 @samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
23261 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
23262 be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
23263 exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
23264 the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
23266 When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
23267 autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
23268 entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
23269 matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
23270 is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
23271 (@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
23272 additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
23273 articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
23274 variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
23275 gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
23277 Thus, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied,
23278 if any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
23279 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
23280 depending on the article's classification. If the
23281 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
23282 whichever is appropriate, are @code{nil}, the article is left in the
23285 If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
23286 groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
23287 processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
23288 Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
23289 spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
23290 ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
23291 You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
23292 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
23293 no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
23294 which is what most people want. If the
23295 @code{spam-process-destination} is @code{nil}, the spam is marked as
23296 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
23298 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23299 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23301 If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
23302 @code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
23303 @code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
23304 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
23305 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
23306 altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
23307 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
23308 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
23309 no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
23310 necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
23311 @xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
23313 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23314 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23316 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
23317 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
23318 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
23320 @node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
23321 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
23322 @cindex spam filtering
23323 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
23326 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
23327 must add the following to your fancy split list
23328 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
23334 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
23335 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
23336 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
23338 Also, @code{spam-split} will not modify incoming mail in any way.
23340 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
23341 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
23342 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
23343 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
23344 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
23345 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
23346 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
23347 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
23348 actually give you the group
23349 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
23350 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
23352 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
23353 e.g. @code{spam-use-regex-headers} or @code{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
23356 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
23357 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
23360 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23361 (any "ding" "ding")
23363 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23367 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
23368 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
23369 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
23370 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
23371 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
23372 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
23374 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
23375 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
23376 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
23381 ;; @r{all spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
23382 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23383 (any "ding" "ding")
23384 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
23386 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23390 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
23391 your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
23392 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
23393 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
23394 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
23395 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
23396 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
23398 You should still have specific checks such as
23399 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
23400 specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
23401 that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
23402 depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
23403 is usually not critical, though.
23405 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
23407 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
23408 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
23409 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
23410 message headers. If you use a @emph{statistical} filter,
23411 e.g. @code{spam-check-bogofilter}, @code{spam-check-ifile}, or
23412 @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that can benefit from the full
23413 message body), this variable will be set automatically. It is not set
23414 for non-statistical back ends by default because it will slow
23415 @acronym{IMAP} down.
23417 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
23419 @node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
23420 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
23421 @cindex spam filtering
23422 @cindex spam filtering variables
23423 @cindex spam variables
23426 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
23427 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
23428 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
23429 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
23430 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
23431 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
23432 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
23433 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
23434 will be detected later.
23436 The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
23437 but now it is a @sc{cons} cell. See the individual spam processor entries
23438 for more information.
23440 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23441 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
23442 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
23443 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
23444 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
23445 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
23446 by customizing the corresponding variable
23447 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
23448 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
23449 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
23450 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
23451 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
23452 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
23453 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
23456 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
23458 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
23459 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
23460 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
23461 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
23462 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
23463 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
23464 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
23465 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
23466 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
23467 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
23468 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
23469 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
23470 processor which will study them as spam samples.
23472 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
23473 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
23474 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
23475 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
23476 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
23477 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
23478 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
23479 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
23482 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23483 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
23484 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
23485 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
23486 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
23487 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
23488 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
23493 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23494 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
23495 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
23496 you really want to.
23499 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
23500 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
23501 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
23502 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
23503 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
23504 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
23507 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23508 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
23509 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
23510 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
23511 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
23512 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
23513 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
23514 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
23515 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
23516 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
23517 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
23518 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
23519 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
23520 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
23521 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
23523 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23524 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23526 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23527 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
23528 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
23530 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
23531 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
23533 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
23534 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
23535 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
23536 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
23537 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
23539 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
23540 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
23541 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
23542 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
23543 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
23546 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23547 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
23548 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
23549 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
23550 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
23551 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
23552 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
23553 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
23554 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
23555 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
23556 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
23557 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
23558 group buffer then you need it here as well.
23560 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23561 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23563 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23564 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
23567 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
23568 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
23569 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
23570 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
23571 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
23572 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
23573 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
23575 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
23576 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
23577 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
23578 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
23580 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
23581 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
23582 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
23583 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
23584 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
23585 from the mail server.
23587 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
23588 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
23589 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
23590 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
23592 @node Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23593 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23594 @cindex spam scoring
23595 @cindex spam sorting
23596 @cindex spam score summary buffer
23597 @cindex spam sort summary buffer
23600 You can display the spam score of articles in your summary buffer, and
23601 you can sort articles by their spam score.
23603 First you need to decide which back end you will be using. If you use
23604 the @code{spam-use-spamassassin},
23605 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}, or @code{spam-use-regex-headers}
23606 back end, the @code{X-Spam-Status} header will be used. If you use
23607 @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, the @code{X-Bogosity} header will be used.
23608 If you use @code{spam-use-crm114}, any header that matches the CRM114
23609 score format will be used. As long as you set the appropriate back end
23610 variable to t @emph{before} you load @file{spam.el}, you will be
23611 fine. @code{spam.el} will automatically add the right header to the
23612 internal Gnus list of required headers.
23614 To show the spam score in your summary buffer, add this line to your
23615 @code{gnus.el} file (note @code{spam.el} does not do that by default
23616 so it won't override any existing @code{S} formats you may have).
23619 (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-S 'spam-user-format-function-S)
23622 Now just set your summary line format to use @code{%uS}. Here's an
23623 example that formats the spam score in a 5-character field:
23626 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
23627 "%U%R %10&user-date; $%5uS %6k %B %(%4L: %*%-25,25a%) %s \n")
23630 Finally, to sort by spam status, either do it globally:
23634 gnus-show-threads nil
23635 gnus-article-sort-functions
23636 '(spam-article-sort-by-spam-status))
23639 or per group (@pxref{Sorting the Summary Buffer}).
23641 @node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23642 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23643 @cindex spam filtering
23644 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
23645 @cindex spam configuration examples
23648 @subsubheading Ted's setup
23650 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
23652 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
23653 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
23654 (gnus-registry-initialize)
23657 ;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
23658 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
23661 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
23663 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
23664 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
23665 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23666 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23667 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
23668 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
23669 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
23670 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
23671 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23672 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
23673 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23674 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
23675 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
23676 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
23677 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23678 (any "ding" "ding")
23679 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
23681 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23684 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
23686 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
23687 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
23688 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
23689 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
23691 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23693 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
23694 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
23695 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23696 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
23697 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23699 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
23700 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23702 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
23704 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
23705 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23707 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
23708 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
23709 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
23711 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23713 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
23714 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
23716 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23717 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23718 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
23720 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23721 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
23722 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
23723 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23725 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
23726 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
23727 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
23731 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23732 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23734 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23735 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23736 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23737 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23738 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23739 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23740 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23741 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23742 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23744 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23745 does most of the job for me:
23748 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23749 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23750 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23751 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23752 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23753 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23754 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23759 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23761 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23762 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23763 bogofilter or DCC).
23765 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23766 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23767 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
23768 @ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
23769 messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want to have
23770 the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
23771 deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23773 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23774 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23775 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23776 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23777 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23778 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23780 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23782 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23783 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23784 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23785 @samp{training.spam}.
23788 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23790 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23792 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23793 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23794 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23798 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23801 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
23802 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23803 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23804 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23805 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23807 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
23808 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
23809 @cindex spam filtering
23810 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
23811 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
23814 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
23816 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
23817 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
23818 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
23819 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
23824 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
23826 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
23827 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
23828 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23829 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
23830 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23834 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
23836 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
23837 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23838 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
23842 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
23844 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23845 customizing the group parameters or the
23846 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23847 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23848 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
23852 Instead of the obsolete
23853 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
23854 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
23855 the same way, we promise.
23859 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
23861 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23862 customizing the group parameters or the
23863 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23864 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23865 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23870 Instead of the obsolete
23871 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
23872 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
23873 the same way, we promise.
23877 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
23878 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
23879 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
23880 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
23881 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
23883 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
23884 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
23885 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
23886 Emacs regular expression syntax.
23888 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
23889 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
23890 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
23891 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
23892 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
23893 @file{blacklist} respectively.
23895 @node BBDB Whitelists
23896 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
23897 @cindex spam filtering
23898 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
23899 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
23902 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
23904 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23905 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
23906 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
23907 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
23908 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23909 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
23910 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23914 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
23916 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
23917 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23918 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
23919 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
23920 classified as spammers.
23922 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
23923 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
23924 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
23925 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
23930 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
23932 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23933 customizing the group parameters or the
23934 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23935 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23936 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23941 Instead of the obsolete
23942 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
23943 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
23944 the same way, we promise.
23948 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
23949 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
23950 @cindex spam reporting
23951 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23952 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23955 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
23957 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23958 customizing the group parameters or the
23959 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23960 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23961 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
23964 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
23968 Instead of the obsolete
23969 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
23970 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
23971 same way, we promise.
23975 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
23977 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
23978 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
23979 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
23980 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
23981 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
23986 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23987 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23988 @cindex spam filtering
23989 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
23992 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
23994 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23995 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
23996 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
23997 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
23998 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
23999 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24004 @subsubsection Blackholes
24005 @cindex spam filtering
24006 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24009 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24011 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24012 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24013 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24014 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24015 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24016 contains outdated servers.
24018 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24019 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24020 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24021 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24022 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24023 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24027 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24029 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24033 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24035 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24036 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24040 @defvar spam-use-dig
24042 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24043 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24047 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24048 ham processor for blackholes.
24050 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24051 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24052 @cindex spam filtering
24053 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24056 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24058 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24059 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24060 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24061 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24062 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24063 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24067 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24069 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24070 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24074 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24076 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24077 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24081 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24082 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24085 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24086 @cindex spam filtering
24087 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24090 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24092 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24095 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24096 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24097 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24098 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24099 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24100 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24102 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24103 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24106 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24107 processing will be turned off.
24109 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24113 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24115 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24116 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24117 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24118 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24119 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24120 installation documents for details.
24122 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24126 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24127 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24128 customizing the group parameters or the
24129 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24130 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24131 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24135 Instead of the obsolete
24136 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24137 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24138 the same way, we promise.
24141 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24142 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24143 customizing the group parameters or the
24144 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24145 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24146 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24147 of non-spam messages.
24151 Instead of the obsolete
24152 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24153 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24154 the same way, we promise.
24157 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24159 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24160 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24161 database directory.
24165 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24166 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24167 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24168 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24169 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24170 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24172 @node SpamAssassin back end
24173 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24174 @cindex spam filtering
24175 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24178 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24180 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24182 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24183 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24184 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24185 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24188 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24189 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24190 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24191 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24194 You should not enable this is you use
24195 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24199 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24201 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24202 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24204 You should not enable this is you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24208 @defvar spam-spamassassin-path
24210 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24211 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
24212 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
24213 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
24217 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
24218 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
24219 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
24220 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
24221 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
24222 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
24223 to test this functionality.
24225 @node ifile spam filtering
24226 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
24227 @cindex spam filtering
24228 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
24231 @defvar spam-use-ifile
24233 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
24234 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
24238 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
24240 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
24241 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
24242 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
24246 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
24248 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
24249 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
24250 the default value of @samp{spam}.
24253 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
24255 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
24256 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
24260 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
24261 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24262 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
24263 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
24266 @node spam-stat spam filtering
24267 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
24268 @cindex spam filtering
24269 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
24273 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
24275 @defvar spam-use-stat
24277 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
24278 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
24282 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
24283 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24284 customizing the group parameters or the
24285 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24286 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24287 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
24291 Instead of the obsolete
24292 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24293 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24294 the same way, we promise.
24297 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
24298 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24299 customizing the group parameters or the
24300 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24301 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24302 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
24303 of non-spam messages.
24307 Instead of the obsolete
24308 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24309 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24310 the same way, we promise.
24313 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
24314 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
24315 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
24316 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
24317 @code{spam-split} are provided.
24320 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
24321 @cindex spam filtering
24325 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
24326 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
24327 installed separately.
24329 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
24330 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
24331 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
24332 mail as a spam mail or not.
24334 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
24335 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
24336 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
24338 The easiest method is to make @code{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
24339 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
24341 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
24342 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
24343 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
24344 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
24345 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
24346 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
24347 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
24348 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
24352 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
24353 spam-split-group "Junk"
24354 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
24355 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24356 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
24359 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
24360 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
24364 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
24365 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
24366 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
24370 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
24371 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
24372 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
24373 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
24374 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
24375 database to live somewhere special, set
24376 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
24379 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
24380 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
24381 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
24382 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
24383 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
24384 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
24385 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @code{spam.el}'s
24386 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
24387 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
24388 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
24390 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
24391 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24392 customizing the group parameter or the
24393 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24394 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
24395 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
24399 Instead of the obsolete
24400 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24401 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24402 the same way, we promise.
24405 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
24406 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24407 customizing the group parameter or the
24408 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24409 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
24410 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
24415 Instead of the obsolete
24416 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24417 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24418 the same way, we promise.
24421 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
24422 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
24425 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
24426 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
24427 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
24429 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
24430 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
24431 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
24432 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
24433 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
24434 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
24436 @node Extending the Spam ELisp package
24437 @subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
24438 @cindex spam filtering
24439 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
24440 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
24442 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
24443 incoming mail, provide the following:
24451 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
24452 "True if blackbox should be used.")
24455 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
24457 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
24458 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
24459 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
24460 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
24461 register/unregister spam and ham.
24466 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
24467 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
24468 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
24469 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
24474 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
24481 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
24482 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
24484 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
24485 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
24486 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
24487 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
24490 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
24491 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
24492 Only applicable to spam groups.")
24494 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
24495 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
24496 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
24505 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
24506 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
24508 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
24509 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
24510 variable customization.
24514 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
24516 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
24517 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
24519 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
24520 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
24526 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
24528 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
24529 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
24530 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
24533 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
24535 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
24536 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
24540 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
24542 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
24543 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
24544 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
24548 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
24550 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
24551 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
24552 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
24555 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
24557 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
24558 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
24562 @code{spam-install-backend}
24564 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
24565 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
24566 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
24569 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
24571 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
24572 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
24573 never install such a back end.
24579 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24580 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24581 @cindex Paul Graham
24582 @cindex Graham, Paul
24583 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
24584 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
24585 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
24587 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
24588 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
24589 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
24590 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
24591 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
24592 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
24593 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
24594 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
24595 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
24598 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
24599 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
24600 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
24601 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
24602 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
24603 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
24604 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
24605 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
24607 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
24608 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
24609 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
24610 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
24611 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
24614 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
24615 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
24616 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
24619 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24620 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24622 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
24623 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
24624 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
24625 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
24626 need several hundred emails in both collections.
24628 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
24629 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
24630 per mail. Use the following:
24632 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
24633 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
24634 is treated as one spam mail.
24637 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
24638 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
24639 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
24642 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
24643 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
24644 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
24645 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
24646 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
24647 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
24649 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
24650 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
24651 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
24652 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
24653 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
24656 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
24657 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
24658 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
24659 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
24662 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
24663 reset the dictionary.
24665 @defun spam-stat-reset
24666 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
24669 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
24670 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
24671 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
24672 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
24673 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
24674 only non-spam mails.
24676 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
24677 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
24678 to update the dictionary incrementally.
24681 @defun spam-stat-save
24682 Save the dictionary.
24685 @defvar spam-stat-file
24686 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
24687 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
24690 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
24691 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
24693 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
24694 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24697 (require 'spam-stat)
24701 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
24704 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
24705 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
24706 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
24707 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
24709 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
24710 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
24711 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
24712 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
24715 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24716 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24720 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
24721 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
24724 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
24725 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
24726 expression are considered potential spam.
24729 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24730 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24731 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24735 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
24736 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
24737 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
24738 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
24739 mails, when creating the dictionary!
24742 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24743 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24744 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24748 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
24749 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
24750 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
24751 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
24752 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
24756 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24757 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
24758 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24759 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24764 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24765 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24767 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
24769 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
24770 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
24771 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24774 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
24775 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
24776 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24779 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
24780 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24781 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24782 already been processed as non-spam.
24785 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
24786 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
24787 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
24788 been processed as spam.
24791 @defun spam-stat-save
24792 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
24793 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24796 @defun spam-stat-load
24797 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
24798 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24801 @defun spam-stat-score-word
24802 Return the spam score for a word.
24805 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
24806 Return the spam score for a buffer.
24809 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
24810 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
24811 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24814 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
24815 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24818 (require 'spam-stat)
24822 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
24825 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24826 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24827 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24828 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24829 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24830 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24831 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24832 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24833 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24834 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24835 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24836 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24837 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24838 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24841 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
24844 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24845 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24846 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24847 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
24848 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24849 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24853 @section Interaction with other modes
24858 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
24859 buffers. It is enabled with
24861 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
24866 @findex gnus-dired-attach
24867 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
24868 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
24871 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
24872 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
24873 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
24877 @findex gnus-dired-print
24878 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
24879 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
24882 @node Various Various
24883 @section Various Various
24889 @item gnus-home-directory
24890 @vindex gnus-home-directory
24891 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
24892 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
24894 @item gnus-directory
24895 @vindex gnus-directory
24896 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
24897 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
24898 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
24900 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
24901 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
24902 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
24903 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
24905 @item gnus-default-directory
24906 @vindex gnus-default-directory
24907 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
24908 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
24909 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
24910 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
24911 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
24912 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
24915 @vindex gnus-verbose
24916 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
24917 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
24918 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
24919 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
24920 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
24922 @item gnus-verbose-backends
24923 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
24924 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
24925 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
24927 @item nnheader-max-head-length
24928 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
24929 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
24930 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
24931 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
24932 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
24933 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
24934 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
24935 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
24936 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
24938 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
24939 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
24940 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
24941 read when doing the operation described above.
24943 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24944 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24946 @cindex invalid characters in file names
24947 @cindex characters in file names
24948 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
24949 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
24950 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
24954 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24959 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
24960 Windows (phooey) systems.
24962 @item gnus-hidden-properties
24963 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
24964 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
24965 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
24966 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
24968 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
24969 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
24970 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
24971 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
24972 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
24974 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
24975 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
24976 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
24978 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24979 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24981 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
24982 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
24983 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
24984 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
24987 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
24995 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
24996 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
24998 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25000 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25006 Not because of victories @*
25009 but for the common sunshine,@*
25011 the largess of the spring.
25015 but for the day's work done@*
25016 as well as I was able;@*
25017 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25018 but at the common table.@*
25023 @chapter Appendices
25026 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25027 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25028 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25029 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25030 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25031 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25032 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25033 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25034 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25041 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25043 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25044 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25045 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25046 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25047 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{w3},
25048 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25055 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25056 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25058 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25059 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25060 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25061 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25062 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25064 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25065 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25066 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25067 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25068 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25069 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25071 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25072 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25073 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25074 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25077 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25078 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25079 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25080 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25081 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25082 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25083 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25084 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25085 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25089 @node Gnus Versions
25090 @subsection Gnus Versions
25092 @cindex September Gnus
25094 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25095 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25098 @cindex Gnus versions
25100 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25101 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25102 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25104 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25105 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25107 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25108 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25110 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25111 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25113 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25114 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25117 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
25119 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25120 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25121 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
25122 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
25123 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
25124 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25127 @node Other Gnus Versions
25128 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25131 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25132 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25133 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25134 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25136 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25137 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25138 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25139 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25146 What's the point of Gnus?
25148 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25149 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25150 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25151 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25152 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25153 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25154 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25155 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25156 keep track of millions of people who post?
25158 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25159 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25160 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25161 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25162 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25163 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25164 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25165 every one of you to explore and invent.
25167 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25168 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25171 @node Compatibility
25172 @subsection Compatibility
25174 @cindex compatibility
25175 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25176 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25177 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25182 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25186 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25189 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
25192 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
25193 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
25194 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
25195 important variables have their values copied into their global
25196 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
25197 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
25199 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
25200 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
25201 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
25202 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
25203 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
25207 @cindex highlighting
25208 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
25209 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
25210 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
25211 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
25212 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
25213 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
25216 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
25217 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
25218 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
25219 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
25221 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
25222 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
25223 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
25224 to stop doing it the old way.
25226 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
25228 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
25230 @cindex reporting bugs
25232 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
25233 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
25234 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
25236 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
25237 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
25238 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
25239 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
25244 @subsection Conformity
25246 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
25247 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
25255 There are no known breaches of this standard.
25259 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
25261 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
25262 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
25263 We do have some breaches to this one.
25269 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
25270 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
25271 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
25272 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
25273 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
25278 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
25279 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
25280 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
25281 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
25283 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
25284 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
25285 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
25287 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
25288 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
25290 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
25293 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
25294 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
25295 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
25296 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
25297 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
25300 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
25301 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
25302 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
25303 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
25305 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
25306 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
25308 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
25309 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
25310 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
25311 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
25312 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
25313 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
25314 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
25315 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
25319 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
25320 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
25325 @subsection Emacsen
25331 Gnus should work on:
25339 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
25343 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
25344 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
25347 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
25348 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
25349 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
25353 @node Gnus Development
25354 @subsection Gnus Development
25356 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
25357 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
25358 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
25359 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
25360 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
25361 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
25362 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
25363 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
25365 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
25366 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
25367 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
25368 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
25369 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
25372 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
25373 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
25374 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
25375 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
25376 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
25378 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
25379 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
25380 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
25381 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
25382 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
25383 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
25384 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
25385 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
25386 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
25387 can't be assumed to do so.
25392 @subsection Contributors
25393 @cindex contributors
25395 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
25396 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
25397 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
25398 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
25399 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
25400 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
25401 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
25402 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
25403 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
25404 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
25406 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
25412 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
25415 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
25416 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
25417 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
25418 functionality and stuff.
25421 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
25422 well as numerous other things).
25425 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
25428 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
25431 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
25434 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
25437 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
25438 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
25441 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
25444 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
25447 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
25450 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
25453 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
25456 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
25459 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
25460 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
25463 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
25466 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
25469 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
25472 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
25476 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
25479 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
25482 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
25485 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
25486 well as autoconf support.
25490 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
25491 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
25493 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
25508 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
25510 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
25514 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
25524 Alexei V. Barantsev,
25539 Massimo Campostrini,
25544 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
25545 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
25549 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
25552 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
25558 Michael Welsh Duggan,
25563 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
25567 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
25575 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
25577 Michelangelo Grigni,
25581 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
25583 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
25585 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
25592 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
25593 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
25594 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
25596 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
25606 Peter Skov Knudsen,
25607 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
25609 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
25610 Thor Kristoffersen,
25613 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
25631 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
25632 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
25639 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
25644 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
25648 John McClary Prevost,
25654 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
25659 Christian von Roques,
25662 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
25669 Philippe Schnoebelen,
25671 Randal L. Schwartz,
25685 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
25690 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
25710 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
25711 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
25712 (550kB and counting).
25714 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
25717 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
25718 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
25722 @subsection New Features
25723 @cindex new features
25726 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
25727 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
25728 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
25729 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
25730 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
25731 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
25732 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
25735 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
25736 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
25737 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
25740 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
25742 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
25747 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
25748 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
25751 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
25752 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
25755 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
25758 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
25759 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
25760 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
25763 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
25764 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
25765 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
25766 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25769 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
25770 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25773 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
25774 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
25775 (@pxref{The Active File}).
25778 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
25779 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
25782 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
25783 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
25784 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25787 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
25788 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
25789 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
25792 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
25793 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
25796 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
25797 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
25800 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
25801 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
25804 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
25805 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25808 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
25809 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
25812 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
25813 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25816 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
25819 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
25820 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
25823 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
25824 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
25827 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
25828 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25831 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
25834 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
25835 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25838 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
25842 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
25846 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
25847 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
25850 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
25856 @node September Gnus
25857 @subsubsection September Gnus
25861 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
25865 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
25870 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
25871 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
25875 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
25876 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
25880 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
25884 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
25885 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
25888 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
25892 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
25895 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
25898 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
25901 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
25905 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
25906 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
25909 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
25913 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
25917 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
25921 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
25925 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
25928 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
25929 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
25932 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
25936 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
25937 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
25940 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
25943 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
25944 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
25945 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25948 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
25952 The Gnus cache is much faster.
25955 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
25959 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
25960 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25963 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
25964 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
25967 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
25968 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
25971 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
25972 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
25973 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
25976 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
25977 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
25980 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
25983 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25986 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
25989 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
25992 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
25993 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
25996 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26000 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26003 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26008 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
26011 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
26015 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26018 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26022 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26025 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26028 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26029 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26032 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26033 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26037 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26038 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26041 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26045 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26046 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26049 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26052 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26056 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26060 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26061 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26064 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26068 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26069 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26072 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26073 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26076 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26080 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26083 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26086 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26092 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26094 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26098 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26105 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26108 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26109 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26112 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26113 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26117 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26118 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26121 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26124 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26125 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26128 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26132 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26133 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26137 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26138 Server Internals}).
26141 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26145 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26148 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26149 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26152 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26153 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26154 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26157 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26158 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26161 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26162 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26165 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26169 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26170 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26173 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26174 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26177 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26181 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26184 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26188 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26189 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26192 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
26193 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26196 A new command for reading collections of documents
26197 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
26198 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
26201 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
26205 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
26206 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
26209 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
26210 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
26211 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
26214 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
26215 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
26219 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
26223 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
26227 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
26232 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
26236 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
26240 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
26241 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
26244 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
26250 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
26252 New features in Gnus 5.6:
26257 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
26258 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
26259 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
26262 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
26263 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
26264 group, which is created automatically.
26267 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
26271 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
26274 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
26275 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
26278 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
26282 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
26285 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
26286 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
26289 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
26292 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
26296 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
26297 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
26300 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
26301 control over simplification.
26304 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
26307 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
26311 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
26314 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
26317 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
26318 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
26319 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
26322 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
26323 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
26326 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
26330 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
26331 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
26334 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
26335 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
26338 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
26342 A history of where mails have been split is available.
26345 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
26348 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
26349 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
26352 A new function for citing in Message has been
26353 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
26356 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
26359 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
26363 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
26364 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
26367 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
26368 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
26371 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
26374 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
26378 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
26379 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
26381 New features in Gnus 5.8:
26386 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
26387 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
26389 If you used procmail like in
26392 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
26393 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
26394 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
26395 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
26398 this now has changed to
26402 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
26406 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
26409 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
26410 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
26413 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
26414 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
26417 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
26418 called to position point.
26421 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
26422 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
26425 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
26426 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
26429 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
26430 subtly different manner.
26433 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
26434 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
26435 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
26438 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
26443 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
26446 New features in Gnus 5.10:
26451 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
26452 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
26453 region if the region is active.
26456 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
26460 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
26461 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
26464 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
26465 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
26468 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
26470 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
26471 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
26472 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
26473 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
26474 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
26475 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
26476 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
26477 isn't save in general.
26482 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
26483 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
26484 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
26485 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
26490 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
26491 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
26492 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
26496 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
26499 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
26504 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
26505 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
26507 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
26508 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
26512 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
26513 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
26516 Retrieval of charters and control messages
26518 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
26519 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
26524 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
26525 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
26526 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
26529 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
26530 decompressed when activated.
26533 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
26534 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
26537 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
26540 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
26541 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
26544 Warn about email replies to news
26546 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
26547 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
26551 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
26552 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
26556 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
26557 opposed to old but unread messages).
26560 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
26561 Gcc articles as read.
26564 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
26567 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
26568 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
26571 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
26572 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
26575 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
26576 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
26579 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
26580 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
26583 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
26585 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
26586 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
26587 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
26588 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
26591 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
26593 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
26594 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
26595 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
26596 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
26597 the second parameter.
26599 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
26600 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
26601 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
26602 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
26603 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
26604 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
26605 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
26606 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
26607 cycle used under Unix systems.
26609 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
26613 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
26615 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
26616 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
26617 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
26618 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
26619 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
26623 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
26625 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
26626 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
26627 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
26628 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
26632 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
26634 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
26635 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
26636 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
26637 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
26639 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
26640 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
26641 message cited below.
26644 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
26647 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
26649 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
26650 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
26651 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
26652 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
26653 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
26656 (setq gnus-parameters
26658 (gnus-show-threads nil)
26659 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
26660 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
26661 (to-group . "\\1"))))
26665 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
26667 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
26671 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
26673 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
26674 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
26675 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
26676 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
26677 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
26678 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
26679 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
26680 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
26681 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
26684 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
26686 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
26687 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
26688 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
26689 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
26690 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
26691 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
26694 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
26695 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
26699 Improved anti-spam features.
26701 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
26702 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
26703 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
26704 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
26705 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
26708 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
26711 Face headers handling.
26714 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
26715 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
26718 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
26721 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
26723 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
26724 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
26725 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
26726 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
26727 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
26728 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
26729 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
26730 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
26731 when getting new mail, remove the function.
26734 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
26736 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
26737 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
26738 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
26739 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
26740 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
26741 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
26742 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
26743 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
26744 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
26745 was inserted directly.
26748 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
26750 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
26751 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
26757 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
26758 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
26759 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
26760 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
26761 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
26762 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
26763 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
26764 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
26765 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
26766 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
26767 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
26768 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
26769 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
26770 is not needed any more.
26773 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
26775 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
26776 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
26777 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
26778 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
26779 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
26783 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26785 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26786 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26789 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26791 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26792 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26793 lisp directory into load-path.
26795 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26796 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26799 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
26801 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
26804 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
26806 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
26807 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
26808 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
26809 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
26812 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
26814 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
26816 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
26817 'bbdb-complete-name)
26821 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
26823 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
26824 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
26825 local files as external parts.
26827 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
26828 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
26829 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
26830 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
26831 that support editing.
26834 @code{gnus-default-charset}
26836 The default value is determined from the
26837 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
26838 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
26839 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
26842 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
26844 Add a new format of match like
26846 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
26847 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26849 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
26851 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
26852 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26856 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
26858 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
26859 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
26860 need add those two headers too.
26863 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
26865 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
26866 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
26867 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
26870 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
26871 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
26872 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
26876 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
26878 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
26881 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
26883 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
26886 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
26888 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
26889 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
26890 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
26893 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
26895 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
26899 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
26901 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
26902 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
26903 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
26904 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
26905 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
26906 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
26907 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
26908 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
26911 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
26913 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
26914 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
26915 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
26916 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
26917 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
26920 Extended format specs.
26922 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
26923 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
26924 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
26925 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
26926 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
26927 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
26930 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
26932 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
26933 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
26934 out other articles.
26936 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
26938 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
26939 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
26940 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
26941 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
26944 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
26946 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
26947 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
26948 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
26951 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
26953 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
26954 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
26955 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
26956 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
26957 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
26958 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
26959 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
26960 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
26961 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
26962 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
26963 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
26966 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
26967 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
26970 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
26971 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
26972 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
26973 message, Message Manual}).
26976 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
26977 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
26979 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
26980 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
26981 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
26983 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
26987 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
26988 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
26990 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
26991 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
26992 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
26993 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
26996 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
26999 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27002 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27003 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27006 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
27008 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27009 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27010 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27011 invalidate the digital signature.
27015 @subsubsection No Gnus
27018 New features in No Gnus:
27019 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27021 @include gnus-news.texi
27027 @section The Manual
27031 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27032 either @code{texi2dvi}
27034 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27035 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27037 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27039 The following conventions have been used:
27044 This is a @samp{string}
27047 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27050 This is a @file{file}
27053 This is a @code{symbol}
27057 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27061 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27064 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27067 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27070 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27071 ever get them confused.
27075 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27076 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27077 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27078 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27079 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27080 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27081 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27087 @node On Writing Manuals
27088 @section On Writing Manuals
27090 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27091 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27092 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27093 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27094 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27095 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
27098 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
27099 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
27100 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
27103 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
27104 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
27109 @section Terminology
27111 @cindex terminology
27116 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
27117 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
27118 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
27119 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
27120 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
27124 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
27125 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
27126 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
27127 not posting, and replying is not following up.
27131 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
27135 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
27140 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
27141 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
27142 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
27143 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
27144 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
27145 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
27146 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
27147 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
27148 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
27151 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
27152 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
27153 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
27154 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
27155 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
27156 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
27158 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
27159 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
27160 access the articles.
27162 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
27163 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
27164 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
27169 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
27170 default, way of getting news.
27174 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
27175 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
27180 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
27181 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
27185 A message that has been posted as news.
27188 @cindex mail message
27189 A message that has been mailed.
27193 A mail message or news article
27197 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
27202 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
27207 A line from the head of an article.
27211 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
27212 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
27214 @item @acronym{NOV}
27215 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
27216 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
27217 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
27218 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
27219 normal @sc{head} format.
27223 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
27224 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
27225 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
27226 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
27227 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
27228 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
27230 @item killed groups
27231 @cindex killed groups
27232 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
27233 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
27235 @item zombie groups
27236 @cindex zombie groups
27237 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
27240 @cindex active file
27241 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
27242 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
27243 is rather large, as you might surmise.
27246 @cindex bogus groups
27247 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
27248 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
27249 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
27252 @cindex activating groups
27253 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
27254 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
27255 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
27259 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
27260 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
27261 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
27265 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
27267 @item select method
27268 @cindex select method
27269 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
27272 @item virtual server
27273 @cindex virtual server
27274 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
27275 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
27276 whole is a virtual server.
27280 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
27281 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
27284 @item ephemeral groups
27285 @cindex ephemeral groups
27286 @cindex temporary groups
27287 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
27288 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
27289 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
27292 @cindex solid groups
27293 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
27294 group buffer are solid groups.
27296 @item sparse articles
27297 @cindex sparse articles
27298 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
27299 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
27303 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
27304 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
27308 @cindex thread root
27309 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
27310 articles in the thread.
27314 An article that has responses.
27318 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
27322 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
27323 specified by RFC 1153.
27326 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
27327 @cindex mail sorting
27328 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
27329 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
27330 incorrectly called mail filtering.
27336 @node Customization
27337 @section Customization
27338 @cindex general customization
27340 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
27341 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
27342 for some quite common situations.
27345 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
27346 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
27347 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
27348 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
27352 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
27353 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
27355 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
27356 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
27357 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
27361 @item gnus-read-active-file
27362 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
27363 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
27364 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27365 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
27366 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
27368 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
27369 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
27370 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
27371 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
27375 @node Slow Terminal Connection
27376 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
27378 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
27379 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
27380 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
27384 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
27385 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
27386 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
27387 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
27388 horizontal and vertical recentering.
27390 @item gnus-visible-headers
27391 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
27392 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
27393 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
27394 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
27396 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
27398 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
27399 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
27400 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
27403 @item gnus-use-full-window
27404 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
27405 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
27406 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
27407 want to read them anyway.
27409 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
27410 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
27414 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
27415 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
27416 lines, which might save some time.
27420 @node Little Disk Space
27421 @subsection Little Disk Space
27424 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
27425 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
27429 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
27430 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
27431 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27432 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27435 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
27436 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
27437 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27438 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27441 @item gnus-save-killed-list
27442 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
27443 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
27444 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
27445 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
27451 @subsection Slow Machine
27452 @cindex slow machine
27454 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
27455 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
27457 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27458 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
27460 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
27461 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
27462 summary buffer faster.
27466 @node Troubleshooting
27467 @section Troubleshooting
27468 @cindex troubleshooting
27470 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
27478 Make sure your computer is switched on.
27481 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
27482 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
27486 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
27487 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
27488 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
27491 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
27492 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
27495 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
27496 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
27497 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
27498 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
27499 something like that.
27502 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
27505 @cindex reporting bugs
27507 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27509 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
27510 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
27511 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
27512 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
27514 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
27515 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
27516 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
27517 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
27520 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
27521 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
27522 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
27523 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
27524 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
27525 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
27527 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
27528 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
27529 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
27533 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
27534 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
27537 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
27538 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
27539 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
27540 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
27541 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
27542 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
27543 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
27544 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
27545 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
27546 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
27547 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
27548 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
27549 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
27550 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
27555 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
27556 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
27557 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
27558 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
27559 helps isolating the real problem areas).
27561 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
27562 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
27563 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
27564 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
27565 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
27566 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
27567 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
27568 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
27569 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
27570 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
27571 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
27572 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
27573 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
27576 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
27577 @cindex ding mailing list
27578 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
27579 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
27580 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
27581 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
27585 @node Gnus Reference Guide
27586 @section Gnus Reference Guide
27588 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
27589 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
27590 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
27591 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
27594 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
27595 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
27596 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
27597 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
27598 and general methods of operation.
27601 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
27602 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
27603 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
27604 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
27605 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
27606 * Group Info:: The group info format.
27607 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
27608 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
27609 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
27613 @node Gnus Utility Functions
27614 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
27615 @cindex Gnus utility functions
27616 @cindex utility functions
27618 @cindex internal variables
27620 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
27621 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
27622 Below is a list of the most common ones.
27626 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
27627 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
27628 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
27630 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
27631 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
27632 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
27634 @item gnus-group-real-name
27635 @findex gnus-group-real-name
27636 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
27639 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
27640 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
27641 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
27642 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
27644 @item gnus-get-info
27645 @findex gnus-get-info
27646 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
27648 @item gnus-group-unread
27649 @findex gnus-group-unread
27650 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
27654 @findex gnus-active
27655 The active entry for @var{group}.
27657 @item gnus-set-active
27658 @findex gnus-set-active
27659 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
27661 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27662 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27663 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
27666 @item gnus-continuum-version
27667 @findex gnus-continuum-version
27668 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
27669 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
27672 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
27673 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
27674 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
27676 @item gnus-news-group-p
27677 @findex gnus-news-group-p
27678 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
27680 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27681 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27682 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
27684 @item gnus-server-to-method
27685 @findex gnus-server-to-method
27686 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
27688 @item gnus-server-equal
27689 @findex gnus-server-equal
27690 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
27692 @item gnus-group-native-p
27693 @findex gnus-group-native-p
27694 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
27696 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
27697 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
27698 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
27700 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
27701 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
27702 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
27704 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
27705 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
27706 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
27707 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
27709 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
27710 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
27711 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
27713 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
27714 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
27715 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
27717 @item gnus-check-backend-function
27718 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
27719 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
27720 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
27723 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
27727 @item gnus-read-method
27728 @findex gnus-read-method
27729 Prompts the user for a select method.
27734 @node Back End Interface
27735 @subsection Back End Interface
27737 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
27738 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
27739 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
27740 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
27741 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
27742 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
27744 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
27745 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
27746 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
27747 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
27748 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
27749 been opened, the function should fail.
27751 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
27752 name. Take this example:
27756 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
27757 (nntp-port-number 4324))
27760 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
27761 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
27763 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
27764 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
27765 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
27767 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
27768 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
27769 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
27771 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
27772 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
27773 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
27774 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
27775 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
27776 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
27779 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
27780 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
27781 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
27782 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
27785 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
27786 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
27787 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
27788 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
27789 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
27790 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
27791 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
27792 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
27793 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
27794 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
27796 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
27797 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
27798 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
27799 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
27800 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
27801 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
27802 of numbers as long as possible.
27804 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
27805 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
27806 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
27808 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
27811 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
27814 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
27815 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
27816 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
27817 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
27818 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
27819 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
27823 @node Required Back End Functions
27824 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
27828 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
27830 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
27831 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
27832 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
27833 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
27835 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
27836 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
27837 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
27838 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
27840 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
27841 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
27842 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
27843 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
27844 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
27845 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
27846 number, do maximum fetches.
27848 Here's an example HEAD:
27851 221 1056 Article retrieved.
27852 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
27853 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
27854 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
27855 Subject: Re: Something very droll
27856 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
27857 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
27859 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
27860 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
27861 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
27865 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
27866 these in the data buffer.
27868 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
27872 head = error / valid-head
27873 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
27874 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
27875 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
27876 header = <text> eol
27880 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
27882 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
27883 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
27887 nov-buffer = *nov-line
27888 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
27889 field = <text except TAB>
27892 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
27896 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
27898 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
27899 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
27901 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
27902 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
27903 server. In fact, it should do so.
27905 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
27906 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
27909 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
27911 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
27912 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
27915 There should be no data returned.
27918 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
27920 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
27921 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
27922 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
27923 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
27925 There should be no data returned.
27928 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
27930 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
27931 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
27932 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
27933 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
27935 There should be no data returned.
27938 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
27940 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
27942 There should be no data returned.
27945 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
27947 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
27948 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
27949 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
27950 it would be nice if that were possible.
27952 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
27953 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
27954 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
27955 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
27956 into its article buffer.
27958 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
27959 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
27960 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
27961 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
27962 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
27963 on successful article retrieval.
27966 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
27968 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
27969 making @var{group} the current group.
27971 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
27974 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
27977 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
27980 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
27981 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
27982 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
27983 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
27984 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
27985 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
27986 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
27987 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
27988 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
27992 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
27993 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
27994 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
27998 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28000 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28001 a no-op on most back ends.
28003 There should be no data returned.
28006 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28008 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28011 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28014 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28015 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28018 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28019 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28020 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28021 and the highest as 0.
28024 active-file = *active-line
28025 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28027 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28030 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28031 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28032 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28035 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28037 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28038 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28039 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28040 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28041 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28042 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28044 There should be no result data from this function.
28049 @node Optional Back End Functions
28050 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28054 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28056 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28057 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
28058 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
28060 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
28061 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
28062 former is in the same format as the data from
28063 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
28064 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
28067 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
28071 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
28073 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
28074 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
28075 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
28076 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
28077 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
28078 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
28079 the network resources).
28081 There should be no result data from this function.
28084 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
28086 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
28087 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
28088 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
28089 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
28090 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
28091 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
28092 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
28093 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
28095 There should be no result data from this function.
28098 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
28100 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
28101 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
28102 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
28103 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
28104 propagate the mark information to the server.
28106 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
28109 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
28112 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
28113 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
28114 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
28115 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
28116 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
28117 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
28118 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
28119 possible, not limit itself to these.
28121 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
28122 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
28123 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
28124 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
28126 An example action list:
28129 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
28130 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
28131 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
28134 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
28135 mark on (currently not used for anything).
28137 There should be no result data from this function.
28139 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
28141 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
28142 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
28143 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
28144 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
28145 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
28147 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
28148 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
28149 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
28152 There should be no result data from this function.
28155 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
28157 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
28158 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
28159 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
28160 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
28161 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
28162 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
28163 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
28164 local if that's practical.
28166 There should be no result data from this function.
28169 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
28171 The result data from this function should be a description of
28175 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
28177 description = <text>
28180 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
28182 The result data from this function should be the description of all
28183 groups available on the server.
28186 description-buffer = *description-line
28190 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
28192 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
28193 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
28194 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
28195 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
28196 in the active buffer format.
28198 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
28199 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
28200 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
28201 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
28202 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
28203 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
28204 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
28207 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28209 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
28211 There should be no return data.
28214 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
28216 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
28217 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
28218 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
28219 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
28220 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
28223 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
28226 There should be no result data returned.
28229 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
28231 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
28232 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
28234 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
28235 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
28236 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
28237 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
28238 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
28239 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
28241 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
28242 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
28245 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28246 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28248 There should be no data returned.
28251 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
28253 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
28254 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
28255 this function in short order.
28257 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28258 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28260 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
28261 article for that group.
28263 There should be no data returned.
28266 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
28268 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
28269 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
28271 There should be no data returned.
28274 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
28276 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
28277 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
28278 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
28280 There should be no data returned.
28283 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
28285 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
28286 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
28288 There should be no data returned.
28293 @node Error Messaging
28294 @subsubsection Error Messaging
28296 @findex nnheader-report
28297 @findex nnheader-get-report
28298 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
28299 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
28300 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
28301 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
28302 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
28303 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
28306 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
28308 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
28311 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
28312 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
28313 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
28314 takes one argument---the server symbol.
28316 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
28317 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
28318 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
28321 @node Writing New Back Ends
28322 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
28324 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
28325 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
28326 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
28327 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
28328 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
28331 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
28332 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
28333 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
28335 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
28336 package called @code{nnoo}.
28338 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
28339 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
28345 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
28346 parameters. For instance:
28349 (nnoo-declare nndir
28353 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
28354 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
28357 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
28358 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
28359 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
28361 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
28362 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
28363 a function in those back ends.
28366 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28367 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28368 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28371 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
28372 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
28373 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
28375 @item nnoo-define-basics
28376 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
28380 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28384 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
28385 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
28386 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
28388 @item nnoo-map-functions
28389 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
28390 functions from the parent back ends.
28393 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28394 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28395 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
28398 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
28399 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
28400 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
28401 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
28404 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
28405 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
28406 haven't already been defined.
28412 nnmh-request-newgroups)
28416 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
28417 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
28418 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
28423 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
28426 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
28427 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
28431 (require 'nnheader)
28435 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
28437 (nnoo-declare nndir
28440 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28441 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28442 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28444 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
28445 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
28448 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
28450 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
28451 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
28452 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
28454 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
28455 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
28457 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
28459 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28461 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
28462 (setq nndir-directory
28463 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
28465 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
28466 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
28467 (push `(nndir-current-group
28468 ,(file-name-nondirectory
28469 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28471 (push `(nndir-top-directory
28472 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28474 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
28476 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28477 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28478 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28479 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
28480 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
28484 nnmh-status-message
28486 nnmh-request-newgroups))
28492 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28493 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28495 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
28496 @findex gnus-declare-backend
28497 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
28498 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
28499 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
28501 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
28502 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
28507 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
28510 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
28512 The abilities can be:
28516 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
28518 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
28520 This back end supports both mail and news.
28522 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
28525 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
28526 articles and groups.
28528 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
28529 true for almost all back ends.
28530 @item prompt-address
28531 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
28532 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
28533 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
28537 @node Mail-like Back Ends
28538 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
28540 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
28541 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
28542 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
28543 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
28546 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
28547 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
28548 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
28551 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
28552 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
28555 This function takes four parameters.
28559 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
28562 @item exit-function
28563 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
28565 @item temp-directory
28566 Where the temporary files should be stored.
28569 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
28570 performed for one group only.
28573 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
28574 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
28575 find the article number assigned to this article.
28577 The function also uses the following variables:
28578 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
28579 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
28580 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
28581 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
28585 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
28586 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
28590 @node Score File Syntax
28591 @subsection Score File Syntax
28593 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
28594 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
28595 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
28597 Here's a typical score file:
28601 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
28608 BNF definition of a score file:
28611 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
28612 element = rule / atom
28613 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
28614 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
28615 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
28616 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
28618 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
28619 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
28620 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
28621 date-header = "date"
28622 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28623 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28624 score = "nil" / <integer>
28625 date = "nil" / <natural number>
28626 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
28627 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
28628 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
28629 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
28630 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28631 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28632 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
28633 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28634 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
28635 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
28636 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
28637 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
28638 exclude-files / read-only / touched
28639 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
28640 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
28641 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
28642 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
28643 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
28644 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
28645 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
28646 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
28647 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
28648 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
28649 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
28650 eval = "eval" space <form>
28651 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
28654 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
28657 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
28658 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
28659 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
28660 one looong line, then that's ok.
28662 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
28663 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28667 @subsection Headers
28669 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
28670 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
28671 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
28672 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
28674 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
28675 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
28676 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
28677 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
28678 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
28679 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
28680 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
28682 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
28683 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
28684 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
28685 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
28686 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
28688 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
28689 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
28695 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
28696 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
28698 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
28699 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
28700 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
28701 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
28703 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
28707 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
28710 is transformed into
28713 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
28716 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
28717 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
28720 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
28723 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
28724 is slightly tricky:
28727 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
28733 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
28736 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
28742 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
28749 and is equal to the previous range.
28751 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
28752 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
28753 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
28757 range = simple-range / normal-range
28758 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
28759 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
28760 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
28761 number *[ " " contents ]
28764 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
28765 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
28766 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
28767 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
28768 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
28773 @subsection Group Info
28775 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
28776 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
28777 describes the group.
28779 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
28780 second is a more complex one:
28783 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
28785 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
28786 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
28788 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
28791 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
28792 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
28793 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
28794 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
28795 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
28796 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
28797 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
28798 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
28799 this section is about.
28801 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
28802 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
28803 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
28805 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
28808 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
28809 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
28810 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28811 group = quote <string> quote
28812 ralevel = rank / level
28813 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28814 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
28815 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28817 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
28818 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
28819 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
28820 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
28823 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
28824 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
28827 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
28828 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
28831 @item gnus-info-group
28832 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
28833 @findex gnus-info-group
28834 @findex gnus-info-set-group
28835 Get/set the group name.
28837 @item gnus-info-rank
28838 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
28839 @findex gnus-info-rank
28840 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
28841 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
28843 @item gnus-info-level
28844 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
28845 @findex gnus-info-level
28846 @findex gnus-info-set-level
28847 Get/set the group level.
28849 @item gnus-info-score
28850 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
28851 @findex gnus-info-score
28852 @findex gnus-info-set-score
28853 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
28855 @item gnus-info-read
28856 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
28857 @findex gnus-info-read
28858 @findex gnus-info-set-read
28859 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
28861 @item gnus-info-marks
28862 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
28863 @findex gnus-info-marks
28864 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
28865 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
28867 @item gnus-info-method
28868 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
28869 @findex gnus-info-method
28870 @findex gnus-info-set-method
28871 Get/set the group select method.
28873 @item gnus-info-params
28874 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
28875 @findex gnus-info-params
28876 @findex gnus-info-set-params
28877 Get/set the group parameters.
28880 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
28881 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
28883 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
28884 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
28885 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
28886 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
28889 @node Extended Interactive
28890 @subsection Extended Interactive
28891 @cindex interactive
28892 @findex gnus-interactive
28894 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
28895 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
28896 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
28899 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
28900 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
28905 The best thing to do would have been to implement
28906 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
28907 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
28908 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
28909 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
28910 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
28911 @code{interactive}.
28913 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
28918 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
28919 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
28923 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
28924 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
28925 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
28928 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
28932 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
28936 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
28942 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
28943 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
28947 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
28948 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
28949 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
28951 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
28952 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
28953 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
28954 Gnus, that's very useful.
28956 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
28957 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
28958 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
28959 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
28960 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
28961 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
28962 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
28963 following function:
28966 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
28970 (,function ,@@args))
28974 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
28975 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
28976 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
28979 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
28980 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
28981 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
28983 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
28984 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
28985 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
28988 @node Various File Formats
28989 @subsection Various File Formats
28992 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
28993 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
28997 @node Active File Format
28998 @subsubsection Active File Format
29000 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29001 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29004 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29007 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29008 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29009 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29010 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29011 no.general 1000 900 y
29014 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29017 active = *group-line
29018 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29019 group = <non-white-space string>
29021 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29022 low-number = <positive integer>
29023 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29026 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29027 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29030 @node Newsgroups File Format
29031 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29033 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29034 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29035 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29038 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29039 Here's the definition:
29043 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29044 group = <non-white-space string>
29046 description = <string>
29051 @node Emacs for Heathens
29052 @section Emacs for Heathens
29054 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29055 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29056 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29057 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
29058 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
29059 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
29060 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
29064 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
29065 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
29070 @subsection Keystrokes
29074 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
29077 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
29080 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
29081 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
29082 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
29083 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
29084 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
29085 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
29087 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
29088 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
29089 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
29090 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
29091 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
29092 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
29093 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
29095 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
29096 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
29097 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
29098 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
29099 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
29100 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
29101 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
29103 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
29104 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
29105 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
29106 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
29107 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
29113 @subsection Emacs Lisp
29115 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
29116 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
29117 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
29118 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
29120 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
29121 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
29122 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
29123 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
29124 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
29125 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
29126 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
29129 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
29130 write the following:
29133 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
29136 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
29137 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
29138 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
29141 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
29142 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
29143 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
29144 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
29145 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
29147 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
29148 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
29149 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
29153 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
29157 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
29160 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
29161 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
29164 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
29167 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
29168 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
29171 @include gnus-faq.texi
29191 @c Local Variables:
29193 @c coding: iso-8859-1
29197 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819